At what age would you leave children alone ?

gratefulforhelp_2

Someone in our parish has just had their house gutted by an electrical fire, that happened while they were all asleep in their beds. Had she not been up and noticed the smoke, they, all three generations, may well be sleeping permanently.

VK-2008

working with the police there is no legal age but a child should be responsible to look after itself. you would be held liable should something happen, very risky and leads to social services etc

i personally would not risk leaving them
too many dangers
kids have wild imaginations
it only takes one thought for an accident to occur

try and get someone else to watch kids or change jobs

DevilsAdvocate1

I was 4 or 5 when I stayed at my nana's one night along with my cousin who was a year older than me. My cousin had got some matches from somewhere. He waited for my nana to leave the room (we were supposed to be going to sleep) and then started lighting the matches. I can remember him lighting them and nothing else. The room burnt down - I don't know how we got out. Be very careful where fire is concerned as some children find it fascinating.

I would not leave children this age alone. I have only just started letting my oldest stay in the house on his own and he is 12.

D.

ciderwithrosie_2

While I'm all for teaching children independence, and I have empathy with your situation, I think 5 & 6 is way too young to leave them to their own devices, quite scary for a small child I imagine. I had only nipped across the road one evening to collect the youngest from Beavers and left the older two in the house, I guess they were 9 & 8. A mad woman knocked on the door and was asking if OH could mend her watch and trying to come in the house, they were scared by it and I was only gone for a few minutes.

I just wouldn't be able to sleep anyway, I'd be listening for every sound. Still do it now, if they come in in the early hours after a night on the tiles, I'm instantly alert. We had to juggle work commitments when they were a lot younger, OH would come home at 7.30am from night shift, in the holidays I'd go to work earlier than when they were at school so I could get home at lunchtime, then he could go to bed for a few hours and I'd try and take them out somewhere so he could have a bit of quiet.

regards CWR

Spendless

I would (and have) leave my 10.5 yo for upto 40 minutes-ish. This has built up to this time for the past 6 months starting with me leaving him for a few minutes when I used to collect his younger sis from an after school activity. I am 100% sure he would never light a match (and we have no lighters in the house). He in turn knows his house rules and boundaries and has said he would not break them as to do so would result in him no longer having this freedom/independance. There are rules in place for if someone knocks at the door or phones and what he does if the smoke alarm sounds (GET OUT- don't look for the flames). I or my husband would always be in touch with him via our mobiles during the time we were out to check he is ok.

I wouldn't let my 7yo be alone in the house.

inkie

Part of the responsibility of being a working parent is ensuring that adequate childcare provision is in place. If you need to sleep, then put something in place for the children to be cared for whilst you are able to get good quality sleep.

kittiej

OMG I must have had a really bad upbringing lol

At four years old I would be taken to school by my mother but at lunchtime would walk home for lunch, then walk back to school and home again by myself and it wasn't exactly just around the corner.

I know this was 1975 and not so many cars but I still had a busy-ish road to cross.

At eight I was allowed to go shopping around Barnsley town centre with my friends on Saturdays.

Then as I got older I wasn't allowed to go out so much without getting the third degree, funny that!

lauren_1

My kids often get up before me, they are 8 and 4 now, sometimes they can be up at 5 and I wont notice till 9am on a weekend, they have done this since eldest could master a stair gate. So far the worst they have done is draw on the walls, raided the fridge, eaten their own weight in biscuits and played frisbee with the dvd's. Its not ideal but they seem to be able to live on zero sleep

picnmix

I wouldn't be able to sleep when kids were in house with no other adult supervision, would be so worried about them hurting themselves, I have 2 DD 2 & 5 and they know when they get up to come into our bedroom, I then get up with them, and start the day, they are very early risers, but just part of being a parent in my eyes. I have worked with children in the past and know that even the most level headed of kiddies do not have the maturity to deal with certain decisions and situations that can arise.

clairehi

ciderwithrosie wrote: »

I had only nipped across the road one evening to collect the youngest from Beavers and left the older two in the house, I guess they were 9 & 8. A mad woman knocked on the door and was asking if OH could mend her watch and trying to come in the house, they were scared by it and I was only gone for a few minutes.

regards CWR

Sorry your kids got a fright. If i pop out, my kids know not to answer the doorbell, and if the phone rings Mum is in the shower

Standard drill from my Mum 30 years ago.