If you were living in a first floor flat, would you leave a sleeping toddler in bed while hanging washing out in the garden?

[SpawnChorus]

Or conversely, would you let a slightly older child (5 or 6ish) play in the garden unsupervised? (We're moving to a first floor flat, and I'm wondering what's considered acceptable!).

Yes to hanging out the washing.
Yes to playing in the garden but I would always have my eye on him/her from upstairs, so not totally unsupervised, and it would depend on the environment.

sleeping toddler in bed while I hang out washing - yes
5/6 yo in the garden unsupervised - if it was a safe, fenced in garden they couldn't escape from, and I could look out a convenient window regularly, then yes,probably but depends on the child tbh

And would also depend how accessible the garden was from the flat - eg do you go down stairs from the flat straight into the garden?

Yes/Yes

Yes, I would leave toddler asleep to hang out washing.

Not sure about the garden thing though. I wouldn't be keen if there was a seperate access to street because obviously that would have to remain unlocked for other residents. Also, I know my ds who is 5 would just nag me to go with him anyway. Our enclosed garden is straight off the conservatory but getting him to go out there without company is near impossible.

Hanging the washing out - yes, I woud do that. Sitting in the garden, gardening, playing with the older child while the youngest one sleeps - yes, with a monitor (and with their door shut and a chime on it so I could hear if it was opened).

With the child playing in the garden I think it depends on a lot of variables tbh.

• The access to the flat (ie could the child come and go from the garden without going off the property).

• The access to the garden (ie could a stranger easily walk into the garden and lure the child away) though that's less of a risk with a 5/6 year old and I'd let one that age 'play out' if the road wasn't dangerous.... depends largely on the area.

I wouldn't worry about what is considered acceptable anyway - I'd do what YOU are happy with, you have to live with the restrictions and consequences - no one else. Some people will leave their kids and go on a weeks holiday, some wont leave them long enough to brush their teeth - there's no real or general 'acceptable'...

Oh good! I'm pleased about the washing . HOw about saying sod the washing, and reading a book in the sunshine instead?

I'm not sure about the security of the garden. The stairs lead directly down to the back door, but I think there must be side access for the ground floor flat, and that must lead to the fairly busy road at the front....I guess I'll need to do a proper reccy when we're there.

Chipping - I know what you're saying but my parents were super-liberal when it came to playing outside, but that was 30 or so years ago in a tiny v rural village, and I can never quite guage what I think is OK in a city. I tend to err on the side of cautiousness, which I think can be a bit too restrictive (for me and the kids). So I like to get MN-permission.

bump

I would definitely put the washing out with them asleep, you can get baby monitors with a mobile parent unit which would be useful for this if you felt it would be difficult to hear them from outside.

As for the playing out thing I'm not sure really, would depend on the garden, whether they can get out, or anybody else easily get in, would need to be able to keep an eye on them of course

I live in a 2nd floor flat, and although rarely can be bothered to actually haul my washing downstairs to hang it out, I will go downstairs will DD is napping to put bin out/collect something from the car etc. I try to make myself double check that I've got keys on me plus my phone, in the unlikely event that I somehow got shut out.
The children who live beneath us are about 8 and 6 and are allowed to play out the back, but our communal gardens are pretty well enclosed.

Washing - yes. I have 2 toddlers, 2yrs and 3 yrs and often go down to the washing lines when theya re in bed. I always take my keys just incase ds1 is still awake as he knows how to lock me out!
I have sometimes popped down there in the day and left them playing for a few minutes.

Letting them play in the garden whilst I was upstairs - for me, no. In my building, I am first floor, my living room window looks down onto the communal fenced in garden, but for me to get there, I'd have to get across my whole flat, down 2 flights of stairs, outside and then around to the back of the building so quite far if something happened and I needed to get there quickly.

As your stairs lead straight down to the garden I'd be fine with that. If you can put a couple of bolts on the gate I'd be fine with that too (if it was a high gate not a waist high one).

Ahem... I think you will see I did suggest sitting in the garden [bugrin]

Oh yes! Excellent...permission granted then!

Absolutely [bugrin]

Yes to both questions, although it depends how you define 'unsupervised'.

We have a similar situation- we're on the first floor and the garden is downstairs and across a driveway shared with one other property. You can't see the garden from the road (or any other properties), but there is access so in theory someone could come off the road and into the garden. My DD spends a lot of time in the garden, she's 2.8 and I will now dash up to my flat and grab something if I need to while she's playing. However I'm fully aware that it's a risk that many people would consider too much, even though I wouldn't be out of sight for more than a few seconds at a time.

By the time she's 5 or 6 I think I'd be happy leaving her playing but would check on her very frequently.

Yes to washing (though I'd take baby monitor with me).

Dunno about the second: my DS isn't that old yet.