Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

More of an 'is it unreasonable' to lock a toddler in a bathroom...

135 replies

FlamingoBingo · 10/09/2009 20:08

...for half an hour crying so you can read a story to your two older children?

Really want to know what others' reactions to hearing about this would be!

OP posts:
TheArmadillo · 10/09/2009 20:15

yes it is - half an hour is too long and bathroom isn't particularly appropriate place imo.

A kid could fall head first down bog or burn themselves on hot tap or a hundred other things.

Bigpants1 · 10/09/2009 20:16

You have to ask?!

mrsruffallo · 10/09/2009 20:16

Of course it's unreasonable. Can't you put the toddler to bed and read to the older children later?

WhereYouLeftIt · 10/09/2009 20:17
Shock
Thunderduck · 10/09/2009 20:17

The answer is very obviously yes. It's extremely unreasonable.

Narketta · 10/09/2009 20:17

Why couldn't your toddler be involved in storytime?

hippomother · 10/09/2009 20:17

That's outrageous.

FlamingoBingo · 10/09/2009 20:17

Ok, is it just the room that's unreasonable? Or is locking a toddler away to do something with older kids unreasonable too?

OP posts:
girlafraid · 10/09/2009 20:17

er, no...
assuming it's not you who's done this?

bigchris · 10/09/2009 20:17

i take it you didnt do it someone else did?

generalunrest · 10/09/2009 20:17

Bathroom, under the stairs cupboard, coal shed, is there a difference?? Of course it's not right, it sounds horrible, I'm presuming its not you is it??

MyCatIsABastardFleaBag · 10/09/2009 20:18

er.. YES!

Overmydeadbody · 10/09/2009 20:18

yes it is unreasonable.

A bathroom is not a safe place for a toddler to be locked intp.

There are other safer and kinder ways of keeping a toddler occupied for half an hour.

CMOTdibbler · 10/09/2009 20:18

Very unreasonable indeed

Fruitbatlings · 10/09/2009 20:18

rofl

Oh the things we wish we could do!

LuluMaman · 10/09/2009 20:18

i thikn locking children away for any reason is questionable and i would be worried about a mother so desperate or awful she would do this

Thunderduck · 10/09/2009 20:19

Make that unreasonable and cruel.

Who did this?

Songbird · 10/09/2009 20:19

Awful!

MyCatIsABastardFleaBag · 10/09/2009 20:19

Locking a crying child away for half an hour is unreasonable. Include the child with the other 2. Dont shut it out. Room is irrelvant.

Lizzylou · 10/09/2009 20:19

Goodness, yes, an awful thing to do.

I have locked myself in the bathroom on occasions

Nancy66 · 10/09/2009 20:20

Very traumatic for the child and potentially dangerous too if they were old and able enough to fill the bath up.

Overmydeadbody · 10/09/2009 20:20

locking a toddler away to do something else is unreasonable unless it is for the toddler's safety (like keeping them in a playpen or something) or because if you didn't physically distance yourself from the toddler you might harm them (I'm thinking about a tantrulmming toddler and a mother about to snap)

generalunrest · 10/09/2009 20:21

Lol Lizzy

HecatesTwopenceworth · 10/09/2009 20:22

locking a toddler in a room for half an hour is, well, I don't want to say "abusive", but it's certainly not great parenting!

5 minutes to a tot is a bloody long time! Half an hour? My god.

And a bathroom? I assume there was no shampoo, conditioner, cleaning stuff etc that could have been drunk? No way for toddler to fall into loo, or lock the door from the inside and run the water?

Simply being locked in a room, not understanding, must have been very frightening. To allow that to continue for 30 minutes, well, I don't quite know what to say.

I really hope you didn't do it, tbh. I hope it's just a daft idea you've got.

Reallytired · 10/09/2009 20:25

I can see why it would be tempting.

I have to admit that I once locked myself for two minutes so I could count to ten and recompose myself. The alternative would have been hitting a tantruming four year old.

Swipe left for the next trending thread