leaving children on their own?

conradmum

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

I was just thinking about the 1920s book Swallows and Amazons - 4 children, aged 7 (the youngest) to about 13 (the oldest) sailing on the lake, camping on their own on an island, cooking over a camp fire.

Their father gave his permission in a telegram quoted at the start of the book:

"Better drowned than duffers. If not duffers, won't drown"

It just goes to show how attitudes have changed.

plumpmouse

poet123 wrote: »

I don't think that it follows at all that those who wouldn't leave a child alone at nine will be over protective of a teen, anymore than I would say the opposite; that those who would leave a child alone from choice will be disinterested in their teens and let them run riot or do as they please.

:rotfl:

You lost me completely here Poet. I'm all for you having a different opinion to mine and expressing it as you have but how dare you judge me and label me as someone who would be "disinterested" in my teen
simply because I made the choice to leave him alone for half an hour every so often when he was 9!

And then you criticise others for challenging you for leaving a 15 year old alone while you go on holiday and for them judging that your elder sons may not look after as well as you should. We don't know your son or his siblings so I don't feel like it is my place to judge you or criticise your parenting decisions but please have the same respect to realise that you do not know my 9 year or me and have no right to make statements as above!!!

FBaby

plumpmouse wrote: »

You lost me completely here Poet. I'm all for you having a different opinion to mine and expressing it as you have but how dare you judge me and label me as someone who would be "disinterested" in my teen
simply because I made the choice to leave him alone for half an hour every so often when he was 9!

And then you criticise others for challenging you for leaving a 15 year old alone while you go on holiday and for them judging that your elder sons may not look after as well as you should. We don't know your son or his siblings so I don't feel like it is my place to judge you or criticise your parenting decisions but please have the same respect to realise that you do not know my 9 year or me and have no right to make statements as above!!!

it really does go both ways.

kaya

nzmegs wrote: »

Sorry, 9 & 10 is far too young to be left alone in the house. My son is nearly 14 and I still only leave him for an hour or two at the most and never in charge of our younger daughter who is 11.

I think you need to rethink your priorities. your kids should come before work - sorry.

opinions are like as***les , everybody has one, just because your kids arent mature enough to be left doesnt mean other peoples arent

jellyhead

poet123 wrote: »

There is a world of difference, but it is still pertinent, or at least as pertinent as Mumps suggesting that my 15 year old was as much at risk by being left home alone (with adults on call during the day and with him overnight) as a nine year old left home alone was.

It's a different argument though, and it gets threads closed down. I like threads about leaving older kids alone, or when should they walk to school alone, etc. because they give me ideas that I hadn't thought of. So I'd like this one to stay

zagfles

plumpmouse wrote: »

You lost me completely here Poet. I'm all for you having a different opinion to mine and expressing it as you have but how dare you judge me and label me as someone who would be "disinterested" in my teen
simply because I made the choice to leave him alone for half an hour every so often when he was 9!

And then you criticise others for challenging you for leaving a 15 year old alone while you go on holiday and for them judging that your elder sons may not look after as well as you should. We don't know your son or his siblings so I don't feel like it is my place to judge you or criticise your parenting decisions but please have the same respect to realise that you do not know my 9 year or me and have no right to make statements as above!!!

Ah but the poet-bot sees all and knows all. It even knows the emotion you are experiencing as you type. It has sat in judgement, and you have been found wanting. As has happened to me, and so many others victims on this thread.

Be very scared - what with the shortage of social workers and govt cuts - the poet-bot could be being trialled here before being rolled out to replace real social workers. :eek:

But the good news is any govt IT project is always a disaster and several years late, so your kids will have grown up by then

poet123

plumpmouse wrote: »

You lost me completely here Poet. I'm all for you having a different opinion to mine and expressing it as you have but how dare you judge me and label me as someone who would be "disinterested" in my teen
simply because I made the choice to leave him alone for half an hour every so often when he was 9!

And then you criticise others for challenging you for leaving a 15 year old alone while you go on holiday and for them judging that your elder sons may not look after as well as you should. We don't know your son or his siblings so I don't feel like it is my place to judge you or criticise your parenting decisions but please have the same respect to realise that you do not know my 9 year or me and have no right to make statements as above!!!

Re read my comment again, I said exactly the opposite. I said I wouldn't relate one anymore than I would relate the other. Really I am quite happy to be called to account for what I have said, but not when I haven't said it.

Here it is again:

I don't think that it follows at all that those who wouldn't leave a child alone at nine will be over protective of a teen, anymore than I would say the opposite;

poet123

zagfles wrote: »

Ah but the poet-bot sees all and knows all. It even knows the emotion you are experiencing as you type. It has sat in judgement, and you have been found wanting. As has happened to me, and so many others victims on this thread.

Be very scared - what with the shortage of social workers and govt cuts - the poet-bot could be being trialled here before being rolled out to replace real social workers. :eek:

But the good news is any govt IT project is always a disaster and several years late, so your kids will have grown up by then

Did you find those stats yet?

Bot out!! (loving this);)

mumps

zagfles wrote: »

The poet-bot slated me earlier for using an example of a pregnant 14 year old! Very clever these bots, even a hypocrisy algorithm built in.

But you don't need to leave the thread, the Ignore list is a wonderful function (though somewhat defeated if posts are quoted- gentle hint)

Thanks, I have never put anyone on ignore but a good tip. By the way I had a look back at the post you mentioned, I see she thinks she isn't old enough to be a grandmother and she has a 28 year old son! I hope her subject isn't human biology or I fear for her students results.

poet123

mumps wrote: »

Thanks, I have never put anyone on ignore but a good tip. By the way I had a look back at the post you mentioned, I see she thinks she isn't old enough to be a grandmother and she has a 28 year old son! I hope her subject isn't human biology or I fear for her students results.

Very childish, but feel free to use the ignore button if you can't sustain adult debate.