Personality matters. Can she get herself a snack and "play quietly" independently at other times, like lazy afternoons, when you are in another part of the house getting chores done, or when you are making dinner? If so, then leave dry cereal and bowls on a low shelf or on the kitchen table and let her know what's ok until you come down at 7:30 or 8:00. Could be books and puzzles. Could be a screen you have set up in a programmed/protected way you are ok with. Make sure things that you really want off limits like messy art supplies are really kept out of her reach if you don't trust her.

Or if you really don't trust her, then you have to keep her awake and in her room only or awake and quiet in your room. Or you have to get up with her at her early time and work on the skills she needs so that you can work towards trying the go downstairs by herself for an hour thing in another 3-6 months.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends on how willing you are to allow a screen or similar to babysit your kid. Plus personality.

Um no. My kid starting doing what OP is suggesting at just over 3. No screens at all. She goes down and draws with her crayons or reads her me readers waiting for the rest of the house to get up.

OP it is just a matter of building their confidence in their own independence.

Um yeah. I'm the PP you're responding to and we don't allow our elementary kid screen time, and never had, but I can't imagine there's anything to argue with here. Screen access has influence, as does personality-- that's all I'm saying. Perhaps your child can be safe and occupied without screen time, but not all can *at that same age*. Generally (not always) screen time lowers the age of "independent" play for any individual kid, but the age varies among kids anyway. Most kids can be more easily occupied by screens than other activities, IMO. As is implied by the many comments here talking about kids getting up and turning on the TV themselves.

Your post that I replied to seemed to imply that this was only feasible if screens were involved. I and other pps are saying that we have kids that can do this without screens. Clearly it won't work for every child but it works for some children and that is a good piece of information to have.

Yes if you're ok with screen time (which I actually am) it becomes easier but it's not 100% necessary

I read PP as just implying that for most kids the age at which they will hang out alone without causing problems depends on whether you're OK w/ screens. I have to say, I think that's true. Most kids can reliably watch a screen for an hour alone before they can reliably do most other activities totally unsupervised for an hour. Not all kids, but most.

Ha! NOW!

Age 4 is plenty old enough to color or play by herself until you wake up. You can leave some fruit or cereal for her at the table if she wakes up super hungry.

Anonymous wrote:Depends on how willing you are to allow a screen or similar to babysit your kid. Plus personality.

I have a dog ok to wake clock that has weekend and weekday settings.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends on how willing you are to allow a screen or similar to babysit your kid. Plus personality.

Um no. My kid starting doing what OP is suggesting at just over 3. No screens at all. She goes down and draws with her crayons or reads her me readers waiting for the rest of the house to get up.

OP it is just a matter of building their confidence in their own independence.

Um yeah. I'm the PP you're responding to and we don't allow our elementary kid screen time, and never had, but I can't imagine there's anything to argue with here. Screen access has influence, as does personality-- that's all I'm saying. Perhaps your child can be safe and occupied without screen time, but not all can *at that same age*. Generally (not always) screen time lowers the age of "independent" play for any individual kid, but the age varies among kids anyway. Most kids can be more easily occupied by screens than other activities, IMO. As is implied by the many comments here talking about kids getting up and turning on the TV themselves.

Your post that I replied to seemed to imply that this was only feasible if screens were involved. I and other pps are saying that we have kids that can do this without screens. Clearly it won't work for every child but it works for some children and that is a good piece of information to have.

Yes if you're ok with screen time (which I actually am) it becomes easier but it's not 100% necessary

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More rant than question but my kid is great at following her do not wake clock but because it’s the same time everyday that means I get up at 6:45 on Saturdays (I wish there were multiple programs on that thing!). At what age can I just tell her to go downstairs herself, perhaps with a breakfast I set out the night before and tell her to play quietly for an hour?

She’s 4. I know the answer is not for a while. But I want my weekend sleep in back!

I've let my kid play quietly for an hour since he was under 1. It's no big deal.

But he stays in the crib.

Anonymous wrote:More rant than question but my kid is great at following her do not wake clock but because it’s the same time everyday that means I get up at 6:45 on Saturdays (I wish there were multiple programs on that thing!). At what age can I just tell her to go downstairs herself, perhaps with a breakfast I set out the night before and tell her to play quietly for an hour?

She’s 4. I know the answer is not for a while. But I want my weekend sleep in back!

I've let my kid play quietly for an hour since he was under 1. It's no big deal.

4 is totally fine!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends on how willing you are to allow a screen or similar to babysit your kid. Plus personality.

Um no. My kid starting doing what OP is suggesting at just over 3. No screens at all. She goes down and draws with her crayons or reads her me readers waiting for the rest of the house to get up.

OP it is just a matter of building their confidence in their own independence.

Um yeah. I'm the PP you're responding to and we don't allow our elementary kid screen time, and never had, but I can't imagine there's anything to argue with here. Screen access has influence, as does personality-- that's all I'm saying. Perhaps your child can be safe and occupied without screen time, but not all can *at that same age*. Generally (not always) screen time lowers the age of "independent" play for any individual kid, but the age varies among kids anyway. Most kids can be more easily occupied by screens than other activities, IMO. As is implied by the many comments here talking about kids getting up and turning on the TV themselves.

Anonymous wrote:4 for us, with breakfast prepared in the fridge, and the TV set to PBS.

This. Bowl, cereal and spoon on table; small pitcher with milk on low shelf in refrigerator, TV set to whatever channel you decide. You can't sleep until 11, but definitely until 8.

I’m an early riser around 6am so it’s no problem for me to be up before them or with them - they are six and 3. I guess I just like being in the kitchen when they stagger in. If I’m not there they will come into our room so I might as well get up. My husband leaves the house at 6:30 so he’s up early too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends on how willing you are to allow a screen or similar to babysit your kid. Plus personality.

Um no. My kid starting doing what OP is suggesting at just over 3. No screens at all. She goes down and draws with her crayons or reads her me readers waiting for the rest of the house to get up.

OP it is just a matter of building their confidence in their own independence.

My son was the same around 3.5. I imagine it would be more difficult with a kid who wakes hungry, but mine would just play with his car quietly or look at his books for an hour or so before I got up.

PP here. I leave her a little bowl of cheerios on the kitchen table she can snack on in the morning and put a sippy cup of milk in the fridge drink drawer. She gets everything and has a little morning routine to herself!

My 6 year old is allowed to get herself ready and play in her room by herself until we wake up, but refuses to do so.

Anonymous wrote:The real answer is just whenever the kid will do it... My 4.5 and 2.5 year olds go down to the kitchen to grab a snack from the snack drawer and then up to the playroom from 7-8 on most weekend mornings to watch cartoons and play. I would say 3 out of 4 times we get to sleep until 8 and 1 out of 4 times they come wake us up/need something; never had any disasters though.

+1

My youngest started joining his older brothers to play instead of coming to our room or crying for us from his room sometime between age 2.5-3. The older ones (7 & 12) know to wake me if anyone needs an adult. I usually wake up when I hear them playing and then go back to sleep for an extra hour.