Could you leave your two year old alone?

[AintOverUntilTheCatLadySings]

Obviously not overnight or when you go down the shops. But alone in a room for ten minutes when you finished off dinner or went for a poo?

Any time I've ever left mine, for less than five minutes, unsupervised she's used the opportunity to do something she shouldn't - like colour the cat in with a felt pen.

Yes I have left them since they were babies within the house to go to the toilet, prepare food, throw a lid of laundry on. Now often they just followed me and I wouldn’t lock doors and always be listening out but sometimes Peppa or a toy was enough to keep them occupied. I think a bit younger than that at around 9-18mnths was the worst for showering and was often easier to bring them in with me.

My eldest would break into wails if left alone even for a few seconds up until he was around 2.5, but now he plays happily by himself for hours, so hang in there! :)

He's 6 now but when mine was 2, no. So maybe it was a bonus that he wouldn't leave me alone, even if I was having a poo.

I leave my 2 year old in the living room while I cook dinner in the kitchen. I pop my head in every now and again. I only do this once I have verified there are absolutely no pens of any description in the room. I can hear her from the kitchen and she comes to get me if she needs anything.

my boys would cause carnage

Mine were always the mischievous sorts, and when I had a 2yo I also had a 6 month old who could crawl, and bypass the stair gate through the open tread stairs🤦‍♀️.

Both ate/spread bum cream all over themselves at various stages.
Once, as a pair they got the cold ash out of the fire grate and made hand and foot prints on the wall.
Youngest DD coloured her entire face in red, with no mirror and no white gaps, aged 2.

And I didn't leave them alone much at that age! They're much easier to handle now at 9 & 10!

My aunt was similarly imp like, and once crawled into her window ledge. GM put a lid on her cot after that.

Yeah I’ve been able to leave my DS for short stints for about a year? He’s now 3.5.

House is childproof, no closed doors between us, and he knows the drill- am a LP so unfortunately he just has to be a bit more independent than I’d ideally need him to be.

I could have (DC is 4 now) but it was absolutely luck of the draw rather than particularly brilliant parenting!

Yes, the best tip I can give is that when you notice that it has gone quiet...
...you need to go and check what they're up to!

I was born in the late 60s and parents used playpens when they cooked or did chores. Everything took longer - meals were cooked from scratch, there weren't any Hoovers for fast cleaning - only brooms, carpet sweepers and mops. Most homes didn't have washing machines. So I don't think our parents could have survived without playpens. I remember my younger cousins playing in them very happily with toys. We were taken to parks or local playgrounds everyday regardless of the weather.

If I'm going to the loo I often pop in the cot with a toy or 2, downstairs we have a playpen with some toys in, it's a big one though and limits the amount of mischief caused. I wouldn't leave alone at the moment to run free as honestly, I dread to think.

From about 2.5 I could have a bath with the door open and hear her playing in her bedroom the next room over, or go make dinner while she watches cartoons. She’s not a mischievous sort though or a climber!
My son is a different ballgame 😂

Yes I did that.

My dc would have followed me at that age.

Yes, my house was pretty childproof. I had a big fireguard which clipped on to the wall each side of the fire, books wedged firmly into the bookcases, an old fashioned playpen which had numerous functions.....folded wedged between banisters to prevent crawling upstairs, somewhere to put baby when toddler playing, I was ironing or answering the door or across the kitchen door when I was cooking. I didn't have toys brought into the kitchen.

Yup. I used to pop my DS down to watch telly and head back to bed for an hour or so when he was that age. He's 17 now.

My DS is 2 and I’d leave him watching tv to go to the toilet, not much longer though as he’s a climber.

Yes, but I’d usually stick the TV on so she was distracted rather than being tempted to pull all the books off the selves.

My dd was so interested in going to the toilet, she came to watch at 2 - she potty trained very soon after and brought her potty in to the bathroom so we could both toilet at the same time!

When cooking, she either wants to help or plays with various items from the cupboards on the floor: saucepans as drums; cans to make towers; you get the idea.

It’s good to leave them with something to keep them distracted for a few minutes. I leave mine with a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.

DS1, no way. DS2, absolutely. He’s just always been able to play by himself. DS1 (now 7) still struggles to entertain himself although he is much better than he was a few years ago!

I was born in the late 60s and parents used playpens when they cooked or did chores. Everything took longer - meals were cooked from scratch, there weren't any Hoovers for fast cleaning - only brooms, carpet sweepers and mops. Most homes didn't have washing machines

I was of playpen age in the early 60s and remember mine - yellow painted wood, that I loved being in. But we, whilst not well off, certainly had a Hoover ( noisy thing) and a twin tub washing machine plus mangle.

DS1 would happily sit through loops of Fireman Sam/ Thomas.
It was simulataneously useful and nerve grinding. It allowed me to get on with pregnancy/ newborn baby at a phase where getting out of the house was logistically tough (and painful, thanks SPD). We had massive tantrums when I turned the TV off. 6+ years later, he was diagnosed with ASD. At least I didn't have to be glued to him though!

DianaT1969 I was born before you and we always had a vacuum cleaner and washing machine. Where on Earth did you live?

No, I wouldn’t have left any of my 2 year olds at all. They have lots of physical ability, but absolutely no sense at that age.