Home alone

thunderbird

Spendless wrote: »

Just out of curiousity. Why doesn't the older one make his own way home from Secondary school?

I was going to say there are no buses, which isn't strictly true. He could get 2 buses which would take him about an hour and a half to get home (12 miles away). It's not far out of my way to pick him up on my way home from work anyhow.

RazWaz

From age 10 I was given a key, I walked home from school (got back around 3:45) and stayed in the house alone till around 5:30. From 12 I could be left alone for a few hours during the day or evening. From 15 I was left overnight.

Spendless

DS will be standing outside our house tomorrow since he now gets home before I return from picking his little sister up. Not cos I don't trust him to be home alone but because he has managed to lose his door key - that he's had all of 1 week. :mad:

Loanranger

This thread reminded me that my older sister was once left to mind me in the evening while my granny visited my grandad in hospital. Mom was living somewhere else with my sis. I was 7 and sis was 13. Sister decided she wanted to meet her friends so off she went, leaving me crying. She told me she was going out and I was frightened to be in the house on my own so I climbed out of my bedroom window onto the apex of a sloping roof. There was a glass roof of the shed/lean to a bit further along but I had the sense not to step onto the glass. I was frightened out there on the roof and tried to climb back in through my bedroom window but it was too high.
Fortunately, the neighbour in the house next door, it was a terraced house, heard me crying and the dad hauled me in through their window.
I have no idea what was said afterwards to me or to my sis.
Strangely, my sis and I are no longer in touch.

SingleSue

Eldest son since he was about 11 or 12, middle son this summer for 15 mins at the most (he is 15 next month but has Aspergers), youngest never, (13 and a half but complex autistic).

property.advert

By the age of 5 or 6 I used to get the bus a few miles to school on my own and then from around 7 or 8 I used to take care of myself until one of my parents came home.

That didn't seem unusual back then. Roll forward a few decades and the kids today cannot wipe the snot from their noses, nevermind be trusted with a house key.

Threebabes

My DS is 15 nearly 16, so would leave him for everything but wouldn't want to leave him overnight. My DD1 is 11 1/2, the last few months shes been left the odd time for an hour here and there. She now also gets in from school before the rest of us, only 10/15 minutes though. DD2 who is nearly 8 doesn't get left unless she is with DS, DD1 is more than capable of looking after DD2 just don't think it feels right leaving a 7 year old with a 11 year old. I think for a lot of people its when they go to senior school.

Gillyx

Had a key and would let myself in after school from aged 11. Parents went on holiday when I was 15, and my grand parents would look in on me every day/second day.

Kaz2904

Well, I had this put to the test today big style! Funnily enough, I read this thread late last night. DD has been wanting to walk home alone for some time. She's 10 in November. Well last week the weather was far too bad but the day before school went back I dropped her and her Dad outside school so they could walk home. We couldn't figure out where to cross the road as there is only 1 crossing to get across a very busy, windy and hilly road but they have to get across an evil junction to get to this crossing. So I went to bed (again) last night, mulling it over whilst asleep. This morning DD says as I'm off to get dressed "Can I walk home with D......?" "Erm, don't know, need to think about it :eek: Probably not tonight." Then went to fetch her from school at 3. She appeared by the car and asked again. Quizzed neighbours DD and asked where she was crossing. She had been told to cross in the same place as I thought was best to cross. As I was at the school anyway, I said yes. I then watched them and they RAN home. I have to turn off before we get to our road and fetch my 7 year old DS from his school at 3.20 and had given DD my key to let herself in in case they got back before me. Well, blow me down, she got back in 5 minutes. This meant that I then knew she was home alone and proceeded to worry about until I got back home again.
I think that she will be happy to continue to walk home alone with her friend but do worry about leaving her home alone. Well I worry about it all TBH but I know she needs to start growing her independence.
Sooo not ready for this though

FBaby

I've left my eldest on her own for a few minutes when she was 7/8, up to 45 minutes when she was 10, she is now 11, started secondary school, she is on her own for 1 hour in the morning before leaving for school and on her own after school, anything from 1/2 hour (if at club) to 3 hours (today). I was a bit anxious about it, but she is proving me that she is totally ready. She is very mature for her age. So much that I think I might be happy to leave her on her own for a day or two (not consecutive) over the holidays too if she wants.

My son is 8 and has been on his own maybe once or twice. The occasion hasn't really showed itself, but I would be happy leaving him up to 1/2 hour. I have left them go to the corner shop together and their dad has left them walking together a good 10 minutes having to cross a few roads. My son has done this with his step-sister who is 9 too, but again, they are mature and responsible. I am quite an anxious mum, so it really is because they have shown to me they can handle it that I have allowed it!!