To leave 3 year old downstairs alone?

[smileygrapefruit]

WIBU to leave my almost 4 year old in the lounge watching a film and playing Lego while I lay down upstairs with the baby? Toddler is napping too and I'm exhausted so really tempted to take this opportunity. There's also the fact I'm not supposed to leave the baby alone (SIDS risk) but she naps better when it's quieter. Tiny terraced house so can hear everything going on. I'm upstairs now settling baby and can hear DD1 chattering to herself quietly.

It's a difficult one isn't it. Personally I used to leave baby to sleep wherever he could do that best (usually in a different room to me and noisy 2 year old toddler) I always used a monitor, made sure he was cool and checked frequently. I would highly recommend a video monitor. Ours was only a cheep one from argos (Motorola) but ment I could actually see and hear him breathing and moving on it.

My 4 year old is sometimes downstairs alone whilst I'm dealing with my toddler twins.

My house is pretty locked down with regards child proofing stuff and he's quite a responsible little guy.

If I actually want to lie down for a proper rest (I suffer from fatigue as a result of a brain injury) I usually have him upstairs too though. Turn the wifi off on the iPad and let him play with the cbeebies games I've put on it or watch downloaded Thomas episodes in his bedroom

Oops, sorry I've made your dd into a ds!

5 or 6? Seriously?

OP, assuming that the house is reasonably childproof and you are listening out this is fine. You do need to be prepared that there might be a mess downstairs when you do come down (eg sudocream example).

5 or 6? Seriously?

One of my dc I would have been ok leaving like that at about 4, another would have been about 7 before I would have left her while I went for a nap lie down, so was just giving op my opinion from my experiences.

Well I've just been testing it out for the last 45 mins. Baby wanted feeding so I decided to do it in bed upstairs. I told dd1 that I was in my room if she needed me, popped a film on and gave her her Lego. She very quietly creeped upstairs about 15 mins in, just as I was settling baby in basket, went to the toilet and snuck back down. I've just come down and there was no mess or destruction, she was happily building her Lego and said "sorry if I woke baby up, I needed a poo, I tried to be quiet!" Bless her.

She sounds lovely OP, seems you'll be absolutely fine! :)

Yes. Absolutely no problem.

No problem. I have a 3.5 year old and he's regularly on a different floor to me for a variety of reasons for differing lengths of time. I always tell him where I'm going to be and I know he will get me if he needs me.

Totally ok in my eyes. My 3.5 and 2 year olds are free to play upstairs or down, regardless of my location in the house.

We feel the house is suitably childproofed, the exits are locked, they're competent on the stairs etc. They're checked on regularly, and we've had a few mishaps (mainly involving glitter), but all is good.

Depends on the child. Mine have been pretty sensible and easily engrossed in videos/ trainsets/ lego from a young age. The house is well childproofed, and the DCs didn't have much inclination to rummage and make mischief/ self destruct. The house has good acoustics that meant I never needed a baby monitor.

I would do this no problem.
My 2 and 3 year old are upstairs playing while I'm downstairs. I can here them chatting to each other.

WhamBars but presumably from 5 they are at school and therefore making their way unaccompanied to the toilet and back then at least. Where's the difference?

I'm assuming NT here of course (but if there are SN then it's possible a 50 year old can't be left unaccompanied so the question is pointless) but I have a 6 year old and I find the idea she couldn't be watching TV downstairs whilst I was having a 'lie down' upstairs shocking and I would suggest very unusual. My experience suggests that within the confines of a safe space most (NT) children aren't closely monitored from the age of about 3 onwards. Whether that starts at 2, 3 or 4 of course depends on the child.

Of course it's absolutely fine.

Interesting how the first few responses were a definite no but now the majority say it's fine. I'm feeling confident after trusting her yesterday to try again...if I ever get the baby and toddler to nap at the same time again!! Thinking about it, I often leave the 3 year old and 20 month old in the lounge while I'm in the kitchen or putting washing away or even for a quick shower. Wouldn't leave them both for any length of time but it's simply not possible to be with all of them all the time. Thanks for putting my mind at rest that I'm not a terrible mother for even contemplating it, deep down I know she'd be safe but nice to hear other people think it's acceptable.

I'm on a different floor to my 3 year old all the time, never considered this a problem.

My 6 and 3 year olds often get up an hour before me in the mornings too.