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I've been letting my son get up on his own since about 3,5, I would get up and get him breakfast, put on cartoons, and go back to bed for another hour or so knowing that he won't move from the TV. However we lived in an apartment so I could hear and see him easily from the bedroom.
Now that he's 5,5 he gets up and grabs a snack like a granola bar or fruit and then plays until I'm up, however, and I've actually just had a thread about this, my parents are always on me that it's not safe now that we're in a house and I don't know what he's up to if he's on a different floor. He IS a curious kid but we've outlined what he can and can't do numerous times, and I also find he tends to be most productive and creative in that time that he's on his own, coming up with games or projects to do, crafts, workbooks, etc.
When I was 16, family friends had a 5 year old girl who got up and tried to make breakfast. She ended up catching her nightie on fire and ultimately died from 3rd degree burns. This always stayed with me, so I was always up with my kids until 7th grade. I had to get to bed earlier than pre-parenthood, but to me it was worth it.
My 4 year old won't get up on her own, she won't even get out of her bed unless I get her, but on weekend mornings I'll often get her out of bed and put on the sofa with a snack and stick some cartoons on and go back to bed. She comes to my room if she needs something and the rest of the time she sits there as that's pretty much the only time all week she gets to watch TV.
When I was 16, family friends had a 5 year old girl who got up and tried to make breakfast. She ended up catching her nightie on fire and ultimately died from 3rd degree burns. This always stayed with me, so I was always up with my kids until 7th grade. I had to get to bed earlier than pre-parenthood, but to me it was worth it.
So sad and I can see how it would stick with you. When I was a kid another kid was taking out the trash and instead of throwing it in the dumpster (apartments) he climbed on it. Just like a step up on the side. It tipped and killed him. That stuck with me too. But I try not to overly worry. Like my kids know not to use the stove at all without mom there
So my kids started doing it only around 7&8. I would have let them sooner but they wanted me up with them.
So sad and I can see how it would stick with you. When I was a kid another kid was taking out the trash and instead of throwing it in the dumpster (apartments) he climbed on it. Just like a step up on the side. It tipped and killed him. That stuck with me too. But I try not to overly worry. Like my kids know not to use the stove at all without mom there
So my kids started doing it only around 7&8. I would have let them sooner but they wanted me up with them.
Lots of times I would get up and snooze in a big comfy chair in the den. I could hear them, but they still had the sense of independence. I had all boys, and it was a couple of their ever present friends I was most leary of I guess.
My kids are 10,7, and 4. The older two don't wake me up. I'm not sure when that started - maybe 6, for the older one? The two oldest share a room, so they usually wake the other up, and are together.
My 4-year old usually gets up after the first two kids, and if they are awake, he may just leave me in bed. He wouldn't stay up by himself, though.
I'd say around age 5 my kids were allowed to get themselves some cereal, turn on cartoons before we woke up. I'm an early riser though, so usually not more than 30 minutes/an hour of them unsupervised.
I would say 5 or so. Under that they MIGHT be ok, or you might wake up to find your kid ate all the leftover birthday cake from the night before, or decided to go for a walk around the block in their pajamas :-/
Just wondering how many years I have before I can sleep a little longer.. Obviously not sleeping in the way I used to pre-babies... But let's say the kids got up at 6 and I slept till 7. At what age do you feel a child is capable of getting up without you needing to get up at the same time?
(Please don't say age 18 I may die of sleep deprivation by then lol)
I didn't do it every day but by the time they were 11 - 12 or so - once I got my son the sleeper out of bed and felt assured that he would not mindlessly return.
It required a little bit of prep on my part - easy to grab breakfast foods like granola bars, yogurt with a plastic spoon taped on top, (night before) bananas, oranges, apples, Capri Sun, bagels and cream cheese (done the night before) those little red cheeses in a bag, grapes, crackers etc.
They actually liked it. It made them feel independent. The bus came three houses away. If the weather was so bad - school would have been called off.
So, no. Not 18. Take heart.
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I may die of sleep deprivation by then 
lol)
