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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To leave my 3 and 5 year olds downstairs while I take a nap?

510 replies

Snossidge · 13/09/2015 17:19

Basically the kids were all up at 6am today, 1 year old wanted a nap by 9am and I had a bit of a hangover. 3 and 5 year olds just wanted to play lego and watch Adventure Time.

Was I unreasonable to leave them alone for an hour while I napped upstairs?

OP posts:
CremeEggThief · 13/09/2015 17:23

Not in my opinion. I used to let my DS downstairs on his own from 2 and a half. I'd give him breakfast, leave him a small cup of water, shut the stairgate to the kitchen, put CBeebies on and head back to bed for an hour or 2.

Sirzy · 13/09/2015 17:23

I wouldn't.

Dosing on the sofa maybe but not upstairs napping.

Bishboshbash · 13/09/2015 17:24

Could you nap on the sofa?

TheBunnyOfDoom · 13/09/2015 17:25

I would nap on the sofa, if I were you.

strawberrypenguin · 13/09/2015 17:25

Yes I think you were. A doze on the sofa fine but not upstairs. What if you were so asleep you didn't hear something topple on them/ them get into mischief in the kitchen/ out the front door?

AuditAngel · 13/09/2015 17:27

DH works shifts. Sometimes regularly the DC would be left with daddy or granny napping.

LyndaNotLinda · 13/09/2015 17:27

I wouldn't. In my experience two children together are much more likely to get up to mischief than one alone.

NotSayingImBatman · 13/09/2015 17:30

Not a hope in hell.

There are way too many things that could go wrong and I'd never forgive myself. Dozing on the couch, fine, actually going to sleep upstairs, not on.

Eva50 · 13/09/2015 17:30

I wouldn't. I would nap on the sofa but I wouldn't leave them downstairs on their own.

MsVestibule · 13/09/2015 17:31

No way. OK, you'd hear if the smoke detector went off, but you wouldn't know for ages if they were doing something dangerous. A nap on the sofa while they play in the same room, fine, but not asleep upstairs.

WorldsBiggestGrotbag · 13/09/2015 17:32

I wouldn't, but would snooze on the sofa.
CremeEgg could your DS get you if he needed you?

Pobspits · 13/09/2015 17:32

Yabu. Nap on sofa for sure, not upstairs.

calamityjam · 13/09/2015 17:33

I know how you feel. When ds1 was 4, ds2 was 2 and dd was a few weeks old, I got a really nasty stomach bug. Dh and everyone else was at work. I declared an upstairs day. This involved Dh getting me a picnic bag of snacks and a tonne of videos. I literally breastfed and vommed all day while the boys munched on snacks and watched endless Disney. We all fell asleep for a few hours mid afternoon after which I started to feel much better.

Original poster
Snossidge · 13/09/2015 17:34

They can't get out the front (or back) doors, there's a gate on the kitchen that the 5yo (very sensible) can open but the 3yo (averagely sensible) can't, plus I have absolutely no doubt that the 5yo would be straight up to me if his brother looked like he was going to do anything naughty Grin

It's a pretty small house and I can hear them playing from upstairs.

OP posts:
Paddingtonsmarmaladesandwiches · 13/09/2015 17:34

I wouldn't. Not ever, no way. I think you are being massively unreasonable.

KaraokeQueenOfTheNorth · 13/09/2015 17:36

I wouldn't. I don't think a 3 and 5 year old should be left unattended.

LadyNym · 13/09/2015 17:37

I wouldn't but my three year old has ASD and absolutely couldn't be trusted by himself for that amount of time. However, as others have said, I would (and do) nap on the sofa in the same room as the DCs.

mrstweefromtweesville · 13/09/2015 17:37

You would be unreasonable. They are too small to look after themselves. You need to be there, in the room, even if you are dozing. I used to grab five minutes on the sofa, with dd sitting behind me while she watched her favourite television programme (Rainbow etc in those days). If she moved, I would feel it and be fully awake.

CremeEggThief · 13/09/2015 17:37

Yeah, he could have shouted from the bottom of the stairs for me, and then come for me, when I took the stairgate off, when he was about 3 and a half. I kept the one on the kitchen on for another while. . He's nearly 13 now, so used to being left for hours, occasionally even the whole day, if I have work and he's off school.

Original poster
Snossidge · 13/09/2015 17:39

Those saying they absolutely wouldn't leave the room, what is it you're actually concerned about happening?

Is it that different from them being in their bedroom alone while you're asleep Confused

OP posts:
BrendaandEddie · 13/09/2015 17:41

why upstairs?

Sirzy · 13/09/2015 17:42

Surely they are asleep then so that's different.

I think being upstairs asleep is too dangerous too many things a child could get to downstairs, or they could get out the house. Maybe unlikely but not a risk I would take at that age.

bigkidsdidit · 13/09/2015 17:43

I wouldn't, though j have wanted to many times.

Original poster
Snossidge · 13/09/2015 17:44

They wake up before me in the mornings. Sometimes the oldest gets up in the night/early morning to go to the toilet.

They couldn't get out of the house as the doors are locked and the key is out of their reach.

Brenda - so I could get some sleep.

OP posts:
RonaldMcDonald · 13/09/2015 17:44

Nah
5&3 are too young to be in charge of themselves

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