To wonder at what age you can leave children in a different part of the house unsupervised?

[tropicalpalmtree]

As in downstairs when you’re upstairs in bed or having a bath … when does this usually start?

as in 7 years old?

I've done this but I brought the duvet to the couch and slept in the living room. We have locks high up on our doors and I locked myself in with 3 year old while he had a cup of milk and watched some tv and played with his toys.

I don't think I could manage to fall asleep with him in a separate room at that age.

So my dds are teenagers now so it's been a while but looking back I would say it is completely dependant on your child, your house and your belongings.

Dd1 if I said no or told her not to do something once she would listen and never do it again (oh what an amazing parent I thought I was....)

Dd2 if I said no she would giggle say no and do the thing again whilst maintaining eye contact (yet as a teen she is a dream)

So dd1 could be 3 and able to roam about, however, we lived rurally, had a very minimalist house which was child friendly and only a cat who loved her and was tame.

We visited a friend and she walked out of the front door and roamed on the pavement in under 5 minutes when I went to the loo. My friend lived in a city in a terrace and her door was not locked etc

I now have dogs and would never leave a child under 5 unsupervised around them as they love kids and are soft but it's the child you have to watch

4 or 5. My youngest as almost 5 and is downstairs playing while I have a cup of tea in bed. Still have one ear listening out for her though and she'll come in and out as she wants to tell me things.

Things to consider:
Access to outside
Animals
Does you child climb
Where do they have access to - stairs / plants / kitchen

Dd1 was fine and the lounge was contained so that she could be left while I went the loo etc from 2 but would not leave longer than 5 mins, dd2 wouldn't have let me leave her

From about 2.5 years old my little boy would play alone upstairs. Usually with Lego in his room. He’s just four now and will come down in the morning and help himself to cereal and juice. I’m excited for the baby to follow suit!

Just don’t leave anything they can fall off or choke on. My kid was really sensible and I felt more than happy to leave him for a bit if I had to pop out to the garden or go and change beds or something.

I think there’s a massive difference between putting a wash on or going to the toilet snd leaving a child of any age for a couple of minutes and having a bath or similar though.

Mine are 7 and 4 and I can have a bath or shower in different part of the house or do a job but I know the older one will tell me if the younger is up to no good. Mine also watch iPads in bed in the weekend mornings and can play in their rooms but I’m snoozing more than asleep. It’s only really since my youngest turned 3.4/4 that I could be in different areas of the home but still they’ll often come and find me

From 3.5 could leave DD in front of telly while I had a quick shower. She will come wandering in though and now likes to stand in the bathroom and hand me shampoo, shower gel etc.

We never had baby gates etc and never child proofed. However we had to keep a close eye on her as a toddler and she was definitely keen on emptying out drawers, cupboards and climbing on things. We do live in an apartment though so you can hear everything.

I think once they stopped mouthing objects.
I do remember coming downstairs to find my 2 year old had found a saucepan put it on the oven ring turned it on at the front and at the wall isolation switch and filled it with frozen chips ( no oil thankfully) trying to cook himself a snack!

7!!!!!!

If you are completely asleep upstairs while they are downstairs, we were very conservative and waited until 6-7yo. Possibly because we have a « « no TV in the morning » rule so high potential for them being bored and getting into mischief.
From 7 they knew how to make their breakfast though, meaning we could gradually stay in bed longer and longer…

I'd not go for a bath but on a weekend (i.e. today) I've been known to let them go play in each others bedrooms/go downstairs while I wake up in peace for half an hour before breakfast - they're just turned 5 and 2.5.

I've got hyperemesis with my current pregnancy so they've been fending for themselves while I've been throwing up anyway so it's about the same. The 5yo is very sensible so tells on the little one anyway 😂

So what do people do when they need to shower? You’d just never have a shower when your child is awake? Does this only apply to those that have a bathroom on a different floor or what? I have so many questions

I was too ill to do this. Dd was already in nursery 3 days a week because I was too ill to look after her and I had people helping me a lot of time the other 2 days. I couldn’t bear for her to be there more. I would not have needed to lock us in a room etc. It really depends on the child. As I say she never climbed or even used a chair to get up high. I bought a few cupboard locks but never needed them. The most she did was help herself to yoghurts in the fridge, which I banned whilst I was asleep.

I think there is a difference between a shower and a bath. Not just in that they are different forms of getting clean but I think most people get in the bath with an expectation to relax for a bit. A shower is more functional. So I’m happy to have a shower while my three year old is downstairs but I probably wouldn’t have a long bath.

I wish I could leave my two in a room together briefly without someone getting hurt by the other or an argument breaking out! Bloody nose, bit fingers, pulled hair, feet pulled out from under the them, whacks 😆 3 and 14m.

My eldest we let free-roam from about turning 2 but they were a sensible rule-follower. My youngest will probably be a teenager before I let them, such different personalities.

I'm genuinely shocked that another poster said 7!!

I shower in the evening once the kids are asleep and before I go to bed. I can take as long as I like without being poised for interruptions! I like to relax and unwind and cleanse away the stresses of the day before I go to bed.

Showering while the kids are awake is not at remotely relaxing!

It definitely depends on the child. My eldest follows the rules. My youngest has been a wannabe stuntman since 3YO.

It also depends if you have any other children. I had a 2 year age gap between my kids so there was no way in hell I would leave my eldest unsupervised with his brother as a baby.

My kids are 9 and 11 now and TBH even though I won't see or hear from them for hours, you can guarantee that the second I put my toe in a nice bath to relax, some disaster will happen where they NEED me!

Depends on the child, since my 2 were tiny they would sit transfixed watching tv, wouldn't move. No climbing the walls, sticking screwdrivers in plug holes, nothing.

7 🤣

He's not a wannabe stuntman, he is a stuntman and you should nurture that launching off the back of the sofa onto the curtain rail...... it's practise for his future carer.

*career