Home alone

gingin_2

Spendless wrote: »

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:

We've put everything of ds' on a cord. Phone, keys, locker key and lunch card and that cord is attatched to a zipper on his bag. It cannot fall off. Anything he uses has to be pulled out with the cord attatched to his bag. They carry their bags everywhere, it's like my modern version of sewing mittens with elastic into coat sleeves!

angelil

I was babysitting from age 14 so would have been left home alone from before that, although I can't remember specific incidents with the detail of most of you! My sister was allowed from 9 to be home alone due to school pickup issues: Mum had to come and get me from the other side of town whereas her primary was only round the corner. She had a key and was always fine (and this was in the late 90s).

pigpen

What age did you/ are you planning to leave your child alone in the house? That depends on the individual!

While you pop down the shop? From about 12.. though I have left the older ones when I have nipped to post office at the end of the street and DD1 and DS1 have had them all on a couple of rare occasions.. but they are 17 and 19
Gone a few hours? between 12 and 15 depending on the child
In the evening? never without an adult or they wouldnt go to bed!
All night? once.. and they were left with DS1 (19) his gf (19) and DD1 (17) and I rang constantly to make sure they were in bed/fed/injected/toiletted etc

none has ever been left with the baby and they older ones are 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 and 19.

My 15 y/o has learning difficulties so leaving him alone was very late.. especially after he forgot to turn off the grill and set my kitchen on fire!

DS3 and DD3 cannot be anywhere near one another without full on war breaking out so I tend to take the 3 younger ones with me wherever I go.. that way the older ones have responsibility for themselves not the younger ones.. they arent theirs to look after IMO.

I did a school run once and left D2 (14) at home and left the baby in bed fast asleep..

I was left from about 9.. but I was far more sensible than mine are!