Children left at home alone

Quote

valkirn wrote: »

And after reading a snippet from your blogspot it would seem you are a parent yourself which would in turn want to make me question your parenting abilities if you think leaving young children home alone is ok.

Be sure to make sure my account is deleted the moment I start seeking parenting advice from the MSE masses.

:money:

kelloggs36

Remind him of what happened to Madeline McCann - her parents just popped out for a short time and thought she was safe - she wasn't and now they are regretting their actions. Anything could happen in that short time - unlikely but nevertheless, it is a risk not worth taking. Why can't he just take them with him???

jellyhead

Quote wrote: »

What's the alternative? Take them all to the shops? You can't monitor children 24/7.

Yes, take them all to the shop! Nobody is saying he has to monitor them 24/7 but surely you don't think it's okay for them to be babysat by a 7 year old and for there to be no adult in the house?

pramsay13

Hopefully not straying from the thread too much...
The only reason the McCanns are in the news is because something terrible happened, and that's what always happens with children choking on something, hanging themselves on the blinds, running onto the road etc etc. There are countless other times when everything was just fine.
There is potential for lots of things to go wrong whether or not you are supervising your children / hanging onto them at all times.
I do however think that we are allowing our children to grow up not understanding the difference between danger and risk, and that means more potential in the future when they are bigger and stronger and more able.
There is a book called Fifty Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do) and the author says
“We must protect our children from danger – that is the promise we make to them as a society. But when that protection becomes over-protection, we fail as a society because children don’t learn how to judge risk for themselves. So we must help them understand the difference between that which is unknown – or unfamiliar – and that which is truly dangerous."

JBD

pramsay13 wrote: »

Hopefully not straying from the thread too much...
The only reason the McCanns are in the news is because something terrible happened, and that's what always happens with children choking on something, hanging themselves on the blinds, running onto the road etc etc. There are countless other times when everything was just fine.
There is potential for lots of things to go wrong whether or not you are supervising your children / hanging onto them at all times.
I do however think that we are allowing our children to grow up not understanding the difference between danger and risk, and that means more potential in the future when they are bigger and stronger and more able.
There is a book called Fifty Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do) and the author says
“We must protect our children from danger – that is the promise we make to them as a society. But when that protection becomes over-protection, we fail as a society because children don’t learn how to judge risk for themselves. So we must help them understand the difference between that which is unknown – or unfamiliar – and that which is truly dangerous."

Agree with this to an extent. It is important to give our children responsibility and independence. But there is a line to be drawn and I think most of the posters on this thread thought that a 7 year old child is too young to look after siblings as young as 4 and 2, with no adults present in the house . TBH some adults would probably find this difficult at times. Personally I was expected to help look after my younger brothers and sisters but never at this young age.

mrcow

pramsay13 wrote: »

There is a book called Fifty Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do) and the author says
“We must protect our children from danger – that is the promise we make to them as a society.

Hopefully one of the things in that book isn't to let them babysit their two younger siblings at aged 7 so their Dad can go out and get fags.

pramsay13

JBD wrote: »

Agree with this to an extent. It is important to give our children responsibility and independence. But there is a line to be drawn and I think most of the posters on this thread thought that a 7 year old child is too young to look after siblings as young as 4 and 2, with no adults present in the house . TBH some adults would probably find this difficult at times. Personally I was expected to help look after my younger brothers and sisters but never at this young age.

Totally agree, it wasn't meant to refer to original scenario more to some of the subsequent comments.

Curious_George_2

pramsay13 wrote: »

“We must protect our children from danger – that is the promise we make to them as a society. But when that protection becomes over-protection, we fail as a society because children don’t learn how to judge risk for themselves. So we must help them understand the difference between that which is unknown – or unfamiliar – and that which is truly dangerous."

I had no idea that by being in the house with the kids i was over protecting them!

my god... i shall shove them in a cupboard this instant and run down the pub

pramsay13

Curious_George wrote: »

my god... i shall shove them in a cupboard this instant

You should tell them you are playing hide n seek and get them to count to a hundred before coming out.

Ah you found me sitting on the sofa watching television

joey75

pramsay13 wrote: »

Hopefully not straying from the thread too much...
The only reason the McCanns are in the news is because something terrible happened, and that's what always happens with children choking on something, hanging themselves on the blinds, running onto the road etc etc. There are countless other times when everything was just fine.
There is potential for lots of things to go wrong whether or not you are supervising your children / hanging onto them at all times.
I do however think that we are allowing our children to grow up not understanding the difference between danger and risk, and that means more potential in the future when they are bigger and stronger and more able.
There is a book called Fifty Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do) and the author says
“We must protect our children from danger – that is the promise we make to them as a society. But when that protection becomes over-protection, we fail as a society because children don’t learn how to judge risk for themselves. So we must help them understand the difference between that which is unknown – or unfamiliar – and that which is truly dangerous."

my nan used to say about the fire in the front room "let them touch it they will only do it once" and to be honest i think that is totally wrong and dangerous i used to always be left with my little brothers and when my brother was about 1 years old and i was about 9 i took him out and dropped in on his head!! he is now in his twentys and is not quiet right and i have always blamed myself for this but really and truelly i shouldnt have had the responsabillity of looking after him and now i have to live with the guilt that it could be my fault he is like he is!! there is many things that happened to them whilst they were in my care and i used to get shouted at but really and truelly should i have been left in the position of being responsible for them when i was a child myself! my son is 16 and has adhd and i have another 2 sons aged 3 and 5 and i would never leave my 16 year old with them because i wouldnt want him to have the guilt if something happened to them