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

jellyhead

edit - i walked to the shop, i didn't go whaling

Spendless

lil_me wrote:

Purely for that reason, was 6-7.30 sometimes a little later, between her going to work and her partner coming home

Seems very odd:cool: . It's still light this time of year at those times, there must be children out playing then,(weather permitting) if they'd done that instead then I'm guessing nothing would have come of it. Another thread has started on a similar subject and the info on that seems to be you are ok but you can get into trouble if anything happens.

lil_me

Unfortunately I know of times where incidents have happened. I know a mother who found her son seriously injured, when she had left him in the house alone at 13, he washed his hand then switched on a light. I couldn't leave mine alone at that age I don't think, they don't go out of my sight now.

Spendless

lil_me wrote:

Unfortunately I know of times where incidents have happened. I know a mother who found her son seriously injured, when she had left him in the house alone at 13, he washed his hand then switched on a light. I couldn't leave mine alone at that age I don't think, they don't go out of my sight now.

I don't know. Personally I think 13 is responsible enough to be left for an hour or so and definately to be taught how electricity works. I think my 6 year old knows that one! Age 11 more difficult. In my nans day people went out to work at 14. Are we not in fear of mollycoddling our kids too much, so they can't cope in an adult world. When I started my college course we were all asked to introduce and speak about ourselves. One woman had never caught the bus alone before starting the course- she was early 20s and a mum of 2:eek:

lil_me

No wouldn't call mine molycoddled, and they do know about electricity safety, but even I do things on autopilot at times and if anything happened I would want to be there.

I still remember being about 17 and witnessing a horrific road accident, took 3 hours to find out who the little boy was under the bus as he was 8 and left with his sister as his Mam was at work and his sister went out. I would never want to feel the guilt that mother went through.

Each to their own tho isn't it. At 15 I was allowed to stay on my own.

loopy_lass

well my daughter is a responsible sensible 15 yr old, she stays on her own for upto 3 hrs at a time, usually during the early evening, from say 6 till 9 but on saturday i did leave her from 9pm till 12midnight, i keept my phone in my pocket on vibrate, was 15 mins away tops.
She had my brothers number (who i checked would be in) who is 5 mins away and a neighbours number who is 2 mins away. Oh an a rottweiler, and i live in a very small town so i felt ok about doin this.

What does everyone else think?


loops

jellyhead

sounds fine to me loops

rubytuesday

Yes sounds fine to me too. My daughter who is 13 is doing exams didn't know she finished school at 1pm so was home alone til I got home just before 5. Feel short periods during the day are fine, if she was older I would be comfortable with short periods in the evening too, she's a very sensible girl.