What age to get up alone?

bumpuser8448316 · July 2014

DS has a tendency to wake between 5 and 6 am. 6:00 I can handle but anything before that is so early! I'm tempted to give him some milk, a snack and turn on a show and go back to bed. Our home is small and I can hear what's going on in the living room from the master bedroom. Would you be comfortable with it? He's 4 for those that can't see tickers. The kitchen is gated off and there are childproof locks on the doors that lead to outside that are way too high for DS to reach so he couldn't get out of the house.

notkateanymore · July 2014

At 4? Yes. I think we did it a bit earlier than that since DD was a huge chicken and wouldn't mess with anything.

bumpuser8448316 · July 2014

I thought about the iPad in the room too. Might be a better solution.

bumpuser8448316 · July 2014

Gastro said:

I think age wise at 4 getting up alone is fine. If you think he needs more sleep though I would be wary of him getting in the habit of him being allowed to watch/play iPad in the bed if he gets up early. Then he might like to get up early for that purpose. I know a few moms who put a cup of milk in the fridge and cereal out so their kids can do their own snack if they get up early.

He's getting plenty of sleep IMO. He asleep by 6:30 so when he wakes between 5:30 and 6:00 he's fine. 5-5:30 is a bit early but it's not often and usually only when he has a full pull up.

ariel06 · July 2014

We let both boys start doing that around 4. Their bedroom is across the hall from us, so we can hear if they're getting into trouble.

kcisthebombdotcom · July 2014

The kids are 4.5 and 3.5 and we just started doing it this summer. I leave a water bottle in the fridge for dd and ds can just pour his own water. Ds gets an apple from the fridge and dd unpeels a banana and eats it.

Cherryblossoms07 · July 2014

I would be fine with it. DD started waking up and sneaking downstairs in the morning to rest on the couch at about 3.5. Now at four she still goes downstairs if she wakes up early but she may also turn on the t.v. and get herself her milk cup and yogurt out of the fridge.

sunnydays99 · July 2014

When DS gets up too early (basically anytime before 7) I tell him he can cuddle in bed with us or read books in his room. He's happy with both if these options and I feel like neither is too stimulating so if he wanted to he could go back to sleep. He's 4.5 and these have been his options for at least a year.

barnwife · July 2014

At 4? Yes!

J. and A. often wake up early. They either play in their room or the living room. They let us know if they need us. Both their room and the living room are childproofed. And we can hear them from our room.

It doesn't even bother me that they could theoretically go outside. (I mean, J. can open the door. If he went out, A. would follow.) If I heard the door open, I'd be up in about 0.5 second to catch them.

fancynewbeesly · July 2014

I wish! Reese won't get out of her bed, much less her room unless we get her. And her being hungry wakes her up all the time. She wants to eat as soon as she wakes up.

Spin313 · July 2014

We've started this during the summer. My six and three year old wake up and have dry cereal/tv time while DH and I snooze for an extra half hour.

LoriLee14 · July 2014

My 2 year old has started since he is in a day bed now. I am usually up by 7. Sometimes he is already up and sometimes not. He doesn't make a peep when he gets up. We just have his room and the livingroom/kitchen child proof as possible. He comes and gets me when he is hungry.

dizzycooks · July 2014

Oy! Maybe at 4, but I guess my gut says he needs to stay on his room. Of course my child is the one climbing the counters and sitting in the fridge eating any fruit or dessert she can find so I don't trust her alone in the kitchen.

caybeh · July 2014

My 2 year old gets up on his own too. It's not quite as early, like 7, which isn't that early at all, but he used to sleep until 8. Most of the time, I hear him and get up or he comes and gets me. However, the other day I thought DH was up with him. Turns out DH wasn't and I have no idea how long DS was up by himself. Oops.....

But at 4, yep I'd be fine with it!

bumpuser8448316 · July 2014

Thanks for the responses! I asked because this morning he got up without waking me up first and when I got up he was on the couch with a Baggie of watermelon slices and my iPad. His art supplies were out too so I could tell he had been coloring. I'm guessing he had been up for about half an hour

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