going to be a 'bad' mummy later.........

[QueenOfQuotes]

have to take DS1 to his induction afternoon (2nd one - hoping he doesn't throw up like he did last week LOL) at his new school.........thing is DS2 has his sleep at 1pm-3pm - and the induction afternoon starts at 1.30

So I'm going to put DS2 down for his sleep as usual, at 1.30 on the dot grab the monitor, lock the front door and whizz round to the school to drop DS1 off - then whizz back again

PMSL hiya Julie - welcome back to the thread - it's just hotting up again

Apostrophe alert!!!

Has EVERYONE stopped breathing????

I'm off to play fiddlesticks with Dan the man.

You had your chance Parsons!! Oh I bet your sooooo

Emily05 - I used to go in the back garden and smoke

And had my boyfriend round (not for anything other than conversation though - not THAT appalling!) and other friends.

hunkermunker - same here! But I could not actually smoke, inhaling made me cough, so use to just blow smoke out and try to look cool! (in reality must have looked stupid) And we used to buy cheap wine called 'concorde' and diamond white! And I was incharge of a 1 year old and a 4 year old! terrible now I think of it!

I babysat my younger siblings quite happily from my early teens but I must admit never for that long or that late. I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving that many children with my younger brother and sister (both 15) but they have babysat on occasion and there hasn't been a problem.

ks - the grapes thread was so funny

I think the difference in these situations has to be where you accept the risk and therefore the consequences (like QoQ) or where someone else would (like QE's daughter). I'm afraid the former is very different to the latter.

I just knew this would be an interesting read, the usual 'I would never do that' answers. Can I clear one thing up- it is not illegal to leave a child of any age alone.
I often go to end of driveway, water plants outside, do housework, fall asleep myself, leave ds asleep outside house in pram.OOOOh how terrible!!!!!!

Shame on you mumforthefirsttime!!

Mumforthefirsttime - are you serious that you leave your baby outside your house in a pram? Just the thought of that sends a shiver down my spine.

I know- Dont know how I live with myself!

What is so bad about caring for the safety of your child????

When I say he is outside in pram- he is next to back door, in garden!What can happen? Is fresh air harmful?

Ohhhh howcouldyou!!!

What's wrong with leaving the baby out in the fresh air, if he's safe in the garden? My HV recommended it highly.

I wish there was an emoticon with a shocked face and a big handbag

Those that disagree with QoQ and QE are basing their decisions on - What if this happened? What if that happened? and What if the other happened?

If we lived our lives based on 'What-ifs' we'd never do anything or go anywhere, We'd live in one room, never sleep, never go to work, never go shopping, never take the kids to school. Just so that we could watch their every move and make sure that no one gets hurt.

In QoQ situation I'd leave DS2 asleep and take DS1 to school. When my DS was a couple of weeks old, dd1 managed to get out of the house and garden. I ran outside, then back again, then out again - I couldn't decide what to do with DS who was asleep in his cot. So in the end, I left DS in his cot, locked the back door and went after DD1, who I eventually found at MIL's. Looking back I know it was the right thing to do, I probably spent more time looking for DD1 than QoQ will spend taking DS1 to school.

In QE's situation, it would depend on the maturity of whoever is left in charge. There are some adults that I'd never allow to look after my kids.

How else do you balance and assess risks though, Ailsa, if not against "what ifs"?

I think that people thought that mumfor1sttime left her baby on the street outside her house, then she clarified it was in the garden.

As a teenager (maybe a bit older - 15) I did a lot of babysitting in my youth. I always thought I could cope and think I actually could have. Things have changed a lot since then though in people's attitudes. Personally, I would not leave three younger children in the sole charge of a 13 year old.

I don't have a problem with what QoQs is doing (although I lament her use of apostrophes).

But I do agree that asking a teenager to accept responsibility for younger siblings till 2.30am is a bit much.

But my opinion is coloured because of the what if that I KNOW happened to somebody I know. If I had KNOWN somebody who had left their child asleep in a cot for a couple of minutes and the house burnt down, no doubt I'd feel differently about what QoQ is doing.

Well you didn't explain it like that first of all!!!!