to think leaving a 4 year old downstairs when you have a lie in is wrong?

[Jelliebaby]

My friend has recently confessed to me that she sometimes gets up in the morning with her 4 year old son then leaves him watching a dvd and having breakfast whilst she goes back to bed for a hour.

I think this is quite wrong of her (but didn't say)and wondered what other people think?

I am suffering from severe MS at the moment and would love nothing more than having an extra lie in but the thought never really crossed my mind.

I wouldn't do it. An old friend lost her daughter in a fire after doing this.

Are you kidding? Isn't this the best time, when finally you don't have to watch the awful video/TV programmes with them!

Sorry YABU. I used to do this on a Sunday morning. I worked full time and was on my own with my DD. A lie in kept me going. Fortunatley nothing wrong happened.

Be interesting to see how many other people think I did wrong.

Sorry but I've done it, kids know what they can and can't touch and will wake me if there's a problem.

I think it depends very much on your child and your house
I think it is safer to perhaps doze on the sofa while in the same room
or let them play around you on the bed - I have done this several times recently

I very nearly didn't dare post on this thread, because ahem we have quite frequently done it. Actually I'm not sure how much we did it when DD1 was four but I'm sure it Has Been Known.

I frequently leave DP snoozing on a weekend morning and the Inferiorettes watching something appalling on children's telly while I bog off to the swimming pool.

And, ahem, we very frequently leave them watching a DVD while we go upstairs for an afternoon 'nap' .

I used to get my own breakfast and turn on the TV at that age.

YABU.

I don't think this is wrong if anyone does it. Was just curious as the thought of doing this had never entered my head.

Suppose it does depend on your house and the space and i also think if you have a few children it wouldn't be too bad as they can look out for each other and wake you if there is a problem.

We used to leave ours at this age. Unfortunately we don't live in a mansion either so it was always easy to hear what they were getting up to. (Mainly treading Cheerios into the carpet and arguing about what to watch on TV).

YABU I really want to put something very sarcastic - I will refrain. moving away from the pc now and going to get chill pill breath

i cant fecking trust my 4 year old to not set the house alight!
I could frisk the little bugger at the top of the satirs i spose.

honestly, mine will not watch telly for more that 10 mins he would wreck the whole house if left alone.
i justy follow him down stairs and lie on the couch.
am in the same room as him.
he would relentlessly nag me as well if i were in bed. no way would he leave me alone for 5 mins.

DH and I would have virtually no sex life if we didn't do something similar (admittedly with a 7 and 9 year old watching the 4 year old). It is a bit embarrsassing when the little one knocks on the door and says "are you finished yet", usually at just the wrong moment.

Probly about as risky as having a glass of wine every other day in pregnancy

I think it totally depends on the child. While I couldn't leave DSs at that age and stay in bed, I could leave DDs - no problem.

i also think it depends on the child. id rather my four year old not come downstairs alone, but this is more because she views chocolate as a suitable breakfast food as opposed to her endangering herself.

she knows that she is npt allowed to touch plug sockets/the toaster etc and never would do so.

i dont take her downstairs and leave her alone, but she has been known to get herself up at times she knows are not suitable, i.e. when she comes into my room at 5am in the morning and gets sent back to bed.

she turns on the dvd player to see if its working, if its not connected up to the tv she moves onto the laptop and pops in a dvd after that she goes to the fridge to see if she can find anything to eat. she has never gotten herself into any trouble. my friends dd is less mature than her and if dd1 was this way then i would see it as a problem.

as i recall, i was left alone with 2 younger siblings at 4.

What on earth is going to happen to a 4 year old downstairs watching tv while his parents are upstairs drinking tea or "whatever"?

Has the world gone completely mad?

With older kids I think it's defo more acceptable, but having been close to an unimaginable tradedy in these circs I just couldn't do it.

Me and you both allytjd

In fact me and DH went to bed this afternoon while they watched Stuart Little.

I sometimes do this if I have had a very late night. DCs are 5 and 3.5. They come and find me as soon as the DVD has finished. I am a very light sleeper and I am less aware of what they are up to when I am in the shower than when I am dozing.