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Original poster

Children playing downstairs alone?

44 replies

imagoodgirliam · 21/06/2007 15:04

Just wondered if anyone at the weekends has a lie in and let the children play downstairs alone.

My two are 5 and 4 and wake up early at the weekends and go straight downstairs to play.

Would you allow your children at that age to do this.

I worry me and DH will fall back to sleep again.

They are both quite sensible and have never touched the cooker etc but wondered if anyone else does this and is it acceptable?

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Desiderata · 21/06/2007 15:07

Well, mine's been going in the front room, switching the telly on and playing with toys since he was about eighteen months!

Admittedly, I live in a small flat, so I can hear every move he makes - which is slightly different from your upstairs/downstairs situation.

I'm not sure that you would fall back to sleep, tbh. I never have ... but it's nice just to be able to lie there, (maybe put the news on), and relax a little.

Cammelia · 21/06/2007 15:08

Go downstairs to play

They should be making you breakfast and bringing it up on a tray

Quattrocento · 21/06/2007 15:09

Well having been vociferously shouted down on this on the McCann threads, I am aware that I am in minority on this site as to what constitutes normal (and within the boundaries of legality) risk assessment.

But even I think that this is okay. You're in the same building, you can hear if they shriek etc.

There is some guidance on this sort of thing on the Alphamummy website and also the NSPCC. Have a look.

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bozza · 21/06/2007 15:10

I would let mine (6 and 3) but in practice they generally play in their bedrooms.

Cammelia · 21/06/2007 15:11

Not the full English obv

nailpolish · 21/06/2007 15:11

oh

my

god

you are asking if its ok if its ok if your children play in a seperate room to you in the same house???

also, wtf has this got to do with madeleine

bozza · 21/06/2007 15:12

Occasionally DS has been up for an hour and playing before DH and I have even woken up.

motherinferior · 21/06/2007 15:12

Yes, of course.

We ahem also have an afternoon 'nap' quite often at the weekends, while the Inferiorettes frolic downstairs

Original poster
imagoodgirliam · 21/06/2007 15:12

DS has been known to get himself and his sister a bowl of cereal .
DS does sometimes put the telly on but don't really like him touching the electrics .

They do play quite Well together most of the time and am sure DD would be straight upstirs to tell on big brother if he was doing something he should'nt be.

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IdrisTheDragon · 21/06/2007 15:15

DS (3.5) and DD (21 months) are sometimes downstairs when DH and I are upstairs. Would be unusual for both of us to be asleep, but I'm sure it must have happened.

(I feel a worrying urge to look at the AlphaMummy website. Worrying as I know I am not an AlphaMummy ).

Aloha · 21/06/2007 15:16

OUr kids absolutely hound us.

oliveoil · 21/06/2007 15:16

I wish

mine don't farkin leave me alone

grrrr

Original poster
imagoodgirliam · 21/06/2007 15:16

I am quite happy for them to play in another room without me during the day obviously,in fact I encourage it to get a bit of piece and quiet.

It was more to do with me being upstairs half asleep and them being downstairs in the kitchen alone.

OP posts:
Cammelia · 21/06/2007 15:18

dd and I have trained dh to get up first and bring us b/fast

Wisteria · 21/06/2007 15:18

I think it's fine

Desiderata · 21/06/2007 15:19

God! Is there really an AlphaMummy website? That makes me want to smirk.

Original poster
imagoodgirliam · 21/06/2007 15:20

No chance of me and DH being alone for long without them coming to see what we were doing.

An afternoon lie down would be impossible.
My DS's favourite saying at the moment is

"What are you doing"

Having a wee in peace is a distant memory.

OP posts:
Quattrocento · 21/06/2007 15:20

Link to some analysis of when children should and shouldn't be left alone. UK law is blurrier than you might expect on this issue and it is not my field but I definitely think that children playing downstairs while parents upstairs in the same building is totally normal.

timesonline.typepad.com/alphamummy/2007/05/home_alone.html

nailpolish · 21/06/2007 15:21

you could shut/bolt the kitchen door if that worries you (gas hob etc)

Quattrocento · 21/06/2007 15:22

That's the only thing I have learned from the Alphamummy website btw. Apart from the fact that I am not an Alphamummy of course . Apparently Alphamummies take their children to mandarin lessons? But only after Kumon.

tiredemma · 21/06/2007 15:22

mine do ( 6 and almost 4)

I can hear them scrapping over who gets to watch cbeebies and who gets to watch Nicklodeon.

Cammelia · 21/06/2007 15:22

I think you'll have to be the Decision Maker on this one imagoodgirl

They're your children

motherinferior · 21/06/2007 15:25

I find saying Bog off my angel, you can put the telly on but your loving parents need some SLEEP, my beloved vampire child, works wonders.

NKF · 21/06/2007 15:37

You mean they don't sit on your head and demand breakfast.

Desiderata · 21/06/2007 15:38

Mandarin lessons?

The world has gone mad. Quite mad.

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