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

Yes I leave my ds to make a coffee or get a snack, or go to loo, but wouldn't leave to go have a shower or anything. He'll either follow me or just potter about, most of the time he's with DD4 who shouts if he's doing anything he shouldn't

Yes, but they are a third child. Some days they cling to my presence. Other days they want to go off to the playroom (living room with toys) by themselves eg while I cook and will happily sit in a room (typically with siblings) and empty out every box of toys they can 🤣 mine are also allowed to climb on furniture (sofa’s), but the risk of them falling is the same as if I’m with them (so not sure what that would achieve?). On playdates they also tend to play with older ones and this can include being out of sight - though I try not to be out of earshot.

Youngest started walking early and is v mobile, so we’ve done lots of work on stairs (including getting up and down bunk bed stairs safely - day time. Never allowed at night). They can climb out of cots so a playpen - unless cage like - wouldn’t work. We also no longer have stairgates as they were climbing over those too.

food is supervised, as is anything water related - for obvious risks.

I felt this in my soul 🤣

I leave my toddler unattended for a short duration. I’ve toddler proofed so he’s pretty much safe in there, but I’m sure he could turn anything into a hazard, hence the short duration 😂

Yes, I often had a quick shower while she was playing or watching TV. We did have a camera in there though so I could hear and see her

Yes, I often had a quick shower while she was playing or watching TV. We did have a camera in there though so I could hear and see her

Double post

Yes I leave mine to pop to the toilet quickly or to make a drink, but I wouldn’t leave them longer than that. I don’t leave them to have a shower either as that’s quite a long time and at that age they can get up to mischief even when they’re supposed to be in a play pen.

Absolutely yes. I've never really baby proofed the house but TV is out of reach and no call objects etc. I'd always be in and out, kids would play with their toys or watch TV. I wouldn't have given it a second thought. They'd even potter in and out of the back garden at this age and could go up and down the stairs. I think my kids were a different breed. I teach nursery and the 3 year old I teach careen from one disaster to the next and I can't take my eyes off them for a minute.

I would leave her for the loo or to pop the kettle on
well actually I think she would follow
the odd bump doesn’t matter

For very short periods to put something in the kitchen bin or pop to the loo on the same floor if he’s busy playing with something. We have a baby gate across the doorway and if he notices I’ve gone he generally just crawls to that and waits/shouts for me. The room is pretty baby proof.

I had a playpen.

Nope, but I did get a playpen so that I could answer the door or popped the loo safely. Best thing I ever did. Didn’t use it much but it was really great.

Hmm I just have the flat all safe really so he can go where he wants and I don’t really have to follow immediately

he can’t get in the bathroom as doors too difficult to open

he can go in his and sisters shared bedroom and the kitchen and living room

all cupboards have locks, tv is behind a big caged area along with all the stuff we don’t want him getting at !

I usually leave crash mats next to sofas (I have these as my older child uses them to practice her tumbling and handstands 😂😂)

so I feel whatever he’s getting up to he’s still fairly safe

I’ve started to have a shower door open and leave him playing between the hall and the living room and am comfortable enough with that - he’s 17 months

he mostly comes into the bathroom to give me toys 😂

This thread is so eye opening. I am wondering if it’s a bit tempremabt based, we did with dd1 and do with dd2 who is 11m. She just comes to see me if she wants and I will be in & out. Is pop upstairs but take me if I aM going to be more than a few seconds. Our lounge is completely safe though, both of them play well and neither of them are very rambunctious.

I always brought my lads into bathroom , kitchen , wherever I was going with me aswel at that age .. Have to keep eyes on them at all times when they’re little ..

We put DT’s in the playpen from day one - they napped in it whilst the dog and cat got use to these intruders into the home!

I can’t imagine not having one - kept them safe whilst I did things in other rooms, went to the toilet or had a hot drink in peace.

Yeah I would leave her, usually with her brother who was 2.5 at the time. For the toilets, they would follow me there anyway at that age 🙄
But I would be cooking in the kitchen whilst they play around downstairs, in the same room or not.

She was probably already climbing on and off the sofa, definitely walking around a lot! Didn't feel she was particularly a hazard.

Her brother was still crawling at that age, but same thing he was just playing around between the rooms.

I'm still not sure what the danger would be. Falling whilst walking isn't going to hurt them if you have appropriate furniture, and I'm not going to watch over their shoulders at all time when m there so they would fall anyway.

We only have age appropriate toys.
If they show particular interest in something that could be dangerous (like a table lamp), we would remove them for a few months until it passes.

The worst that can (and did!) happen, is them doing something stupid with our stuff, like drawing in my books 😠or - for my eldest - turning on the tap in the downstairs toilet to play with water!

Depends on how likely she was to get into trouble. I leave my 9 month old on their own all the time (well not all the time but you get what I mean), but only in a situation where I’m confident they won’t do anything stupid (i.e. nothing they can pull down, noting they can choke on, etc).

To go for a wee or make a cup of tea but no more unless he was in his playpen