Children alone while parents sleep?

[Mumof3xx]

When is this ok? What age?

what????

like a lie in on a sat hour after dc get up?

Do you mean children getting up before parents? DS is 3 and is sometimes up for up to an hour before me but has to stay in his room (or mine).

When are children viewed as being "safe" to be up and playing while parents lie in?

Someone I know is leaving a fairly young dd which I would not have done and I just wondered the general opinion on this?

Child in question is 4yrs

DH works unsociable hours. Sometimes DD2 is downstairs watching TV while daddy is asleep. DS is 9, DD1 is 6, they often get up at weekends before us.

My 4 (and 3) year olds play while I doze in the morning sometimes, they are in their room me in mine. What's the problem?

We have always had the rule that they must stay upstairs/in bedrooms until we go down. They are 6 and 8 now and I suppose we could relax it.

I have heard many horror stories of paints out and every where, breakfast tipped on the floor etc by young children as parents lie in, so it has never been worht the mess for me!

They are ' up and playing' though- just in their rooms.

Oh I used to always have a lie in no matter how young they were. I did have a safety gate stopping them going anywhere dangerous though until they could climb over them.

Well I know I'll probably get flamed but here goes. Baby dd2 has rotten reflux, I'm lucky to get three hrs sleep a night and maybe an hour in the day. Ds2 (nearly 5) was here the other day due to being off school poorly and watched tv/played with toys quite happily while I slept sitting up where I'd 'shut my eyes to give them a rest' I was absolutely knackered or it wouldn't have happened. Only problem was he intercepted a package meant for dd1 an opened it using scissors. I felt devastated I had fallen asleep on him. Do you know anything about this four year olds family circumstances ?

It depends on the child. I know of responsible 5-6yo children who are trusted to go downstairs if they wake before parents and even make their own cereal and don't have a problem with that for the children in question.

Personally I wouldn't trust my 5yo to do that and have installed a stair gate my DCs cannot open so they must stay upstairs and play. I usually get up with them though.

Certainly from 5 or 6, mine could turn the tv on and get a bowl of cereal.

It depends.

If the 4yo is roaming the house then thats not good. But DS has had the odd Saturday morning when DH and i have dozed and he has played in his room or read books, from age 3. He is pretty sensible though (well as sensible as a 4yo can be!) and knows not to go downstairs. We dont do it often though as-he usually comes into our bed and demands a story!

Saying that maybe Ds learnt his lesson as a toddler when, while I was asleep at 5 30 am ish he climbed out of his cot and covered himself in gloss paint. Pass as to how he got the tin open but he looked like a palamino pony all four limbs dipped in paint - smelt it when he climbed on me for a feed

I think from 3ish this is o.kay for an hour or so, but does totally depend on the child. My dd has always been alright to play quietly in her bedroom or watch a bit of telly on her own. However we are in a flat so I am within ear shot might feel differently if she was on a different floor.

Now age 7yo its great as she can occupy herself for ages so I get a lovely lie in!!

My dc aged 4 and 7 have done this for over a year now, they sit and watch the tv, let the dogs out, feed the dogs and have breakfast picnic on the sofa usually made of biscuits crisps and the token piece of fruit!!!!

Seems fine to me.

My dc aged 4 and 7 have done this for over a year now, they sit and watch the tv, let the dogs out, feed the dogs and have breakfast picnic on the sofa usually made of biscuits crisps and the token piece of fruit!!!!

My sensible 6.5yo would be fine downstairs while I slept. My 3.5yo I wouldn't risk it with!

Totally depends on the child DN is 6 but no way I could leave her alone but DS (22mo) I imagin would be ok at 6. He's plays alone in his room already but DN wasn't allowed to play alone until about 4.

I sleep in the moring while DS watches TV but we are in bed together and I am a light sleeper also DS is a calm child

DD used to come in and watch milkshake quietly at the end of our bed from about 2yrs whilst we dozed in the mornings. At 4yrs she'd watch a film downstairs and still does at 5yrs. She has to ask to go down though or play quietly in her room. She's pretty sensible though. Some of her friends however would need to be watched.

Perhaps I am overprotective then!

The child doesn't stay in her room but doesn't make any food or anything I don't think

Would this even be viewed as acceptable by social services?

I just kind of assumed they had to be supervised til much older!

So long as the child isn't in danger, then social services aren't going to intervene

There's no law that says children have to be in sight of an adult at all times. A 4 year old playing or watching TV with adults in the same house isn't of concern to anyone.

I'm trying to remember , but I think I took my then 2 year old downstairs , stuck 101 dalmations in the video , gave him some juice in a beaker and a couple of bourbon biscuits and went back to bed .
I thought everyone did that ... It was a long time ago and he survived