alone in a hospital room at all?
ML is scheduled for surgery next month, and she has to stay overnight. I don't really want to leave her at ALL. If someone came to get her or do something to her, I'd like to be there to check who they are/what they want or to go with her, if possible. So, if I needed to go get something, like dinner, or whatever, I'd prefer H to be with us, too, so one of us would be with her constantly. H thinks leaving her alone in the room for 30 minutes or so is not a big deal.
She's 4-1/2. When I ran to Starbucks during her ballet lesson, she came out to use the restroom and was terrified to find me gone.
But that would entail leaving TB overnight with my sister without ML. I think he'd be OK, but not 100% sure.
WDYT?
Re: Would you be paranoid about leaving your child
I would never leave DS alone in a hospital room at this age.
Liam is 5!
I'd do this too. running to grab food as long as dd was ok with it = ok, leaving her overnight = no.
ETA - i'd probably make a specific plan for dinner - i.e. have dh come visit at that time so I could run out or have him bring it with him - just in case dd did get upset about the idea of me leaving for a short time.
it's not about paranoia for me; I'm not afraid someone will take him or do something horrible to him.
But I would not leave him alone for a minute in a hospital b/c it would be a scary experience for him. If I had another child, I'd be perfectly comfortable leaving that other child home or in other familiar surrounding like a grandparent or aunt's house, w/ another family member.
Ditto HikerBeth.
Short periods of time to grab food, a shower, go to the bathroom, go feed the meter, switch places with dh, go outside to breath and collect yourself: yes, certainly. I think it would be necessary for logistical purpose- I mean, you're going to have to pee at some point, no?
Overnight or for any signifigant length of time? No, I wouldn't be comfortable with that at all although I understand that sadly some family have no choice- single parents with younger children at home with not much support, people who will get fired if they miss work and then won't be able to pay rent, etc.