Do you or did you leave 1 year old alone in the lounge?

[andanotherproblem]

My DD is 1.5 years old, she is a very busy girl, constantly walking around, climbing on and off the sofa or trying to climb on anything and everything, she will not sit for even a minute unless she’s in her high chair or pram, I’m sure like most 1 year olds, she’s a walking hazard, constantly falling over, head first into the wall/tv unit, off the sofa etc. I have never left her in the lounge by herself as she is a hazard when I’m there let alone when I’m not, my family have started commenting on this recently asking why I bring her to the toilet with me or in the kitchen etc, surely it’s normal to constantly have eyes on her, curious what others do/think

I wouldn’t leave them unless they had a play pen with only baby safe toys and only then to the down stairs toilet etc where I can still hear them.

Yeah I think I did leave her. Just for short times like going for a wee in the downstairs loo, and I’d leave the door open. Tbh she tended to just follow me anyway.

Yes - they went in the playpen so I could go to the toilet, answer the door, feed the dog etc.

I had a playpen so I could but otherwise wouldn’t have.

Yes, otherwise nothing would have ever been done! I’m not taking a 1 year old to the toilet with me, the toilet was 5 steps away from the living room, I peed while the door was open but I think even at 18m they are only to not have eyes on them for a whole 60 seconds. Also helps them to develop those very first stages of independence and not being so reliant on me which I was personally a big fan of!
Obviously my living room was child proof as much as reasonable, I don’t drink hot drinks so no danger in them pulling a hot tea over themselves etc.

Yes in a play pen if I was going to be completely distracted.

1st child probably not, 2nd child all the time, never for very long though

Yes in a baby proofed room.

I would leave her to walk to the kitchen to get a glass of water, or run upstairs to grab a nappy.

But she’s pretty sensible and the TV is out of reach, and we don’t have any furniture that could topple.

I’d pop out to the loo, but not for much longer than that. In a reasonably baby-proofed room.

Depends on how hazardous the room was. Usually DC would just want to be with me anyhow

Playpen like others.
Probably left in a room in earshot from 2ish.

I did but my DC were not super active/climbers and would sit playing with toys while I went to the toilet. My house was small and I was never more than 30 seconds away. My furniture was tethered to the walls etc.

My niece could absolutely not be left for a second though. She was so active and always looking for new climbing spots .

I would put mine in their high sided cotbed with some toys if I needed a wee etc. Treated it like a play pen.

Mine is 9mo but crawling and pulling to stand on everything in sight so absolutely no chance 😂 he has a playpen so he goes in there if I need the toilet, or to hang the washing out or something. That playpen is a godsend!

My DD is the same age, I go to the toilet and into the kitchen and leave her, she does tend to follow unless engrossed in a toy.
I don't close doors behind me and there's nothing she can climb on other than sofa, TV is on the wall

My dd was ok at 12-18 months, she just played with toys and was quite content. My ds was totally different, he climbed absolutely everything, including a clothes horse - he could not be left for a second. I think it totally depends on the child tbh.

Yeah, he's a walking disaster but there's nothing he can kill himself on so I just roll with it. Being in the same room makes little difference unless I literally spend all my time hovering over him. He's literally just turned one. Can climb ladders, up on the sofa, open all the child locks. I don't know how I still have hair.

I can’t really remember but I probably did with DD as she was a very lazy baby- only walked at 2 and used to just sit about a lot playing or watching TV 🤣 Probably didn’t with DS as he was like a whirling dervish. Tearing around, trying to climb, tipping things over etc 😂 Both gorgeous kids but very different!

Neither of my kids were like that at that age so I did used to leave them in the lounge to go to the toilet or answer the door or get something from another room.

Yes, our living room is as baby proof as it can be. I leave my 18 month old to pop upstairs briefly or for longer doing something in the kitchen opposite. There is a baby gate on the living room so I can look in and she can come to the gate if she wants me. If my older two are home (5&8) will normally bribe them to entertain/keep an eye on her.

I leave my 16 month old daughter a lot - for short periods of time. Once she realises I’m gone she follows if she can. She is walking very confidently and she can climb on the sofas but that’s not an issue - we have a big cushioned play mat in case she falls over. No play pen as she’s happier walking around. I will probably need to be more careful when she’s tall enough to walk into the edges of the table or reach higher table tops but there’s nothing particularly dangerous I think would happen to her which is why I am happy to leave her. Obviously in your case @andanotherproblem it sounds like your dc has had many accidents so I’m not surprised that you want to prevent further of them and find it strange that your family don’t understand this.

No never at that age but he's just turned 2 this month and i can now leave him in the lounge whilst i cook dinner, popping my head in every 5 mins or so. A lot changes really quickly at this age

I had a playpen but once mine was properly walking he hated the thing and either climbed out or just undid the zip. So yeah I left him to his own devices pretty much from about 1.5yo, maybe earlier. I had safety gates on all the doors and stairs so he was contained wherever I needed him contained. But I would make dinner, pop to loo, clean and do jobs etc while he played independently, which he's always been great at. He's 2.5yo now and plays independently in his room most of the time he loves it. I have a video monitor on him just in case x

This is my answer. Luckily my youngest is much less accident prone!