Would you ever leave your 3-4 year old alone in the room with a baby?

Question

I wouldn't...my daughter is 3 and my baby is 4 months.Most of the time my eldest is nice to the baby but now and then she pokes her or tries to pinch her. I know that is normal but I would never leave her unattended round the baby incase she put something on her head (she put a cushion on the baby once} my friend leaves her 3 year old boy alone with the baby for up to 15 minutes while she cooks...I also heard of a terrible case where a mother had a bath and left the baby in it's inflatable ring with a 3 year old downstairs and the 3 year old sat on it and killed it! I told my friend but she thinks that child was daft or something...I think that at 3 they dont fully understand consequences...they have no experience of suffocation or f how delicate a baby is..only today I stopped my eldest bending the babies fingers back! Do you leave your toddlers with your baby?

Answer 1

i couldn't leave my daughter when she was a baby with my step daughter

however, it depends on the child, some are nice, some aren't, like people!

Answer 2

No way!

Answer 3

No, that's not a good idea. Also, if your 4 month old is waking up through the night it's going to wake up your 3 year old, which makes for a cranky child in the monring. And no 3 year olds definately do not understand the delicacy of a baby.

Answer 4

No, never leave a baby unattended!

Answer 5

I agree with every word you say.

Answer 6

no i never did longer than a few seconds.

though my elder daughter was very good with her new sister even though she was only 18 months, couldn't have asked 4 anything more x

Answer 7

I do - but my daughter is four and a half and starts school in September.  I'm never very far, usually just in the next room putting the kettle on or taking ironed clothes upstairs.

I wouldn't leave them alone for more than 5 minutes though and my son is usually up in his swing seat and strapped in.

Answer 8

i have a four year old and a 9 month old and my four year old always wants to help out with the feeding and even changing diapers, but i would NOT leave them in a room together without being in there

Answer 9

I wouldn't leave my baby alone with a 3 year old.

However, my younger brother is 7 years old and when i am visiting my mothers house i will leave him alone with his nephew.

My little brother knows not to touch him or attempt to pick him up, however he will play with his nephew (show him toys, make him laugh) and if there is something wrong with my son he will let me know (eg - he's been sick or is coughing) and he understand how babies are more delicate than older children.

I do not see any problem in this as most of the time my son is left alone with my brother he is in a buggy or asleep in a playpen. Also i will check on them every 5 minutes and i am always in the next room (they are in the sitting room and i am in the kitchen).

Answer 10

my daughter is 3 (will b 4 in nov) and my son is 11 months (turning 1 on the 28th) ---- he is walking now and a pretty big boy (only 5 lbs less than her) but i just now got comfy with leaving them alone to play in their room (its toddlerproof and all that) but i still check like every few mins or if i dont hear anything (eery silence) b/c she has done things that are not safe with him (not so much anymore but still)

so you are right to feel that way. i would too =D children that age do not understand death etc...

Answer 11

No way, I've heard stories of terrible things happening to infants at the hands of their older siblings because the kids didn't understand the consequences of their actions.  Children that age still don't always know how to be gentle.

Answer 12

I don't leave my baby alone with other children or pets.  It's just foolish and asking for an accident.

Answer 13

I would not recommend this at all!!

Answer 14

The answer to your question is, Yes, you are right. Your friend is wrong.

No one can leave infants at that age alone anywhere. They don't know anything. They must be with an adult at all times.

Answer 15

first question.  Did you ever leave your first born by herself for any amount of time?  I think it would depend on how she acts around baby.  

When I delivered my third boy last August, my oldest was going to turn 4 soon.  I was able to leave him alone with the baby for a few minutes at a time, but only if the baby was in his car seat or a bouncy chair.  But we had already been through the "new baby i must touch it" stage.  If you don't feel comfortable with it don't do it.

Answer 16

I leave my 3 year old alone with my 5 month baby for maybe 2-3 minutes, like for switching laundry or going to the bathroom. I would trust her totally for longer than that though.  She never tried anything to hurt the baby and she adores him and protects him.  It all depends on the child though.

Answer 17

i have for split seconds, my dd is almost 3 and my son is now almost 6 mths, when he was smaller she poked him quite alot, pulled him off the sofa and laid on him, so much i couldn't even see him, while in the bath she tried to pull him of the support, as i turned round to grab his towel, she is nice too him most of the time now, but still has moments,she is trying to be nice when swinging him too high in his swing or clapping rather hard while singing with him, or pulling his arms to make him touch the toy. so i try not to leave them, not longer than a minute anyway, unless i know she is completely engrossed in what she is doing, then i don't tell her i am leaving the room if she is busy,that way i hope she doesn't notice, so wont hurt him. most of the time i try and involve her in everything i do, she loves helping round the house. but i also know that i have to learn to trust her for short amount of times, otherwise i would get nothing done.

Answer 18

I couldn't leave my 3 year old son with my 9 month old daughter. Around 99% of the time he is lovely with her but sometimes he gets jealous if she gets more attention so I don't leave him with her. When I do the cooking, she's in her highchair, buggy, baby bouncer or with someone else. I totally agree that a toddler should not be left alone with a baby. Your friend is very trusting and I think that it is not a very good idea that she is leaving her son with a baby. I totally agree with you. I think the most I have ever left my son with my daughter was like 30 seconds when I quickly went to get the phone. I would never leave him with her for longer!