Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To leave a 2 year old for 10 mins

726 replies

BlueSuedeStiletto · 27/04/2019 03:30

2 year old asleep in a cot they can't get out of. Needed to pop to the shops. 10 minutes away if that, child asleep the whole time, doors locked etc. Friend is horrified. WIBU?

OP posts:
feelinghopeful2 · 28/04/2019 20:06

Absolutely not!! I couldn’t.

Tulipsandroses · 28/04/2019 20:10

I think you are ‘lucky’ if your friend hasn’t reported you to SS. This is neglect.

KimonoDragon · 28/04/2019 20:12

Re leaving babies in cars, Someone in our area did that and their baby ended up in a river and drowned. The car rolled down a slope. Never leave your babies unattended 😔

Ilfie · 28/04/2019 20:14

Can see your problem but would never do this- as others have aside/ you could have accident apart from child having emergency situation! It’s so not worth taking the chance! A hundred years ago I left my husband in charge for half a day and he told me he’d left toddler in cot asleep whilst he went to local post office! I never trusted him again!!!!!

bert3400 · 28/04/2019 20:17

Wtf no no no .

Sheffmum1 · 28/04/2019 20:17

If you put a post like this in here you’ve got to expect a mainly very negative response from the mumnetters. I’m sure you’re a great mum- and there’s plenty of times when they are older when you have time to yourself.
I feel that this is more than going to the shops—- it’s about you having time to yourself (which you probably desperately need!) . Can you ask a friend or neighbour to watch them for an hour - and get yourself out of the house. Then you can relax a bit?

confusedat30 · 28/04/2019 20:22

Isn’t this illegal? Surely this isn’t a serious question?

SoupDragon · 28/04/2019 20:27

I’m sure you’re a great mum

She doesn't have children.

Dropitlikeitshot · 28/04/2019 20:33

Read. The. OP’s. Replies.

FFS.

Yorkshirelady · 28/04/2019 20:34

If you've done this, you really should be ashamed of yourself. I am very concerned about this post. Please please please never do this again. ps: people have been arrested for leaving their children in the car at a patrol station for a couple of minutes while they go pay!....this should give you some idea of how neglectful this post sounds. OMG I'm a bit upset by the thought of it!

TakemedowntoPotatoCity · 28/04/2019 20:37

I worked for a posh family as a nanny once who thought nothing of popping to the neighbours with a monitor. I came back on New Years Eve once, gone midnight, drunk and the kids were ALONE. Then one woke up and asked where her mummy was, they had obviously gone to the neighbours. I was in no fit state to look after them and considering I worked pretty much f/t with them and then some, this was a well deserved night off and I was fucking pissed off (if I had been sober enough to make a sense of it)The parents did turn up ten minutes later and we had words, but looking back I just can't believe it, and that because they were upper middle class with fancy jobs as wanky management consultants they thought it was fine. It wasn't and it isn't. Whoever you are.

Attitude84 · 28/04/2019 20:50

No.

a) 10 mins there and 10 mins back is 20 whole minutes. Which is more like two hours in toddler time.

b) a fire can engulf a whole 3 bedroom house in 3 minutes flat.

Don’t do it. No.

Coconut0il · 28/04/2019 20:50

This thread makes me sad that only 3 out of about 50 people actually read the thread! The OP has no children, she didn't do this, she was just discussing it with a friend and was interested to hear other opinions.
I think I may have thought this was ok before I had my DC but I would never dream of doing it now I have them.

Ticketybootoo · 28/04/2019 20:52

YABU - it’s a safeguarding issue . End of .

nespressowoo · 28/04/2019 20:52

Why the fuck would you do this? Absolutely mental. A lot can happen in 10 minutes.

StaceD1986 · 28/04/2019 21:02

No, don’t do it. 2 is far too young. Are you mad? 10 mins there, 10 mins back, then time added for shopping.
Anything could happen? They could wake up, try and climb out.. a fire could happen, they could choke, be crying for u. No please don’t do it ever again.

ShowMeTheKittens · 28/04/2019 21:16

NSPCC ' "It's safe to say babies, toddlers and young children should never be left alone, even if it's just while you pop down the road," the guidance says.'
Personally I think you are mad.

SoupDragon · 28/04/2019 21:25

This thread makes me sad that only 3 out of about 50 people actually read the thread!

Or even just skim it for posts by the OP. 🤦🏻‍♀️

sobby · 28/04/2019 21:29

Unbelievable to even think about leaving a 2 yr old.

I would be horrified if my friend told me that's what she did.

I can't think of anything so urgent that you have to leave the house with out your two year old and of it is so urgent take them with you.

As an ex foster mum, two of my foster children were removed for being left alone at times...

Ten minutes is enough time for anything to happen. What about some one watching you leave and breaking in as soon as you have gone not expecting you back so soon.

Rant over.

Greenyogagirl · 28/04/2019 21:36

Just no

optimisticpessimist01 · 28/04/2019 21:36

I understand you don't have kids, was just theoretical in conversation, but I thought I'd offer my two cents, just to reply to those saying "a fire breaking out is unlikely to happen" etc

99.99% of the time, nothing bad will happen.The problem is the 0.01% that it does happen. Nobody plans to be run over, or plans to have their home burnt down, or plans to have their baby choke on something seemingly harmless.

You can't just nip out with the thinking that "oh fire's never happen, it'll be fine" because you never plan for it to happen. You don't know what can happen in just 1 minute, never mind 10. Leaving a baby alone who has no exit out of the house in the even of any emergency including mama not returning, is simply stupidity

vdbfamily · 28/04/2019 21:40

I will be one of the rare few to go against the grain here. I had 3 preschoolers. I lived opposite a preschool. When my 3 year old needed collecting at 12.30 I used to leave the 2 year old and baby in their cots. They were very routine and both slept 12 to 2 ISH daily. They would have been at far greater risk coming with me as I had to cross a main road renowned for people speeding and indeed a few years later, whilst crossing same road with my 3 kids and a schoolfriend of theirs, at a pedestrian crossing, a car drove through the lot of us and nearly killed one of the kids( court case etc) I never was longer than 5 minutes, house was in sight and never once got home to a screaming baby. I do a job that involves multiple daily risk assessing and the reactions on this thread are totally disproportionate. Of those statistics shared, some would be cases of multiple neglect and laving young kids at home for a weekend etc. I would be really surprised if SS would be interested in this.

Obsidian77 · 28/04/2019 21:42

Some real dickhead responses on here, especially calling op mad and mental.
RTFT people.
And LMAO at people dismissing Lockheart's lucid factual responses with quotes from a newspaper.
Although op if you're still around, what did the friend's friend go to the shop for?

Theza · 28/04/2019 21:58

No. Very simple no.
If it's that urgent take your child with you

Nicole786 · 28/04/2019 22:03

No way you never know what could happen she could wake up climb out of cot at 2 she could vomit and choke you could have accident while out.. Why not take her with you and let her sleep in pram or wake up. Not worth the risk wouldn't do it sorry

Swipe left for the next trending thread