Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

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 the children at home while they’re napping?

453 replies

ParkLife123 · 17/10/2019 16:43

Please hear me out.

House has a driveway outside, and then the street. On the other side of the street is a playground which my DS aged 4 loves. We go out there to play as often as we can but usually all four of us (me, DS, his younger brother aged 2, and newest addition our 5 month old baby).

I’m considering, in order to be able to spend a little quality 1:1 time with DS, taking him occasionally across the street while the other two nap. House is alarmed. I have baby monitors looking into their cots - the two year old cannot get out of his cot yet and in any case there’s also a baby gate at the door.

But really any sign of movement or noise from either of them and I get an alert on my phone.

The time it takes to get back home from the playground realistically is around 1 minute.

Is this a terrible idea? I’ve thought about the risks of them choking or something but also think that I would be able to get back home in the same time as it would take me to get to them if I was for example in the shower!

Does it sound fine or is it a risk no one else would take?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
LoyaltyBonus · 17/10/2019 17:06

I wouldn't bit mostly for fear of being judged, which from responses here seems would be a legitimate fear.

Chloemol · 17/10/2019 17:07

Please don’t. What happens if a sudden fire starts, you don’t see it in time? How quickly could you get back if the alarm goes off? It would only take a minute for someone to get in and out

It’s irresponsible

NewNameGuy · 17/10/2019 17:07

It's not unreasonable, but what I never thought is that it's not if anything happens to THEM, but what if something happens to YOU

Twinkletoes888 · 17/10/2019 17:07

This is not a good idea. What if your child in park had a serious accident and you had to call emergency services and police came along with paramedics, air ambulance etc. What you going to say? Keep an eye on on this one I’ve got 2 more across the road sleeping officer?

Burglar bill decides today is the day to break in and your alarm fails?

There are 10000s of scenarios that could happen and probably wouldn’t. I would not risk it and I’d my friend told me she was doing that I’d be horrified

dottiedodah · 17/10/2019 17:09

Thing being if god forbid one of them was choking ,you would have to race back home with your older child who may trip /fall over .Is it really just one minute to get child ,run home ,cross road safely ,and open the door?.Best to surely have a little 1 to 1 indoors .some baking (just little rice crispy cakes .whatever) Read a story together/ painting .Also DS2 may not be all that happy when he finds out hes missed a trip to the park!

Huntlybyelection · 17/10/2019 17:09

It's a fucking stupid idea.

What do you do if your playground child gets injured? Or you do? Or the ones in the house do?

1:1 time is overrated tbh if it puts your other children at risk.

Bluerussian · 17/10/2019 17:10

No, don't do it unless your husband is home to mind the other two. If the babies both nap in the pram you could take them and still have one to one time with your eldest.

SinkGirl · 17/10/2019 17:10

What if your child fell off the climbing frame and was badly hurt - what would you do? I wouldn’t do this at all, not worth the risk.

ilovetofu · 17/10/2019 17:11

What if there's a fire in the house?

Sammyp235 · 17/10/2019 17:12

I’d be worried they were sick and choked. God forbid it happened even if you were downstairs and you didn’t hear them but you’d never forgive yourself if you were at the park.

I’d not do it as they’re too young. I wouldn’t even leave my 11 year old in house alone watching tv whilst I took 7 year old to park same distance. If one goes.... we all go.

chuttypicks · 17/10/2019 17:12

Wow. If you do decide to do that then I hope you get reported to social services for it. That's a dreadful idea.

firstimemamma · 17/10/2019 17:12

I find the 5% of posters on this thread who seem to think it's ok really worrying.

ChilledBee · 17/10/2019 17:13

I'd be more concerned about 4 year old falling and breaking an arm and me not being able to leave them to get the other kids. Imagine having to explain to the ambulance that you need to run back to get the other kids you've left at home.

I'm with you on the 3 kids under 4. I have that myself. But that isn't the solution. It's you and hubby that need to tag team so each of you get some 1v1 and 2v1 with them as well as 3v2.

seaweedandmarchingbands · 17/10/2019 17:13

One minute away? A playground that’s just over the road? My local shop is about a one minute walk from my house (perhaps slightly over) and it’s a good 150m. That’s too far.

Heismyopendoor · 17/10/2019 17:13

Terrible idea.

Aozora13 · 17/10/2019 17:13

I wouldn’t, but I have form for doing stupid stuff like losing keys/locking myself out, plus getting my DD to leave the playground is not always a straightforward negotiation. I’d take them all to the playground first to knacker the toddler out then do something nice with the 4yo at home while the others nap. I just don’t like the idea of leaving my kids alone in the house.

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 17/10/2019 17:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Drogosnextwife · 17/10/2019 17:13

You cant just do something on your property with your oldest child? Or let the other 2 kids nap in the pram at the play ground?

Drogosnextwife · 17/10/2019 17:14

I would like to see a picture from your house of the playground. I'm willing to bet it is not just across the road.

formerbabe · 17/10/2019 17:14

Imagine if you lost your house keys?

negomi90 · 17/10/2019 17:14

Do one on one time indoors with your 4 year old - make things, play with them, kiddy baking. Then you will be totally present because you'll hear your little ones.
Going to the park with a baby monitor is risky and you'll be needing to endlessly check your monitor which will distract you from the 4 year old and cheapen your one on one time.
Go to the park with the baby in the buggy and play with both older children.

Judashascomeintosomemoney · 17/10/2019 17:15

I always post the same thing on threads like this. A few years ago my ndn called me and asked if there was a power cut because her burglar alarm had gone off (she was upstairs in bed and scared). We said no, and we’ll come round. Me and DH went out immediately and saw a glow in the front downstairs window, it rapidly grew literally before our eyes. We called her and told her to get out. She came downstairs and immediately out of the side door through the garage. Less than SEVEN MINUTES later the flames were coming out of the roof ( fire brigade had miraculously managed to get there in that time and had begun to get the hoses on it). The fire had obviously triggered the alarm as it was on the mains and it must have affected the electrics. It was her TV in the front room that had caught fire. Even though we got round there in a matter of two or three minutes from her call she already wouldn’t have been able to get out the front door. Lucky that she had another exit. No I wouldn’t leave my small children in the house alone even for a five minutes.

Jellybeansincognito · 17/10/2019 17:16

Absolutely not, it would be neglect to do this.

Itsallpetetong · 17/10/2019 17:16

You have got to be kidding Shock

if I saw a neighbour do this, and knew the smaller ones were home alone, I would report in a flash.

Jellybeansincognito · 17/10/2019 17:17

Can you zoom around with them in the buggies in the playground until they fall asleep?