Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Other subjects
Original poster

Popping out with kids asleep at home

86 replies

Beabea · 25/10/2006 16:16

i need to post some letters and the post box is just around a small corner. both kids were asleep (2yrs and 5weeks). 2yr old in buggy so both safe. would you pop out.

i didnt feel i could. just wondered if this was what most would do?

too late to post when they both wake as 5week old will sleep unless i pick him up. oh well will do it tomorow now!

OP posts:
VanillaMilkshake · 25/10/2006 22:09

To the original post - never in a million years - so not worth the risk!

To Floatyhead - I shut DD's door at night when she was in her cot and let her drift off, but when I came to bed I always opened it again. We all now sleep with doors open, although DD has a gate on her bedroom door - will be removed soon as we are expecting another and I dont want her to feel shut out - also want to teach her self control of staying her own room wothout need of gate

VanillaMilkshake · 25/10/2006 22:10

Should add, if DD wakes and calls to me or cries I go to her straight away.

ghosty · 25/10/2006 22:15

I have to take the bins out to the end of my drive ... takes about 5 minutes and is out of earshot. I feel it is better to do it when they are safe in bed, asleep, than when they are awake during the day as they are more likely to have an accident when they are up IYSWIM?

I am not sure I would go to the shop though, even if it was the same distance away.

pesha · 25/10/2006 22:19

I only passed my driving test in july and found myself with this dilemma of whether to leave dcs (3 & very nearly 6)in the car or not so spoke to a few friends. I do lock them in the car at petrol stations and if i pop into my local shop to buy 1 or 2 things, if im going in for more or its a busy time of day so I'll likely be queueing i take them in with me.

Recently dd was ill and curled up nearly asleep on sofa and i wanted to go to shop(cant remember what for now) and I did think about going with ds and leaving her there as would only be 5 mins and she is a very sensible little girl but i just couldnt do it, it didnt feel right.

FloatingHeadOnTheMed · 25/10/2006 22:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

scatterbrain · 25/10/2006 22:31

Hmmm - couldn't do it myself but have friends who go out for the evening and leave their next door neighbours with their monitor and a key !

Their kids are 5 and 2 - I can't believe they do it - but they do at least once a week.

MrsFish · 26/10/2006 08:16

Gosh, I don't think I could do that.

geekgrrl · 26/10/2006 08:29

I have left a sleeping baby at home when picking up an older child from nursery/school.
Have only done this when I could be very certain that the baby would sleep a good while longer - have no regrets and would do it again with a baby - not a toddler or older because they could get themselves into so much trouble in a very short space of time and would really panic, anyway, although having said that, I have left a poorly 6 year old happily curled up on the sofa in front of the telly whilst dropping another child off at school or nursery - really couldn't see the need to bundle her up in warm clothing and drag her out when I was only going to be gone for less than 10 minutes.
I'm not going to get locked out as there's a spare key hidden in the garden, and if I was to be involved in a serious car crash I'd rather the child was at home in their cot, distressed but physically unharmed, than involved in that car crash with me.

HRHQueenOfQuotes · 26/10/2006 09:11

QOQ wonders if this thread will ever reach the 1000 posts hers got.........and whether it will even be linked to from another site

Waswondering · 26/10/2006 09:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FioFio · 26/10/2006 09:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

nogoes · 26/10/2006 09:18

geekgirl - Have you really left a baby at home whilst you went to Nursery???

FioFio · 26/10/2006 09:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

nogoes · 26/10/2006 09:21

Why does it make a difference FioFio? I can understand that logistically it makes it hard to do anything. I have often wondered how I will manage with these type of situations when I have two. It doesn't make it safer though.

FioFio · 26/10/2006 09:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

geekgrrl · 26/10/2006 09:27

nogoes, yes I have. And as fio said, I live in the sticks. I do think that makes a difference, the likelihood of a break-in is really remote etc...

nogoes · 26/10/2006 09:29

Oh I don't know I just find it really hard to get my head around leaving a small child or baby alone. I'm not saying it is right or wrong I just don't think I could do it.

tiredemma · 26/10/2006 09:32

i would do it, but i would RUN like the wind.

Original poster
Beabea · 26/10/2006 09:57

QOQ - Was your 1000 message thread?

OP posts:
jessicaandrebeccasmummy · 26/10/2006 09:59

I leave my girls in the car while I get petrol

I leave the girls in the house whilst I do washing machine and tumble dryer which are in our outhouse

I leave the girls in the house whilst I hang washing out

I have wanted to leave girls asleep to pop out for 5 mins, BUT, never could and never would.

I too work along the lines of, what if something happened to ME.....

Cappuccino · 26/10/2006 10:00

if you're leaving a child to sleep in a buggy make sure PLEASE that all the five-point harness is fastened

I went to an inquest once where - no, too grim

Original poster
Beabea · 26/10/2006 10:17

Cappucino - yes the harness is always done up. Although I was horrified to find DD playing with books downstairs after I put her in the buggy 2 weeks ago. I must have rushed and not clipped the harness fully.

She had such a guilty smug look on her face.

OP posts:
princessmel · 26/10/2006 10:31

I wouldn't.
I always have to wake dd up from her nap when I collect ds from his nursery just down the road.
Lots of times I've thought it would be so nice if I could just let her sleep but I would NEVER ever do it. If I'm lucky, my dad who lives near me comes and sits in the house so she can stay asleep while I go and collct ds.

LadyDooM · 26/10/2006 11:14

I've seen kids locked in cars in asda parking lot, while the parents are shopping. Some of them babies.. and I think that is very very dangerous. When I was in america, I have seen that as well, I also saw a policeman waiting by the car for the parents to come out once and he was extremely displeased, Im sure they got a good telling off for it. And I knew someone who was reported to the social services by the police after they were spotted driving their truck down the road with their kids in the back bit. The law had changed about the age allowed, and they didn't know about it. They had to go to court and deal with social services for about a yr. They were none to pleased but they never chanced it again.

LadyDooM · 26/10/2006 11:18

I want to add that when I was Little, I regularly rode in the back of my parents pickup truck, it was something I looked forward to and enjoyed alot. But if there had been an accident, I prolly wouldn't be here now.