Child playing alone in garden

[Bitchfeatures]

AIBU, 2.5yr old playing in the garden alone. I think he's too young, DP says he will be ok and I'm been overprotective.
The garden has a 6ft fence and a locked gate, can see less than half of the garden via kitchen window, can't see at all via living room window, the back doors open so can hear but not necessarily see.
DS wants to be in the garden allll day, I sit out/play with him but it's a pain not been able to get housework etc done on the days we are home.
Who's BU?

A 6ft fence and a locked gate are about as secure as it gets.

My gut tells me 2.5 is WAY to young to not be supervised. I don't think you're being overprotective. I'm kind of flabbergasted that there's anyone who thinks that's ok. The fact that so many people think its ok is blowing my mind and making me wonder if i am crazy lol. Of course, it's your child and your decision obviously. The only way I'd see this as at all reasonable is if you have a dorect line of vision from the house. And still then not for very long.

its astonishing how many garden plats are toxic - like ivy berries & daffodil bulbs & fruit of potato plant & everything bar the stalk on rhubarb etc cats come over the fence & do poos etc - old days when I was cm & had OFSTED they would go through the garden & tell you to get rid of certain plants & weeds. Mind - I can tell you that woodlice are not toxic one dc I can remember saying X no don't eat.... crunch & he swallowed it (wrote it up in incident book much to the amusement of their dm) & checked with internet! Seriously, its good practice before very young dc go in the garden each day to check that there is nothing to hurt them.

I wouldn't. Trust your instincts.

In my view,YANBU. I would only consider it if they were in full view and earshot. So unless they can be trusted to stay in the half of garden you can see and you stay where you can see and here, or check every two minutes (presumably severely restricting what housework you can do) then don’t do it.

Yes there are hazards in your house and you presumably leave them in a room on their own for a few minutes sometimes, but there’s likely to be bugs and soil (or cat poo) to eat, stones to crack heads open, potentially toxic plants (even some everyday garden plants can be toxic). Also even if they can’t get out, could a determined person who had noticed them on their own regularly get in?

It’s one thing leaving the while you go in to fetch something or go to the toilet, another for them to be on their own out their regularly and for long periods. Personally I didn’t leave them out there on their own for more than two minutes until probably age 5 or 6, and then still checked on them regularly.

I wouldn't, a stone in the mouth, child choking, will you hear them?

They are too young.

I bought my grandkids a walkie talkie set. They used to love it. Their mum used to use it on the youngest(attached to his trousers) who loved being in the garden and he was 2yr old then. She could check on him and chat with him all the time.

I want to add that I mean no disrespect to those that think it's ok. Maybe I'm a worry wart, I just personally know that I wouldn't be able to do it. I have always struggled to let them have their independence, but have forced myself to allow it within reason. I always feel calmer, less worried keeping them close and supervised, but remember vividly as a child that some of my best times were when I was unsupervised, allowed to spend a day in the woods, exploring with my best friend. Absolute lovely experiences. I was always told by my family and other parents that it's not safe and the world has changed. I don't believe the world's more dangerous now. I think with news and social media we just hear more bad stuff. I am 100% against helicopter parenting, but totally understand the urge to do it.

I was going with, as long as your garden is safe and you're in and out to check then fine but it's a fair point about berries stones etc. 3 and a half maybe but 2 and a half possibly not

@HaileySherman me too! Maybe we're both just overprotective? It seems insane to leave a 2 year old alone in the garden out of sight! Mind you, our garden is massive so there's no telling what DS would get up to if unobserved, maybe if I had a small garden with high walls I'd be ok with it. I doubt it though!

I'd leave be. It seems secure and there's no pond. I'd make sure there were no poisonous plants or things they could pull over (stone statues) or garden poisons (slug pellets - why would you use them anyway when they kill birds and wildlife?). Otherwise there's all the advantages of fresh air, making imaginative games, learning independence etc. My DCs were left to play early on and learnt by their mistakes. By 5 they were off with friends into the countryside.

I have a small, low maintenance fully enclosed back garden. There are no obvious hazards eg pond, water butts, garden tools, poisonous plants etc. I only made a point of constant supervision at all times if the paddling pool was out and kept the back door locked if no adult was available to sit out there.

The only issue I had once when they were younger was leaving DC4 and DC2.5 in the garden to answer the door with baby. I was gone 3-5 minutes and in that time they’d climbed the trellis onto the shed roof. No harm occurred but I hadn’t considered the trellis to be a risk

I'd give it a miss this year, it'll be cold soon enough, have a rethink next spring.

He wants to play in the garden, not invade France.

Yes that would be a tad ambitious at his age. May be next year!

My 2 year old (he is 3 late October) plays out in the garden by himself. We have a 6ft fence all around and gate that is padlocked. He has played outside since about 22 months old.

I only do jobs downstairs, the garden is very safe for him and patio doors are open for him to go in and out. I can hear him I do things like hoover, dust, clean windows, wash clothes etc

If your garden is hazard free (i.e no stairs he could fall down, no thorns or nettles etc) then I can’t really see an issue.

Mine were so into everything that how ever many attractive toys I put out or even if I thought I'd bombproofed the place, they would have been up to something dangerous if unsupervised, climbing, trying to eat or swallow stones etc. I had to keep them in my eyeline.

It completely depends on the child and your garden. I wouldn’t let my 2 year old play alone in the garden but that’s because she tries to climb up the climbing frame and can’t get down. She also likes to climb up some stonework by our front steps and would hurt herself if she fell. My little daredevil would end up in A&E, but I realise not every garden has these risks.

Also a little amazed by the number of people that think this is ok . Perhaps I just have an overactive imagination but I truly don’t think you are being unreasonable .

Hi my little one is 2 years 9 months and is allowed to play out in the garden with the older sibling but not on their own 😕 my little one is a mischief maker though

Get one of those circular traffic mirrors if you have a blind spot.

www.amazon.co.uk/Safety-Mirrors/b?node=6363906031&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&ie=UTF8

Should be fine as long as you check regularly. At that age they'll probably come and find you regularly anyway. Do Google the plants though (if your ds is anything like mine), some are toxic if eaten.

Mine used to go in the garden. Completely enclosed and nothing but the fence and grass out there. The door always open. I could clean and not walk back into a trashed room.
As long as you can see it should be fine.
And yes when there's silence regardless of where they are, usually results in them causing trouble lol

No. But then I never left them for huge periods of time indoors either at that age? I’d leave the room, sure, but not to get involved in something that was going to distract me for a fair bit of time.
I’d cook dinner while they were in an adjoining room, within earshot, but I wouldn’t leave them in that same room while I cleaned upstairs, for example.
I’m probably in the Mumsnet minority (again). I usually am.

I think it’s too young to be left unsupervised. I can’t imagine how any garden could be hazard free for such a young child.