Secondary School Child - Home Alone

gratefulforhelp_2

If it makes you feel more comfortable, a good secondary school will have after school activities three or four days a week, and a library open after school.

Why not ask his new tutor?

LandyAndy

When we moved here our sons were starting in years 5 and 7. The junior and secondary schools are next to each other and about 10 minutes walk from home. DS1 would collect DS2 and they walked home together. They got home about 3.15 and would be alone for about 2 hours on 2 or 3 days a week (I work part time). We never had any concern and there was never any problem.

They are now in years 11 and 13 so now they don't walk home together.;) :rotfl::rotfl:

Threebabes

My DD started the comp beg. of September. She walks home from school with a friend and is home maybe 10 minutes before her sister and I. DS goes to the same school but is always in after her. Shes fine. Im sure your DS will also be fine. By the time he gets in and gets sorted the hour will fly over.

Newly_retired

I am sure your DS will be fine. Two days a week is a good start.
Just imagine if he got to around 15 and had never had the opportunity to develop ressponsibility for himself, then suddenly you have to let go of the apron strings and he might break all the acceptable boundaries.

looby75

My ds starts high school next September, he will be travelling to and from school on the school bus and I won't have any problems leaving him alone for an hour or so at that age. I'm already getting him used to being on his own by leaving him for short times at home now, say if I pop down to the local shop and his sister isn't home. He's not keen on being on his own but needs must, there isn't any childcare for high school age children that I know of, so the suggestion that you shouldn't ever leave a child under 13 on their own just isn't practical IMO.

FBaby

my DD also started secondary school in September. Prior to this, she used to be in breakfast/afterschool clubs and had only been out on her own a couple of times and only to the corner shop! She'd been at home on her own a few times, more never more than a couple of hours. She is on her own from 7:15 as we all leave early (DS goes to breakfast club at that time), so gets up on her own, makes breakfast, gets ready and goes at 8:15. She comes back at 3:20 three out of 5 days, and is on her own for 2 to 3 hours. She is doing brilliantly. She texts me when she leaves home and when she is back. She hasn't failed once, hasn't lost her mobile or her keys...yet!

I was a bit nervous the first week, but she was absolutely fine. It all comes down to maturity and parents are the best to know what their kids are capable of or not, nothing to do with age per se.

jjblondie

You should see the contrast across Europe. Here the primary school children walk to school alone aged 6, and I'm sure not all of their parents can be in when they leave and return. Unless your son is usually very frightened or untrustworthy, he should be fine at 11. I was a latchkey kid at the end of primary school, and going to the next town to the library alone aged 8.

FBaby

jjblondie wrote: »

You should see the contrast across Europe. Here the primary school children walk to school alone aged 6, and I'm sure not all of their parents can be in when they leave and return. Unless your son is usually very frightened or untrustworthy, he should be fine at 11. I was a latchkey kid at the end of primary school, and going to the next town to the library alone aged 8.

I agree, I come from the other side of the channel, and kids are independent at a much earlier age, staying home alone at 7 or 8, alone in the evenings at 10 and that's totally normal. My mum wanted me to put my kids in the train on their own for a three hour journey over the summer (11 and 8) and when I said I wasn't sure about it, she looked at me as if I was mad!

sooty&sweep

Hi

Thankyou everyone for making me feel alot better. I think he's looking forward to being allowed to have some time at home alone without his younger sister pestering him.
To be honest I don't know what the authorities expect. They want me to work but at the same time they have secondary schools finishing at 2.50pm.
I sometimes think they're just trying to put parents on a constant guilt trip with their views of a perfect parent which very few can live up to in todays society.

Thanks

Jen

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Anyone who thinks it's a bad idea needs to bear in mind that a parent would be regarded as being unavailable for work if they said they had to pick up their 11 year old from school.

So, as it is obviously acceptable for them to be left for hours home alone in the view of the jobcentre, it must be OK.


My DD is 12 and she is left for approximately 4 hours maximum. When at her father's, he will leave her with his dog for 7 - 8 hours, but that's just a bit too long for me. She keeps on insisting that she'll be fine and I should go out more, but I can't quite bring myself to do it yet.

But luckily, where I've got some gigs coming up that are going to take up the majority of a day, he has offered to have her/his girlfriend will take her out.



My main concern is her left home alone with my credit card and my laptop