Mum upset that her hubby leaves two-year-old unsupervised when he showers
Getting a daily shower in can feel like Mission Impossible when you have a small child, but one dad doesn’t let it cramp his style. His wife’s popped up on Mumsnet to explain.
Is this a “men thing”?
She notes that she’s seven months pregnant and that her hubby has been doing the morning duties and caring for their two-year-old to give her time to rest. Thing is, she overheard her husband making a plan to leave their little one alone and is unhappy about it. She notes this is pretty typical of his relaxed attitude to caring for their son.
“I can hear him saying, ‘So are you gonna stay downstairs and be a good boy while Daddy has a shower?'” the mum explains. (The family’s shower is upstairs.)
She’s flabbergasted that her son’s father thinks leaving a child alone for five or ten minutes is even an option, and asked for others’ opinions.
“Now forgive me if I’m being unreasonable but surely I’m not the only one here thinking you don’t leave a 2.5 yr old downstairs – on his own – while you go upstairs to have a shower??” she asked other Mumsnet users. “Is this just a general ‘men’ thing??”
A mixed response
People were quick to weigh in with their own opinions. For some, the exact circumstances warranted further examination. Many thought that if the home was child-proofed, a few minutes wasn’t really an issue.
“I left my daughter downstairs while I showered at about that age – stair gate on kitchen and stairs, fresh episode of Peppa Pig – should would barely notice I was gone. I’m not sure she even moved TBH.”
But others pointed out that it’s hard to hear when something has gone amiss if you’re in the shower, so this dad should probably rethink his strategy.
“I would probably leave for a few minutes in a child-proofed house to do nearly anything else. eg make up, dress, put away laundry,” one parent commented. “The shower is a bit dodgy as then you can’t hear them.”
Uh-oh!
Some people thought a few minutes alone was just fine, but they noted that things can go pear-shaped in unexpected ways.
“If you get your house up to a reasonably toddler-proof standard it’s fine to leave them unsupervised,” one mum wrote. “In fact I’d actually say it’s desirable for their independence and development. Mind you, once when I left my 2 year old son unsupervised when I was in the shower he poo-ed on the living room carpet and then walked in it. Argh.”
Warning from the wise, indeed. #Poopnado
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