Opinions please

gunsandbanjos

At what age did you start leaving your children in the house alone?

I'm not talking for any real length of time, I mean nipping to the shop about 50 yards away for a few groceries.

eveie189

I think it definately depends on the child but personally, I leave my 10 year old daughter if I want to go post a letter at the end of the street or go to the shop as long as I know it won't take long. I do however tell her how long I will be and make sure she has got her mobile with her in case she needs help. I think the fact that my parents live straight across from us and DD is very level headed does make a difference though.

HTH

Eveie

cleggie

My kids are 12 and 8 and have been left for 20mins here and there while i pop to the end of the road to go to tescos, for about a year.

MessyMare

I think since I was about 10, I was left alone, and probably about age 12 I was able to stay home alone all day. But as others have said, it depends on the child.

Notsosharp

Hi,

I leave my DD who's ten for about half an hour/hour tops if I need to take the dogs out and she either doesn't want to come or she's ill.

My DD is fairly level headed, I can leave her on the computer and she is often on there still when I get back.

She has a key and she knows my mobile to call me if anything goes wrong. Plus her grandparents live a two minute walk up the road, in fact she will sometimes go and visit them on her own but she always tells me where she is going.

To be honest I think kids do need to learn a bit more independence, eg: when they go up to high school they need to organise themselves and I'm fairly sure my DD won't want me dropping her off at the school gates when she is at high school! Plus there is no childcare where I am once they reach 11 so she'll need to learn to be left on her own soon.

HTH

balletshoes

gunsandbanjos wrote: »

At what age did you start leaving your children in the house alone?

I'm not talking for any real length of time, I mean nipping to the shop about 50 yards away for a few groceries.

this subject comes up regularly here . I think its got to be a judgement call from the parents, they are the only ones who know how sensible and responsible their child is. You base your decision on that. And if the child isn't happy about it, then I wouldn't do it.

gunsandbanjos

balletshoes wrote: »

this subject comes up regularly here . I think its got to be a judgement call from the parents, they are the only ones who know how sensible and responsible their child is. You base your decision on that. And if the child isn't happy about it, then I wouldn't do it.

My daughter is 8 and a half and very sensible, i left her for 10 minutes to nip to the corner shop. I asked her to make sure she was fine with it and she was quite happy.

Just wanted to check i wasn't a terrible neglectful mum!

balletshoes

gunsandbanjos wrote: »

My daughter is 8 and a half and very sensible, i left her for 10 minutes to nip to the corner shop. I asked her to make sure she was fine with it and she was quite happy.

Just wanted to check i wasn't a terrible neglectful mum!

sounds fine to me .

lilymay1

I walked home from school with a friend (about 1.5 miles) to an empty house from Year 5. What's that, aged 9 and 10? I was alone from about 3:30pm - 5:30pm until my dad got home.

When I started high school (aged 11), I used to do the same but was responsible for cooking the family meal (simple things like spag bol or a lasagne) and feeding the dogs. This wasn't forced on me; I enjoyed doing it and it made life easier for all of us. It used to happen maybe 3 times a week.

I think the above is quite exceptional though and I didn't always enjoy it. Had there been an alternative, I think my parents would have looked at it but I was quite a responsible child and only started setting tea-towels on fire when I bought my own house!

VJsmum

I think mine were about 11 when I would leave them for 10 or 20 minutes to pick the other one up.

DD was probably about 12 when I would leave her to go to the supermarket for an hour or so - DS possibly a bit younger, but I was more used to it then

DD came home from school alone from 13, on two days a week. DS has been a little younger but it is very rare for him as DD has nearly always been there. I always ring at 3.30 to ensure they are in. School is half a mile away with plenty of people to observe them on their way home. DD at nearly 16 got herself from a theatre in London to Euston where I met her. She is about to start 6th form in a different town so will have to travel alone and DS will have to let himself in from school 2 days per week.

It is about letting the rope out slowly, I think. Tho DD went into Birmingham today with 2 friends and said she felt like their mum, organising the train tickets, looking after said tickets, directing her friends around Brum and knowing about the train timetable.

ETA - my in-laws left their 4 year old alone for 15 minutes on several occasions. I don't believe that was safe.

VitaK

Kids may be responsible enough on the surface. But more often than not, they panic and make bad desisions in an emergency.