To ask if you can leave your 4/5 year old while you do chores?

[lollilou2]

For example- putting your washing away upstairs, anything that involves leaving the room really?

Just curious!

YABU - you don’t leave your child.
YNBU- you leave your child while doing jobs.

Yes all the time

Mine are a bit older now but yes absolutely

Mine is 4.5.

Depending on her mood, yes, usually.

Yes, I did. One of mine was impossible to leave though - she'd come and find me 😂. The other one would happily play by himself at that age while I did things round the house. It's also easier with two of them as they entertain each other...to a point

Yep!

Yes. We don’t live inthe Uk, but here kids walk to school on their own from kindergarten. My DS was 4 years and 4 months when he first walked on his own (including crossing a main road at a zebra crossing). So leaving him playing while I do jobs around the house obviously isn’t an issue.

If he is on his tablet or watching TV, yes.

If he isn't, it depends - sometimes he is very absorbed in playing by himself and it's fine, sometimes he wants to be with me or to do something with me. So yes and no - if I pick my moment, yes, but there are definitely times when, no, he won't be left

I do, yes. My 4.5 year old is very sensible and risk averse though. I am generally in the same room as him but I'll happily leave for 10/15 mins especially if he's busy playing something or watching TV. I think I have a slight tendency to helicopter though.

Yes of course. Even my 3YO is ok if either he’s set up with a suitable activity and I don’t take too long, probably max 15 minutes, or I stick the TV on then it’s probably more about how much TV I actually want him watching rather than how long I can be out of the room for 🤣

Dd is 3.5 and we can for short bursts. Depending on the chore though, it's sometimes easier to get her involved - particularly laundry and cooking

Yes absolutely. I think most children would be fine at 3 to be honest for a short amount of time.

By ages4-5 they can take their own clean washing upstairs and also put dirty clothes in the laundry basket.

By the time my eldest was 5 they had 2 younger siblings. I would have been in trouble if I couldn’t have left them!

I'd get the 4 year old to help with putting clothes away. They can learn to do it, at least to sort socks and put things in piles.

Yes if I can pick my moment and wait until she playing/watching TV. If I disappear when she's not distracted, she'd probably follow and insist on "helping". Usually I get about 10-15 minutes before one of the kids comes to find me.

Yep, I can leave my 2.5 year old (with the TV on!) Easily. My nearly 6 year old tends to be off doing her own thing anyway, the only reason I have to go back to them is if they are fighting!

Yeah absolutely, you're in and out so checking in at intervals. Or get them to help.

My dd has an ikea wardrobe and you can get these labels that hook onto the drawers with a diagram of what's in each section (socks, pants, tops etc). It helps her put her own clothes away. (We don't care about stuff being folded - she lives in jogger sets anyway)

Of course, from maybe age 3? How do you function otherwise?

When mine were that age I could nip out to fetch something but only leave them for longer if the TV was on. Especially when my older one was that age and his baby brother was around as they weren't safe to be left together. I was very envious of people with quieter children who would sit and look at books/do jigsaws/draw etc...

Yes, of course. They usually put their own washing away after I’ve ironed and folded it.

Seriously, you think you can't leave a 5yr old in a room on their own???

Unless they're in the Bath, of course it's ok to leave them.

Yes how else do you function? If I have to get myself ready for work then I’ve got to go shower and get ready and leave 3 year old and 5 year old. Obv have made sure haven’t left out any thing dangerous and front door not openable etc

Yes sometimes, but only very very quickly. And it usually ends in disaster.

ADHD/ASD and prone to doing ridiculously risky things with no warning.

My 4 year old is fine to be left but my 7 year old says he is "too scared" - he just comes with me. He will sit on my bed and read while I get dressed.