Page 6 | To think we shouldn’t leave kids unsupervised while in bed

Namechange12908 · 2023-03-04T09:13:54+00:00

…early in the morning. At what age would you do this? DC are 7 and 4 and will happily watch TV/play after breakfast. Kids wake up quite early (6-7ish), and at a weekend DH an I take turns at lie in, the other gets up with the kids. If it’s DH's turn to get up he will usually happily come back to bed for an hour after making them breakfast. He says he will hear if they start fighting or they come find him if they need anything. I would love to do the same but I don’t feel comfortable leaving them unsupervised.IABU?

ReadersD1gest · 04/03/2023 15:27

TimeforacuppaT · 04/03/2023 15:26

Oh yes, I’m sure you got up every single morning to make them a hot breakfast. Probably pop tarts.

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Why does that sound so incredible to you?!

TimeforacuppaT · 04/03/2023 15:40

@ReadersD1gest um, because I don’t believe her. I’m pretty sure her kids have had cereal/crossiants/fruit or whatever for breakfast.

Plus, what on earth is she talking about “idling in bed at that time” - it’s 6/7am on a weekend. Most of the posters on here are in favour of leaving their dc to play unsupervised. 🤨

ReadersD1gest · 04/03/2023 15:43

ReadersD1gest um, because I don’t believe her. I’m pretty sure her kids have had cereal/crossiants/fruit or whatever for breakfast
🤣🤣🤣
Fair enough, Mystic Meg. I bow to your in-depth knowledge of what random Mumsnetters have had for breakfast.

QueefQueen80s · 04/03/2023 15:46

@TimeforacuppaT Pretty sure @Kois is on a wind-up, don't pay any attention.

TimeforacuppaT · 04/03/2023 15:48

@ReadersD1gest While you are bowing you can kiss my ass 😆

MadamArcati99 · 04/03/2023 15:48

Namechange12908 · 04/03/2023 09:48

It depends on how “adventurous” they are for me. I know stories of kids who went outside with their bike to visit grandma. Or wash daddy’s car as a surprise. Or try to bake a cake as a suprpise for mommy.

i think this is my worry. I don’t think they'd ever do any of those things but you never know. DC4 scribbled a large piece of artwork’ on the living room wall recently when we were in the other room which took us by surprise as totally out of character. Yes that’s not dangerous but still as a result of being unsupervised for a bit longer than ideal.

ha this reminded me of coming down one day to find my then 2 year old standing on a chair at the hob, cooking frozen chips in a pan ( no oil just frozen chips!)

lunar1 · 04/03/2023 15:50

My nephew is 4, if left to his own devices he'd find a door or window to unlock, get his wellies on and be off! My sons would have been fine. It really dependant on the child.

CinnamonJellyBeans · 04/03/2023 15:55

@Hellybelly84
@coffeecupsandwaxmelts

I need to be clearer: If people can't be bothered to supervise your kids, then they are selfish and lazy.

If you expect a childminder to physically be there when they have your child, this is a direct acknowledgment that children need watching, so do it yourself.

Having kids is tiring and a chore a lot of the time, but this is never an excuse to not look after them. The OP is right to not want her children wandering around unsupervised.

LuckySantangelo35 · 04/03/2023 15:59

@Kois
@ReadersD1gest

Getting up at 6am to make your kids a hot breakfast…
crack on martyrs!!

CinnamonJellyBeans · 04/03/2023 15:59

@Hellybelly84

I was clear that I have nothing against kids TV, so I'm confused at how you need to tell me how clever yours have turned out watching TV.

TV was always on when my kids were small, from birth onwards.

They also excelled at school. Now excelling at university.

LuckySantangelo35 · 04/03/2023 15:59

@CinnamonJellyBeans

wander around the streets yes that would be unreasonable
round their own home - deffo not

ReadersD1gest · 04/03/2023 16:00

LuckySantangelo35 · 04/03/2023 15:59

@Kois
@ReadersD1gest

Getting up at 6am to make your kids a hot breakfast…
crack on martyrs!!

I don't, personally.

LuckySantangelo35 · 04/03/2023 16:01

ReadersD1gest · 04/03/2023 16:00

I don't, personally.

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@ReadersD1gest

nah I don’t think anyone does really
people just like to make stuff up on here

CinnamonJellyBeans · 04/03/2023 16:01

...as as for those saying "it depends on the child": What are you a fortune-teller? No one foresees accidents, or they'd never happen.

Just parent your own kids.

LuckySantangelo35 · 04/03/2023 16:05

CinnamonJellyBeans · 04/03/2023 16:01

...as as for those saying "it depends on the child": What are you a fortune-teller? No one foresees accidents, or they'd never happen.

Just parent your own kids.

