Would you leave a 3 yr old asleep inside whilst you popped out to the shop for 5mins

[ThomasMillsandCodeinePills]

Name Changed in view of possible flaming

Would you do it? She sodding well fell asleep during Peter Rabbit (shes not being unreasonable, it's the same fucking storyline in every episode. A fox or a badger chase them) and I don't want to risk waking her up to go to the shops but I have to get something.^^ It's just us here and I can't see the harm if I'm back in five. Am I being stupid even thinking about it or....

No, I wouldn't and I'm a pretty relaxed parent.

Nope. It's much worse than leaving a baby sleeping in a cot, and I wouldn't do that either!

No chance - a 3 year old could get into all manner of trouble in 5 mins if woken

Don't need to justify it op, I get your logic but I wouldn't do it for all the reasons stated above. Have been hugely tempted before but would never actually do it. Far too dangerous. Also 5.30pm isn't the best time for a nap but then my 3 year old goes to bed at 6.30pm unless she naps and then she's up till 9pm and I need those couple of hours in the evening to myself!

Oh god. Another one of these threads. One made the Daily fail not so long ago. At 3 years old I wouldn't - if she woke she could get up to real mischief or danger. But! We are rubbish at assessing risk. Things that are unusual to us (e.g flying) feel much risky than something that is more normal (e.g. Driving) even though statistically this may not be the case. So I would say no, but acknowledge that it is because it feels too risky rather than because it necessarily is. After all - if I can say "what if it get knocked over and she is left alone" then I should (but most likely won't) acknowledge that if take her with me she is now at risk of being knocked down. So, we shouldn't compare it to a risk free alternative that doesn't exist. And we should acknowledge that our fear of being judged for a particular course of action also plays a part, even when it may be the less risky option. But still. It's a no from me.

Unless you are actually next door there's no way you can leave, get there, find what you want, possibly queue, pay, and get back through your own door in 360 seconds. She's 3, not 13, and you can't leave her in this situation.

I have a 3 year old and I wouldn't. If he wakes and I am in the bathroom
or kitchen so not immediately there he starts calling and getting worried so know he would be very upset when he could not find me.

My house would be in danger if I left my 3 year old alone never mind her being in danger!!haha

To be fair I would of asked the Same question at some point op,don't be embarrassed

You are mad to even consider it.

When DD was a newborn I lived out in whoop whoop, Australia, and my nearest neighbour was across a field from me. A really big field, complete with the occasional snake. Neighbor and I would meet in the middle of the field for a chat while DD was sleeping. If you put 10 tiny UK/European houses in that space it would feel like I'd gone very far from my sleeping daughter. No doubt social services would have been quickly called.

Everything's relative.

How far is the shop? How deeply does DD sleep? What's your backup plan if a brain aneurysm carries you off while you're the shop or all those hours you're home alone with the kids?

There isn't a clear-cut answer to this, no matter how often MN grumbles about it.

Its perfectly clear actually. Don't.

Person in field can presumably hear child if they cry, no?

Person at shop , not a chance.

Absolutely no way. Not even in a cot. Why put your child through the panic?

Did it once when ds was 5 or 6 months old as I was starving and the shop is just across the road. I panicked the whole time, worried about being hit by a car and took two lots of keys with me just in case I lost one. It was fine but I didn't do it again.

He's 3 now and I wouldn't even consider it. For a start ds can open the front door.

Nooooo! Never would I do this. Even if I left 7yr old ds, I would mever leave 3yr old dd.

You can't leave obviously but if you really do need an item you can order things to be delivered within 2-3 hours with the Amazon Prime Now app - you can get nappies, milk, bread, kettles, toasters, pretty much anything you could need "now". If it's extra urgent you can pay a little extra and have it within an hour.

I once had a very confused delivery man turn up and hand me a PC MotherBoard, a packet of crumpets, a stick of butter and a toaster. I'd been up all night with my cousin fixing a PC and needed a new part - and got a little peckish.

I know someone who does this almost every night.

Her husband works night shifts. She leaves her two year old asleep in his bed to take the dog for his last walk.

It makes me feel sick . My daughter is nearly two and it wouldn't cross my mind to leave her alone in the house for any reason.

This used to be the done thing back in the day

Whose day?

Not mine and I'm in my 60s. My parents wouldn't have done it either.

A BIG FAT NO!

I would be sorely tempted - my local co-op is about 10 doors down. Would prob call my mum to tell her to drive over if I didn't call her back in 10 mins. I would just worry about something happening to me and nobody knowing she's alone but I would do it as I'm so close to shop and would have back up plan. Or use Jinn.

Maybe Jinn is a London thing?

I start imagining all sorts of senarios, what if a delivery driver knocked on and woke her up and she goes to the door? Mummy's not here... Then police, social services etc

Only if she was in a cot.

No I wouldn't but I do have this dilemma every day. My local shop is 30 seconds away, across a grass verge so not even got a road to cross. My baby is on oxygen and it's a total faff to take her out. I have often been tempted to leave her sleeping whilst I nip to get something (never have tho! And tbh I think I'd worry too much even in the 2 mins it would take me)

My friend did this with her 3 year old and a baby of 6 months! She went to the shop at the end of the street leaving the baby in her bouncer, strapped in and the toddler asleep.

When she got to the shop (small village) the woman looked at her and said "Where are the babies!?"

She knew. She knew because it's a tiny village and there was no car outside my friend's house to show someone else was with them.

My friend said she'd never felt so terrible and didn't really know why she'd done it. She just got tired of always putting kids in prams and felt overwhelmed due to depression.

She's not done it since.

Oh god no. Even when a new kitten joined us, we paid somebody to watch him, while DH was at work and I was at at uni. (Obviously we were gone longer than 5 mins.)

A friend of mine remembers being taken to house parties when very tiny, toddler age? The party-goers would bring their little ones and put them to sleep in the "coat room", spare bedroom where party-goers would leave their coats and toddlers ! This was early 70s.

My own parents left me home alone from the age of 9/10 when they (admittedly rarely) went out for a "do" at the Mess. No contact number, I was told just to stay in my room.