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

ysoskint

i think it's a huge responsibility to put on your eldest child. Worst case......something does happen..... Not only do you have to live with it. Your poor eldest will feel to blame. If you have a sister near by, couldn't she have them?

TIGs

bobsa1 wrote:

Does your local leisure centre do anything? My 11yr old and 9 yr old go to ours a couple of days a week during the hols.It costs me £12 each per day and they go swimming, do crafts, and lots of sports. They can stay for a hot dinner £2 I think or take packed lunch.

During the summer lots of the churches near me do one off holiday club weeks which are usually free.

I leave my 11yr old (12 in a fortnight) on her own for an hour or so, if I'm literally popping for petrol at the top of the street I'll leave the nine yr old with her, but would not consider leaving them for more than 10mins together.

Also if you don't use holiday care won't you have to pay the childcare tax credit back?

My local leisure centre does do some things but normally only for the morning or afternoon and as i work half nine till 3 i can't get out of work to pick them up or drop them off to somewhere else.

If i don't use holiday care i will go into the tax office and inform them and it will taken off my tax credit if they had paid me too much i would have to pay it back.

TIGs

ysoskint wrote:

i think it's a huge responsibility to put on your eldest child. Worst case......something does happen..... Not only do you have to live with it. Your poor eldest will feel to blame. If you have a sister near by, couldn't she have them?

My sister would have them for a couple of days but as she has children of her own i don't like putting on her as she can't do things with her kids cos she has my two as well.

pinkpong

Hi
I totaly egree it depends on your child (some kids can`t cope even when16). I have 7,8,10 and I regularly leave them in any combination home, when taking them to different clubs. This is probbably for about anything upto an hour. At home they are much safer than traveling in the car. They usualy eat their dinner or watch telly untill their dad comes, they love it and can`t wait for me to leave. I am forein and I find English houses to be everly safe, we have rules, no phone no opening doors , spare kyes left for emergency. I have no one to help here, we don`t even know our neighbours - sad..
My 5 year old brother had to look after when I was a baby ( that`s a bit too much) my parents used to go to the Balls dancing the whole night. Things have changed, whatever you are planing don`t tell more people tan you have to.

Spendless

TIGs wrote:

My local leisure centre does do some things but normally only for the morning or afternoon and as i work half nine till 3 i can't get out of work to pick them up or drop them off to somewhere else.

If i don't use holiday care i will go into the tax office and inform them and it will taken off my tax credit if they had paid me too much i would have to pay it back.

Could your sister help out with pick ups/drop offs and for a couple of hours after the leisure centre? Would your work let you change your hours round in the hols to accommodate this?

I've just spoke to my friend I mentioned in my earlier post. She is speaking to another childminder about holiday cover only for her 2. Is this a possibility.

My sister is 7 years younger than me and whilst I was always sensible and responsible I never liked the fact that babysitting my younger sibling was expected of me.

You know if your older one is responsible enough to be left for a short time, whilst your sister is near by but I personally don't think you should leave the younger one with him/her too.

TIGs

Spendless wrote:

Could your sister help out with pick ups/drop offs and for a couple of hours after the leisure centre? Would your work let you change your hours round in the hols to accommodate this?

I've just spoke to my friend I mentioned in my earlier post. She is speaking to another childminder about holiday cover only for her 2. Is this a possibility.

My sister is 7 years younger than me and whilst I was always sensible and responsible I never liked the fact that babysitting my younger sibling was expected of me.

You know if your older one is responsible enough to be left for a short time, whilst your sister is near by but I personally don't think you should leave the younger one with him/her too.

My sister would pick up and drop odd but to be honest i don't like putting on her cos it would mean her dragging hers about with her too as her kids are younger than mine. I don't expect my daughter to look after my son it was her idea i think they'd been talking about it and liked the idea of it over childcare.

I think i'll stick with the child care for now and just have to tell the kids they'll have to put up with it for now, my daughter will be 12 in June and my son 9 in August so maybe think about it again next year.

Kimberley

I'm in the same boat. I started a job last Monday working in school term time. I don't work when the kids are off school, but i do have to go in on Friday to clean the school kitchen thouroughly.

My dilemma is that on Friday my two oldest 13 and 12 have to go to their Orthodontics appointment on their own which is about an hours bus ride, i'm not happy about this but their treatment would be put on hold if they don't and i have yet to find somewhere for my 8 year old to go as i won't let the older two take my youngest with them. I'm hoping that one of his friends parents would let him go to their house for the morning, if not i'm stuck. I can't take the day off as i've only just started the job.

This is why it's so hard for single parents to go into work when they have children.

I leave my 13 year old on her own, the longest has been 4 hours. The 12 year old i wouldn't trust being on his own. I leave my 8 year old with my 13 year old if i pop to the shops sometimes. I would never leave all 3 on their own though.

I'd say you know your own child. I know all 3 of my kids and who i would trust on their own and who i wouldn't. The only one i would trust at the moment is my 13 year old girl. She knows what to do in emergencies and know she can knock on my neighbours house. She knows not to answer the door or the phone. I'm the only one she can answer the phone to and how she can tell is that i phone twice, then hang up, then phone again, that way she knows it's me.

Spendless

Kimberley wrote:

I'm in the same boat. I started a job last Monday working in school term time. I don't work when the kids are off school, but i do have to go in on Friday to clean the school kitchen thouroughly.

My dilemma is that on Friday my two oldest 13 and 12 have to go to their Orthodontics appointment on their own which is about an hours bus ride, i'm not happy about this but their treatment would be put on hold if they don't and i have yet to find somewhere for my 8 year old to go as i won't let the older two take my youngest with them. I'm hoping that one of his friends parents would let him go to their house for the morning, if not i'm stuck. I can't take the day off as i've only just started the job.

This is why it's so hard for single parents to go into work when they have children.

I leave my 13 year old on her own, the longest has been 4 hours. The 12 year old i wouldn't trust being on his own. I leave my 8 year old with my 13 year old if i pop to the shops sometimes. I would never leave all 3 on their own though.

I'd say you know your own child. I know all 3 of my kids and who i would trust on their own and who i wouldn't. The only one i would trust at the moment is my 13 year old girl. She knows what to do in emergencies and know she can knock on my neighbours house. She knows not to answer the door or the phone. I'm the only one she can answer the phone to and how she can tell is that i phone twice, then hang up, then phone again, that way she knows it's me.

Kimberley-is there no holiday playscheme your 8 year old could go to? The older 2 do they have a mobile phone, could they ring/text you to say that they've got there ok etc?

TIGs

Hiya Kimberley

I'll make a deal with you i'll have your son on Friday if you have mine a few days in the school holidays lol lol

If only it was that easy :j

Kimberley

Spendless wrote:

Kimberley-is there no holiday playscheme your 8 year old could go to? The older 2 do they have a mobile phone, could they ring/text you to say that they've got there ok etc?

I have a number to phone tomorrow to see if there is, if not a mates house is my only option. The older two do not have a mobile phone, but they do have a BT phone card for the telephone boxes. It's situations like this that makes me wonder if i should allow my 13 year old to have a mobile just for these occasions. I do have a spare one which would need to be topped up but it frightens me kids having mobiles :eek: