To think that I can have a lie in as a single parent?

[PaintedFaces]

I have a 4 and 6 year old and I have started work full time, I am so tired and it takes ages for me to fall asleep.

I've told my children that when they wake up to leave me asleep and go downstairs and play nicely but wake me up if they need me. I don't sleep in but they are usually up at 6am so during the holidays it would be nice to get an extra hour or so sleep in the mornings.

I've left a snack and juice out for them in the living room, the cooker is turned off at the switch, doors are locked and cleaning products etc are locked away. I've also told them not to go into the kitchen in the morning just as an added precaution.

They have got plenty of toys to play with and they are brilliant at amusing themselves so I feel as though this would be safe to do however my DM has criticised this and said that I shouldn't do it and now I'm doubting myself.

WIBU to do this?

You NEED to do this! Lack of sleep is dangerous and you need to relax as much as the next person

It depends on the kids.. it sounds like yours are sensible and you have taken all precautions, I would go for it. Just don't discuss with your mum again!

What is it your DM is worried about OP?

Your DM sounds like mine OP
Im a single parent and I used to do this when mine were that age, they were perfectly fine.

Thank you everyone, they went downstairs on their own this morning and played and I got up at 8! It felt amazing and they were perfectly fine playing together. I feel so much better for it and they seemed to have enjoyed themselves this morning.

My DM is very critical, I've raised them on my own since I was 20, I was pregnant with my youngest then and I had my eldest at 19. I think she still sees me as a teenage Mum sometimes.

I'm glad I'm not the only one doing this and you've all put me at ease about it.

Mine are 4 and 1 and play for ages in their room when they wake up at 6am. Our house is bit hazardous to let 1 year old downstairs unsupervised but at 6 & 4? Hell yeah, that's fine. And I'm not a single parent!

Well my 2 survived it. Early morning babysitting is what CBeebies was invented for!

it's hard as a single parent.

I used to love the sound of my son dragging a chair across the kitchen floor as I knew he was trying to get whatever it was himself, that he would have previously tried to get me out of bed at 6am to reach for him!

I work full time and I'm a single parent. My 2yo wakes me up at 6am every weekend and pulls my duvet off and says 'up,up,up' until I get up