How old before i can leave my kids on their own?

black-saturn

Kimberley wrote:

Thats not going to do her favours in the long run when she needs to stand on her own two feet

Thats what I think. She is starting college in september and he wants to walk her there too!! I've told him not to. Hopefully she will get a boyfriend soon and wont want to be seen out with her dad.

looby75

black-saturn wrote:

She is walked to school and back every day and stays in all evening. I do think he is going a bit overboard with her though.

Poor kid, is she shy or is it just that she has never been allowed to do any of this on her own?

Spendless

black-saturn wrote:

Thats what I think. She is starting college in september and he wants to walk her there too!! I've told him not to. Hopefully she will get a boyfriend soon and wont want to be seen out with her dad.

I hope he listens to you. A fellow student on my course revealed recently that she'd never caught the bus alone till she started on my course. I've since learnt she's in her early 20s with 2 school age kids of her own.:eek:

Dora_the_Explorer_5

black-saturn wrote:

Thats what I think. She is starting college in september and he wants to walk her there too!!

Unless she has social phobia or it's because of cultural reasons, this seems quite bizarre.

dastephens

I have a 13 year old daughter who does look after her 8 year old brother - but only for short periods. i.e. Half an hour at the most on the odd occasion and then I instill emergency procedures in place such as having my mobile phone number keyed into home phone so that if they needed to urgently contact me they only have to press redial and having good neighbours to contact aswell.
Luckily my 13 year old daughter is very sensible but I still would not expect or let her look after her brother for more than half an hour as there are too many pontential dangers. I do leave my daughter on her own for a couple of hours at a time if she doesn't want to come out with us.
I do however agree with previous answers that at 13 years of age they are too young to look after younger children for long periods of time.

rubytuesday

Quackers wrote:

I think we all know our own children well enough to know what situations they can or cannot cope with.

I think that is the crux of the matter although it might be more useful if there was a law about it!!
My daughter is now thirteen and I have just started to leave her alone for the day if necessary and left her for a couple of hours one evening (early).She has however been making her own way home from school and been home alone for a couple of hours twice a week since she was in the final year of Juniors. I don't think I would allow a thirteen year old to take responsibility for an eight year old though, at least not for the whole day.

black-saturn

They live in a rough area of East London. Even on the rare occasion that we go out in the day on our own she has to sit round her nan and grandads all day. I really dont know whats the matter with her. She doesnt seem shy at all, in fact shes quite outgoing. She's not from any religion that says they shouldnt go out on her own. She doesnt even question it!!!

rubytuesday

Sarahsaver wrote:

If you lived in sweden or Japan it would be perfectly acceptable to leave your kids alone from the age of 7.

I've never heard that before do you have any more information on that out of interest?

Poppy9

As we on about age kids allowed to do things at what age do you let your children loose in the kitchen to cook.

My DD surprised me when she was about 9 by getting up early in school holidays and bringing me tea & toast in bread. Don't know what I was most scared of, scalding herself with hot kettle or spilling it on my then brand new bedroom carpet;)

Seriously though - I now let her loose (just turned 11) with a sharp paring knife in the kitchen to chop vegtables and fruit, she can make toast & hot drinks including warming milk in microwave (I tell her to put spoon in cup after she has opened the door and before removing cup and give a quick stir in case it explodes from an air pocket). I've also let her use the tin opener and turn on gas hob etc as she made a bolegnese sauce the other day. I won't let her take hot plates from the oven or carry hot saucepans across the room. I've also taught her to use the washing machine, peg the clothes out and iron her own clothes. She is only to use the iron though if I have set it up and am in the room.

When I read this back she sounds like cinderella:o

looby75

Poppy9 wrote:

When I read this back she sounds like cinderella:o

:rotfl:

seriously though it sounds as though you are helping boost her confidence and giving her vital lessons in how to look after herself for when she is older.

I have a friend who cleans bedrooms and the communal kitchen at the one of the uni dorms, she is shocked by how little many of the students know about cooking or housekeeping, simply because they have never been taught by their parents as apposed to being lazy.