When did you first leave your child with someone?

[OnNaturesCourse]

Other than partners.

I'm talking leaving for a few hours, or overnight with grandparents etc?

I am feeling a little overprotective (made to feel this way) for not allowing my DD to stay over at grandparents just yet, she's nearly 4 weeks old. She has spent a afternoon with them at roughly 2 weeks and that nearly broke me leaving her, was a lovely break but was long enough.

Nope, all of my siblings/cousins visited our grandparents WITH our parents, and all of our parents expected /pushed for sleepovers and alone time with their grandchildren so I do think its a trend rather than family norms.

I think we left DD with babysitters (GPs/close friends) for a couple of hours while asleep aged 3 months. DH had an emergency hospital admission when DD was 11 months old; at that point she had several days of up to 6 hours with others. She's nearly 5 now, and has only had one night away from me, and that was with DH. We're not rushing!

Dc1 was 6 months old, and it was only because I had an urgent appointment that I couldn’t take her too. I didn’t leave her after that until she was nearly 2.

Dc2 was 1 before I left her with my Mum, I may or left her sooner but didn’t need to.

Dc3 was probably 6 months, after looking after 3 children DH and I really needed a date night!

Dd is 2.4 and not left her overnight yet.

She’s been at nursery since she was 10 months old. And I think we’ve had 3 evenings out together (with grandma babysitting).

Our first night away is scheduled for February to go to a wedding.... she’ll be 2.6 by then. I’m looking forward to it and dreading it in equal measure!

First overnight when he was 2.

Went out for dinner for 2 hours when he was 10 weeks old.

No overnights until 18 months.

Mine were left with my mum or sister for a couple of hours at 2 months old.

When she was a couple of days old. I had to meet the SW at my flat, but DD had an infection and had to stay in hospital.

Nine months when they had a settling in session with the childcarer.

Overnight would have been the first residentials with school. They've never been anywhere overnight bar with school.

An hour at 5 weeks for an emergency dental appointment.

All day at 4 months so I could do my tax return.

Overnight at just over 1 - with DH, so I could go away for a course for work that I'd put off until the absolute deadline.

About 12 weeks. Had my first night out for best friends birthday. He was with grandparents, and totally fine. Never even noticed I was gone. I want him to be okay with me leaving for when I go back to work.

If you have to ask then you arent ready.

DD was 10 days old when i first left her- was ready to get back to work!

Overnight 3/4 months old when me and DH went to a wedding. Longer spell (3 nights) she was about 9 months old when me and DH went away for our anniversary

2 days.
Went to a music concert at the arena in town.
I was supposed to have been 37 weeks pregnant but the baby came early.
We were gone about 4 hours in total and MIL looked after baby.

Sounds crazy now, but I'd had a rough labour and needed a break.

My eldest DC is 5 and we still haven't spent a night apart!

Sorry - to be fair, we've had nights out and sitters that have put the DC to bed, but I've always been there in the morning for them. (Or for a random 4am wake up...)

Well I still haven't left my 2 year old overnight so your not being over protective...

My 3 year old has still not stayed away from us overnight. Left both kids for an hour or two with grandparents for dentist etc from about 10 weeks. Left for half a day for KIT days at work from 6 months. Do what feels right for you, don't be made to feel uncomfortable

2 weeks old we were out for a meal with friends and their parents looked after her (it wasn’t planned otherwise I would have been worried but there was literally nothing to worry about and we had a lovely meal out and didn’t worry as we trusted them)

After that, she was 8 weeks and I’ve left her for an hour with my other friends mum so we can play badminton each week, that hour does me good as I can’t wait to see her after the hours over!

Almost 4 and not been left with anyone overnight apart from DH for 2-3 nights.

During the day I think he was around a year before he was left with someone other than a family member.

Dc1 was taken for a MRI scan at 24ish hrs old by a nurse. I’d had a c-section and couldn’t go. She was gone about an hour. I then went to a wedding (just the ceremony) of one of my closest friends when she was 2 days old and left her with pil for approx 2-3 hours.

But I would say they were both exceptional circumstances and I don’t remember leaving the subsequent dc that early.

If you're not comfortable, then it's probably too soon.

If you're comfortable leaving them overnight with someone trustworthy at 2 days old, go for it.

If you're not comfortable leaving them overnight when they're 2 years old, don't.

Threads like this always end badly because you always get some judgy shite making mums feel bad in either scenario.

There is no right or wrong. You will get answers from a few days to many years. No one answer better than the other. There are women here who haven't left children for years - whereas I would need psychotherapy if I didn't escape within a few months. Depends on your personality type . It's entirely up to you - with the proviso that if it becomes an anxiety that effects your life (you want to go away for a weekend with your husband for example - but feel too guilty) - then you need to get help to sort it.

Other than myself or my husband? They have never been left.

And here we go.

With my parents for a couple of hours, first time was when DS was about 6 weeks. I only do this either in the evening when he's asleep or when he's between feeds and likely to be cheerful out in the pram with them. I definitely wont be leaving him overnight anywhere till he's at least 2 or 3. I didn't go for a sleepover at my grandparents till I was 6. What a weird thing for them to want. Tell them to back off!

It doesn’t matter what everyone else does or doesn’t do with regards to this and every other aspect of parenting. Do whatever feels right for you and your baby. Certainly don’t feel pressured into doing what your in-laws want or feel is ‘normal’.