What age would you let your child wake up and play unsupervised?

[UpBeforeTheSun]

I guess the question says it all!!! We have a DS 3yo (nearly 4) who enjoys a 530am wake up. Meanwhile baby will sleep until 630/7am while I feed in bed. If I'm up at 530am the day feels like a struggle. That extra hour is very much needed after a night of feeding baby!

What age would you let your children play/watch TV downstairs unsupervised?

My 4 year old knows not to go downstairs when he wakes up but he can play in his room.
the last few weeks he’s taken to getting into my bed and playing- defeats the point of me being able to snooze. 😂

The role playing comment made me laugh out loud 😂

I bet you never thought you’d have a career change to become a dinosaur before children!

Depends how sensible they are... My eldest was 3 and no issues at all. Now my second I wouldn't have trusted ever!

I think 4 is way too young and I’ve been there with a baby and a 1 year old living on a few hours sleep so yeah I understand it’s hard. I would say tv or tablet for an hour whilst they are in bed with you and you snooze. But if you really must do it no food, they could choke , seen a few posters saying they leave food out x

My daughter is nearly 4 and will sit in bed next to me watching YT on my phone for half hour ish before we get up. She probably is old enough to play on her own for a bit and i think I can trust her to not do anything stupid or messy but would be annoyed with myself for not getting up if she did 🤣

Mine are 7,4,1. The eldest two are allowed downstairs by themselves, and I don’t really bat an eyelid as my 4 year old is like an old man. My 7 year old gets them breakfast and I trust them, occasionally my 1 year old follows and then I don’t go back to sleep but I let them have 20 mins or so, as the older 2 love it.

Mine is 5, rather than go downstairs to watch TV/play he is happy to watch his tablet in bed for abit. Works well for us , by the time he is fed up it's a reasonable time for one of us to go downstairs and sort breakfast etc

My 2.5 year old will go and get the 10 year old and then they just tear shit up. They love it.

At what point did they say their husband's seizures are uncontrolled? You are a very rude person calling others lazy.

the question isn’t what age would you them

more what age can they

my eldest daughter could always play unsupervised

i used to have naps and wake up an hour later she would be in the same place (don’t judge me i had undiagnosed pnd)

youngest i wouldn’t have been able to close one eye before she neeeeded me
but

it’s so dependent on child and situation
you really need to assess yourself

When DD was around 3.5 she would go downstairs on her own for about an hour before the baby woke up. We left out a sippy cup of water and a little bit of dry cereal for her to pick at. Then we’d do a proper breakfast when the baby woke. She was very sensible and we were careful to keep the living room as safe as possible. You just have to judge it yourself based on your child and your home.

My grandchildren are 5 and 3 and no way are they old enough to play unsupervised, even though the 5 year old is sensible. Too risky all round.
I would say from 6/7.

When my eldest was 7 and youngest 4 I’d let them go downstairs and play after their clock said 7. I’d set my alarm for 8 though!

I let my son watch the video with a drink and snack from around 3.5. we were on the same floor and he was a very early riser.

You wouldn’t allow a 9 year old to sit and watch television if you weren’t down with them? Are you joking?

Hi op,

It really depends of your house, but also, is there any chance he plays quietly in his bedroom?
Downstairs might be a bit far for you to hear anything if needed?
💪🏼👌🏼

Awwww beautiful 🥰

We have the door to downstairs bolted so they had to be upstairs in earshot. When up extra early they could come into our room or play/watch TV in bedroom. Unless you can hear them possibly choking downstairs alone it's not worth the risk. Xx

My 7 yo is a very early riser and will watch his tv quietly until the 2 yo wakes up. They have a safety gate on the door and will usually play or watch tv together until 2 yo is bored. I leave their door open and can hear a little voice say “mummy downstairs now” and then we get up but I’m usually awake before then anyway

To add, our parents and theirs before, depending on your age, didn't have a choice. Once a child woke up Mum was there looking after them, taking downstairs etc. No just switch on the TV and chill. Huge respect to them. Xx

My eldest is 8 and not yet! He can get in bed with me and watch tv/ipad while I doze if it’s particularly early or been a rough night.

all kids and households are different and I think my eldest would be fine unsupervised but it’s hits not worth the risk to me. anything before school age is too little to be left while you sleep in my mind. The 2.5 year old having a snack unsupervised because the dad has seizures is terrifying to me. If she chokes or falls down the stairs! The dad should go to bed earlier to get enough sleep to get up with his toddler :-(

3 for our dd. We didn’t really “allow/disallow” it but she’s always been asked to stay in her room until the sun clock comes on at 7. If she wakes before then she has the option to come and sleep with us, or play by herself in her bedroom. She’s not technically meant to go downstairs before hair and teeth are brushed but at 5.5 she’s getting closer to doing that without supervision. I did once go down with her at 8am ish to find her wellies by the back door - apparently she’d fancied playing in the garden when she woke up and was too young to realise the doors would be locked 😂

From a out 3 I would come downstairs, make breakfast and nap in the sofa while he played. Even now at 6 I would at least make breakfast for him before letting him go off and play and me sleep some more

This.

We progressed from sitting in our bed watching tv, to them going downstairs alone for a short time, to now lying in happily unneeded until 9 or 10am

Depends on the child. I used to let my DS play unsurpervised from 2 but he was quite risk averse back then and we locked away anything even remotely dangerous. He’d come upstairs to my office when he wanted anything.