@CinnamonJellyBeans

part of being a parent is helping your child to become independent…

buzzy06 · 04/03/2023 16:06

CinnamonJellyBeans · 04/03/2023 15:55

@Hellybelly84
@coffeecupsandwaxmelts

I need to be clearer: If people can't be bothered to supervise your kids, then they are selfish and lazy.

If you expect a childminder to physically be there when they have your child, this is a direct acknowledgment that children need watching, so do it yourself.

Having kids is tiring and a chore a lot of the time, but this is never an excuse to not look after them. The OP is right to not want her children wandering around unsupervised.

I'd expect a childminder to be present/available because I pay them. They can't sleep on the job. Happy for a relative/other parent to have a lie in of it was a sleepover type arrangement.

At what age are you ok with a lie in? If you're not up with your 10 year old, is that lazy too?

ReadersD1gest · 04/03/2023 16:12

buzzy06 · 04/03/2023 16:06

I'd expect a childminder to be present/available because I pay them. They can't sleep on the job. Happy for a relative/other parent to have a lie in of it was a sleepover type arrangement.

At what age are you ok with a lie in? If you're not up with your 10 year old, is that lazy too?

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I'd expect a childminder to be present/available because I pay them
That's a fairly dumb reason. Why not let them take an unpaid siesta, if they don't have to be physically present all day?

Hellybelly84 · 04/03/2023 16:14

CinnamonJellyBeans · 04/03/2023 15:59

@Hellybelly84

I was clear that I have nothing against kids TV, so I'm confused at how you need to tell me how clever yours have turned out watching TV.

TV was always on when my kids were small, from birth onwards.

They also excelled at school. Now excelling at university.

You do not need to watch a 4 and 7 year old in the house 24/7. Do you do jobs, hang out the washing, have a coffee in the garden whilst the kids are playing? I have always done that.

Your post sounded very judgemental and I took it that you were saying tv was bad for the kids (that was the only reason I mentioned my own and that screens are not damaging in moderation).

If the family are up at early every day of the week (6am in this house) staying in bed for an extra hour or so with the kids happily watching a movie from the comfort of the sofa is no problem for most families. You do realise childminders also live normal lives and dont have their eyes on the kids 24/7. The teachers at school/nursery also dont watch anyones kids every second (thankfully-no one wants kids being helicoptered). Most 4 or 7 year olds are capable of shouting if theres a problem in the living room.

Theelephantinthecastle · 04/03/2023 16:15

I do find some of this stuff a bit weird.

If you posted to say you're tired so you left your 4 year old unsupervised in the afternoon and went upstairs for a two hour nap, I don't think anyone would say that's ok, what's magically different about 6am?

If you leave a 4 year old at home to pop to the corner shop, you get told you could be run over on the way home but very young children downstairs on their own for hours in the morning is somehow different and fine

CinnamonJellyBeans · 04/03/2023 16:15

@buzzy06

Supervision of a child is for health and safety; it's not dependent on how well you're being paid to do it.

Swimminpoo · 04/03/2023 16:17

I think your DH should do his morning downstairs with the dc so you can properly relax and enjoy your lay in, especially as you do that for him.

CinnamonJellyBeans · 04/03/2023 16:19

Theelephantinthecastle · 04/03/2023 16:15

I do find some of this stuff a bit weird.

If you posted to say you're tired so you left your 4 year old unsupervised in the afternoon and went upstairs for a two hour nap, I don't think anyone would say that's ok, what's magically different about 6am?

If you leave a 4 year old at home to pop to the corner shop, you get told you could be run over on the way home but very young children downstairs on their own for hours in the morning is somehow different and fine

Yeah, this. I can't understand why posters want to dodge being parents so they can sleep.

My parents always got up with us too. Dad would sit in the kitchen with the racing pages while we watched telly.

LuckySantangelo35 · 04/03/2023 16:20

@CinnamonJellyBeans

i think you could do really do with a lay in actually

LSSG · 04/03/2023 16:20

Namechange12908 · 04/03/2023 09:48

It depends on how “adventurous” they are for me. I know stories of kids who went outside with their bike to visit grandma. Or wash daddy’s car as a surprise. Or try to bake a cake as a suprpise for mommy.

i think this is my worry. I don’t think they'd ever do any of those things but you never know. DC4 scribbled a large piece of artwork’ on the living room wall recently when we were in the other room which took us by surprise as totally out of character. Yes that’s not dangerous but still as a result of being unsupervised for a bit longer than ideal.

I think you've answered you're own question here. 4yo is a bit young to get it right every time, so I'd still supervise them. 7 is fine, but like some others I've always got up with mine.

Favouritefruits · 04/03/2023 16:26

My children are 5 and 8 and I let them go down together on a weekend after 7am but I do set my alarm for 8am so they aren’t alone longer than 1 hour. I leave their dressing gowns, socks and a carton a juice out. I have been doing it for about a year so my children would be the same ages as yours.