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Old 11-13-2013, 09:43 AM
 
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For example, leaving a child downstairs in the TV room while you are upstairs folding laundry? 10-15 minutes or so, without being able to hear them (unless they go to the bottom of the stairs and yell).

Thanks for opinions.
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Old 11-13-2013, 09:46 AM
 
Location: southwestern PA
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Depends on the child and the room.

Why can't you and the child be together as you are folding?
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Old 11-13-2013, 09:50 AM
 
Location: tampa bay
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I think it depends greatly on your kids personality...but I wouldn't consider it before the age of 5...and even then it would only happen if I was confident the house was child proof...I usually brought my kids with me if they couldn't be in my sightlines...
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Old 11-13-2013, 09:53 AM
 
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Thanks all. My son is 4. I could bring him into the room, it's just sometimes he prefers to continue playing in the playroom whiel I do chores. I have a 12 month old who stays with me obviously.
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Old 11-13-2013, 10:00 AM
 
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I think 4 is easily old enough for 15 minutes of folding laundry in the same house in another room. Heck my kids old were playing outside for 1-2 hours ALONE in a fenced-in area while I was inside when they were 2 & 4 years old.
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Old 11-13-2013, 10:29 AM
 
Location: My beloved Bluegrass
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Depends on the child, the layout of the house, and the room. By the age of 2 it was not unusual for me to leave 3 of my 4 quietly playing in the child-proofed family room while I did something in the kitchen in the next room. My son who thought climbing on high objects and jumping down was a fine way to pass time, was another story. I only let him out of my direct line of vision if there was another child around to tattle on him. By the age of 4, being on another floor for a short amount time, such as the time needed to fold a basket of laundry, in the same house was fine... except for Superman wanna-be. (Although I made mine help fold laundry by that age)

As to the person saying 5, that is too old to send a message to your child that being by yourself is okay, you are a separate person from me, and you are a capable person who can care for many of your own basic needs. Seriously, how do you expect your child to do these things in kindergarten, which they attend at 5, and where these attitudes are expected if they haven't been give increasing independence prior to then? We hover too much over children these days and it stifles their development.
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Old 11-13-2013, 10:32 AM
 
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It depends on the child, the room, and the house. I baby proofed my entire house from day one. I had no knickknacks or anything in my house. There was nothing that could harm a child in any room. I had all bathrooms and the kitchen blocked off with baby gates. I would cook in the kitchen, take a bath, put laundry away, clean the bathroom, while they were in the living room or wherever. It's not like I left them alone in other rooms for hours on end. 15 minutes here and there. I could hear everything from wherever I was. I never felt I needed direct line of sight.

There were brief periods of not being in hearing distance. With the way my first place was set up, there is no way I could have done laundry via dragging a child along with me. My laundry was two flights down the stairs. I couldn't carry a child and laundry baskets at the same time. In these instances when I went far enough way I couldn't hear them, I used the playpen. It's the only time I used a playpen.

By the time they were too old to be in the playpen, they were well behaved enough to wait while I did laundry. I don't remember my mother dragging us from room to room while she did chores. I specifically remember her going to the basement to do laundry without me. Based on the house we were living in at that time, I was 3 to 4 years old because we lived in that NC house for one year before moving to another city when I was 5. I also remember having free run outside while living in that house from 3 to 4.

By 4 years old, I certainly could leave a child alone playing with toys or watching TV while I did something elsewhere in the house. I specifically remember age 4 was when other mothers and I allowed our children to walk alone to each other's houses four doors down the street for pre-arrange play dates while each mother waited on each end. 4 is also the age where they played outside in the yard with loose supervision from house windows.

I wouldn't have left a hyperactive child alone for a moment, but my children weren't a problem in that regard. I also didn't live in a huge mansion, which would have been like leaving a child on another side of the neighborhood. If I had lived in one of those houses, I would have had a nanny, housekeeper and a cook! LOL
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Old 11-13-2013, 10:36 AM
 
Location: Finland
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I've left my daughter in another room from since she could walk (and walk off to another room!) so 9 months but its always been on the same floor rather than her downstairs and me upstairs etc if it was a case up on a different floor then I'd do that from when she could confidently walk up and down stairs by herself in case she wanted me, so about 18 months.
She's nearly 3 now and she loves to play in her room by herself, and I am quite confident leaving her alone while I take a shower.
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Old 11-13-2013, 10:37 AM
 
Location: Rural Central Texas
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I was the problem child, I guess. At the age of 2 I was pushing out screens and escaping the house to roam the woods and head a block down the street to visit the neighbors rabbits. My mom was frazzled by me to say the least.

I survived, but today I question how.


If you want your child to be where you last left them, dont leave them. that is all I can advise.
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Old 11-13-2013, 10:39 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldhag1 View Post
As to the person saying 5, that is too old to send a message to your child that being by yourself is okay, you are a separate person from me, and you are a capable person who can care for many of your own basic needs. Seriously, how do you expect your child to do these things in kindergarten, which they attend at 5, and where these attitudes are expected if they haven't been give increasing independence prior to then? We hover too much over children these days and it stifles their development.
I totally agree. That 5 year post sort of inspired me to respond to this thread. My children were left alone for brief periods of time since the day they were born. I can't imagine a life, for parent or child, of dragging a child from room to room while doing chores.
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