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?

I’m a millennial and surely that’s just what parenting is, getting up with our children with or without a tv. In my eyes a tv is not a babysitter or the parent. You are, so get up with your child and if it’s an early morning then go to bed once the children are asleep for the night. I just find it lazy

My 22month old is wanting to be up and doing things as soon as he’s awake. Once he’s awake he won’t go back to sleep until his nap. His mornings can start at 6am and I usually wake at 3am to feed my 6 week old. Yes I had bad experiences but there’s also so many risks and hazards. Choking being a big one. Children that young cannot control impulses so if that impulse is to put something in their mouth while not being supervised, well it’s just not something you want to think about.

Not really unfair to say when it’s a child in question. So many risks and hazards leaving a child so young unsupervised. My child plays very independently and I currently don’t get much sleep but I still get myself up and involved with him and his play and needs no matter what or how I’m feeling and that will never change as they come first before my wants. Like I said I go to bed earlier if it’s been an early start and I’m exhausted. There’s ways around it and to do things without staying in bed leaving a young child to their own devices unsupervised.

Thanks everyone for your replies. It's nice to see everyone's perspective and know that we are all just doing what we need to do to survive parenting!!! Whatever side you sit on, if you are up early with your kids, or opting for a little extra horizontal parenting, your all great parents just doing what needs to be done!!! Sounds like our children are all lucky enough to have parents/grandparents that care.

We decided that we prefer our little man playing in his room until his yoto player tells him it's daytime (630am). But I'm sure this will change as he's gets older. His room is next to ours so I can hear when he's up. I have a little basket with some toys on rotation which I sneak into his room before I go to bed, so it's like a little surprise for him. Some mornings he happily (and noisily) plays. Other days he still wakes me as soon as he's awake and I will get up with him (and have a double shot coffee before resuming my role as T-Rex. @Firsttimetrier - no amount of study can prepare you for the acting job that is parenting. I should have gone to drama school!!!).

Good luck making it out of parenting alive!!! If you need a little laugh I suggest YouTube - "do you suffer from par•ent•ting?" Because occasionally we all deserve a AphukenbrakE!

Xx

Your absolutely right, nothing and no one can prepare you for parenting, hardest job in the world, I am fortunate enough to have a hands on husband, I salute all the single parents out there, I don't know how you do it! Some days it is literally just survival

I agree! Xx

We have the door to downstairs bolted

I dread to think what that might mean if you have a fire

My 4 year old can make scrambled eggs on toast! I don’t let her cook without me in the kitchen and the hob has a childlock, but she is quite capable of getting her own cereal.

You do have to let them do things eventually- school don’t watch them eat at break time.

But there are members of staff there supervising while children eat. It’s irresponsible to leave a young child with food. Yes everyone and anyone can choke and some more than others. I’m a support worker and deal with dysphagia everyday. So I know what I’m talking about. It’s just a horrible thing that could be the result of not being supervised and could be easily avoided if people knew and used their common sense.

There is no supervision of snacks at break time. Lunch there is but not at breaks.

My daughter is 2.5 and I have left her in her room to play unsupervised in a morning (she has a stair gate on her door) but I wouldn’t let her roam downstairs yet! I’m a pretty light sleeper so can hear her playing in her room and know there’s nothing dangerous in there

If you're allowing your young child to be unsupervised whilst playing or watching TV that's fine as long as they know they can come to you if needs be & the room they're in is close by to where you are, but please don't let them have snacks when there's no adults around. A child can silently choke on something whilst eating. Leave a drink out for them but no food at all until they're supervised.

Could you define " young child" ? It would be exceptionally rare for a school age child to " silently choke" on a bowl of cereal, I agree that 2yo should be supervised.

This thread is utterly wild. There are 4 year olds who can whip out a frying pan and make themselves scrambled eggs on toast, versus 10 year olds who are not allowed to be unsupervised in the living room by themselves.

DD8 would be absolutely fine - she often goes down and gets breakfast while we’re still getting up.

but…. DS5 (SEN) always wants to follow her down and he isn’t really ok without adult supervision as he’s very impulsive and has no sense of risk/danger.

so we suggest to them that they play upstairs while we’re upstairs so that we can hear what’s going on.