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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder if this was bad parenting on my part

43 replies

angelicstar · 26/06/2012 17:13

Ok - I feel that this was a bit of a bad thing to do so appreciate your opinions.

DS is 2 and wakes very early each morning (usually 5ish). If I leave him he screams blue murder and wakes DD. If I bring him into bed with me he trys to drag me out of bed, jumps on me etc.

I am not a morning person and DH is away so had no one to help.

So this morning at about 6ish I took him downstairs and put him infront of cbeebies and then went back to bed for an hour to try and feel more human.

Downstairs is all childsafe, front and back doors are locked, kitchen door closed, stairgate on. I didn't give him anything to eat or drink so no choking risk. Also kept my bedroom door open so could hear any goings on downstairs although he is a telly addict and so pretty much guaranteed just to sit there if the TV is on.

Was this a terrible thing to do? I feel bad as I should have been watching him but I was just so so very tired.

OP posts:
SoleSource · 26/06/2012 17:15

YADNBU, relax, sleep, it's fine.

Mrsjay · 26/06/2012 17:15

I used to get mine up and lie on the sofa for an hr if they got up before dawn, you didnt do an awful thing and you are not a bad parent just a tired one, maybe get up with him and lie on the sofa while he watches cbeebies, but you made sure he was safe,

IawnCont · 26/06/2012 17:16

Don't worry about it. I tend to drag my duvet down to the sofa if I'm that knackered though.

gothicangel · 26/06/2012 17:16

imo, it depends on how old he is,

but your not a bad parent just sleepy x

Ithinkitsjustme · 26/06/2012 17:17

Not unreasonable at all. I used to do this on a regular basis. As long as you take all reasonable precautions, which you seem to have done. Far better to do this than struggle all day with tiredness and possibly have an accident as a result.

tryingtonotfeckup · 26/06/2012 17:18

2 would be a bit young for me, depends on the child though. Mrsjay idea of bieng on the sofa, even if snoozing, would be a bit more reassuring for me. YANBU though.

lisaro · 26/06/2012 17:19

No, it's just one of those things. You needed sleep but it wouldn't really be ideal for an everyday occurrence. Also the sofa idea is a good one.

FunnysInLaJardin · 26/06/2012 17:19

DS2 is 2 and has taken to waking at 6.30 am which is a hour too early for me. Luckily DH gets up at that time, but if I was on my own I'd probably do what you did, although I would feel a bit uneasy and wouldn't be able to sleep properly, just doze. Is he just 2 or nearer to 3?

Firawla · 26/06/2012 17:19

we do this, loads of people do. i think its fine - your house is child proofed and i dont think u would be in a deep sleep, as you know he is up then you would be having your ears tuned in to him even if your in bed so any trouble and you would hear something and go down?

Noqontrol · 26/06/2012 17:21

My 4 yr old goes downstairs with my 2 year old most mornings. As long as the house is safe and you're listening out, then I don't think it's a problem.

Sirzy · 26/06/2012 17:21

Ds is 2.5 and it's not something I would do, that doesn't mean your wrong to do it just different parenting styles.

I would go for the lie on the sofa approach.

Original poster
angelicstar · 26/06/2012 17:22

Thank you all

I felt like I had reached some sort of nadir of bad parenting!

I was only dozing and half keeping an ear out for him too. Good idea about sleeping on the sofa - or I was thinking of maybe bringing the computer upstairs and putting some programmes on that so he could watch them in the bedroom.

Its just so hard when they wake early - I find it so hard to cope with!

OP posts:
sesameflower · 26/06/2012 17:22

2 is very young to do this. At least sleep on the sofa in the same room.

shewhowines · 26/06/2012 17:24

the sofa was my friend in those days

sayonaragirl · 26/06/2012 17:30

I also snooze on the sofa. My kids always seem to find something evil to do if left unsupervised for even a short time.

Mrsjay · 26/06/2012 17:31

It is hard you only have about 11 yrs left and he will be a teen and sleep most of the day away Smile

ErikNorseman · 26/06/2012 17:37

I'm sorry but 2 is far too young to go back to bed. Half snoozing on the sofa while they play is one thing, but back to bed is not ok at all.

CharlieUniformNovemberTango · 26/06/2012 17:38

I used to go nap next to DS on the couch but now he's worked out how to put the iplayer on my iPhone so he tends to hop into bed with me and watch that.

As long as you know it's safe downstairs it's ok to do it now and then.

EclecticShock · 26/06/2012 17:39

I would have snoozed on sofa too, rather than leaving him completely unsupervised for an hour and out of earshot.

WicketyPitch · 26/06/2012 17:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Mrsjay · 26/06/2012 17:41

I dont think the OP was in a deep sleep though she knows her son and her house was safe and locked up and he hasnt come to any harm has he,

derekthehamster · 26/06/2012 17:42

I did this with ds2, it's a very small house, and he isn't the type of boy to fiddle with things (unlike ds1 who I would never have trusted.)

I'd take his duvet down and tuck him up on the sofa, and he wouldn't move until I came down about an hour later

RubyFakeNails · 26/06/2012 17:43

He was fine, its fine.

Really nothing wrong with this, certainly not 'bad' parenting. It sounds the same to me as leaving him in his room for example but with the tv in there and everybody leaves their children in the bedroom.

NatashaBee · 26/06/2012 17:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Mrsjay · 26/06/2012 17:45

I couldnt leave dd1 she was into everything even at 4/5 i was still snoozing on the sofa just incase Hmm dd2 was fine and would have watched tv .