Opinion on leaving 13 yr old and 9 yr old home alone while working 9-5?

poet123

thorsoak wrote: »

Why all this concern about children being bored for 6 weeks? Being bored is the stepping stone to a child using his/her own imagination and learning! As long as they are not left in a sterile environment, surely an intelligent child - and I am using this description deliberately, no-one would leave a child with learning difficulties on their own - will be able to widen his/her experiences - reading, painting, sewing, making things etc etc etc - which is what we did as children in the 1950s. In the 1970s/80s this is what my children did too - they also had tv (4 channels!) and started to try and build their own computers etc and the start of dungeons & dragons role playing books..

Is the increasing use of electronic equipment/tv really lessening childrens' imaginations and initiatives? If so, is this really progress?

To be fair, leaving four children alone is quite different to leaving one child alone.

Mine wouldn't be bored either, but it is still not the best thing for them unless (as you have shown) there is absolutely no alternative and you are asking them to step up to the plate.

Cherryscone

No
The 13 yr old maybe for an hr or 2 but the 13 yr old looking after the 9 yr old Defiantly not you would not be content at your work anyhow you would be worrying all the time.

FBaby

poet123 wrote: »

. Expediency might allow you to lean that way but it is not reality.

Thankfully for some, the airline companies don't agree with you and think it is perfectly safe for some children of that age to travel alone. Once again, why allow it if the risk any kind of legal challenge AND get less income for it?

poet123

FBaby wrote: »

Thankfully for some, the airline companies don't agree with you and think it is perfectly safe for some children of that age to travel alone. Once again, why allow it if the risk any kind of legal challenge AND get less income for it?

I am not following your train of thought here. Who mentioned legal challenges? Presumably you sign a disclaimer.

I am surprised that you believe that your child is as safe without you as she is with you, ( in the scenario described by you above) but that is up to you. I don't believe that and I suspect few other parents would either.

As you say, thankfully for some, it is a personal decision. What I don't agree with is dressing it up as anything more than expediency, or pretending that it is being done as a lesson in confidence building or that others who disagree are holding their kids back or not fostering independence.

You (the general you) have to get your child from A to B to see an absent parent and you have other children and a job. So, you either make the decision that they travel alone (which, of course, you rationalise) or you disturb your routine or the absent parent does. If you choose the former it is expediency.

barbarawright

thorsoak wrote: »

Why all this concern about children being bored for 6 weeks? Being bored is the stepping stone to a child using his/her own imagination and learning! As long as they are not left in a sterile environment, surely an intelligent child - and I am using this description deliberately, no-one would leave a child with learning difficulties on their own - will be able to widen his/her experiences - reading, painting, sewing, making things etc etc etc - which is what we did as children in the 1950s. In the 1970s/80s this is what my children did too - they also had tv (4 channels!) and started to try and build their own computers etc and the start of dungeons & dragons role playing books..

Is the increasing use of electronic equipment/tv really lessening childrens' imaginations and initiatives? If so, is this really progress?

I was left on my own a lot from the age of 9 or so and I *never* remember being bored even with only 3 channels on tv and kids programmes only for a couple of hours a day. I did rummage through my mum's drawers a lot though :rotfl:

elly68

i have no childcare issues but my 12 yr old girl going into 2nd year is quiet and enjoys reading ,hates her nannas as she gets told off all the time as the eldest grandchild she should seemingly make the rest behave even though she is the best behaved ,hates my sisters as her 10 year old cousin slaps on make up and runs the streets till 10.30 but thats ok cause her mum is in the neighbours drinking tea and suffers my mum because she leaves her alone. she would much prefer to stay home alone every day which i dont allow on my long days in work but do on my short days as a compromise ,i work less than 5 mins away i am totally paranoid about it but she is happy ,my 10 year old son currently has no options but is sometimes tearing round the streets at my sisters but turns in around 8 as he doesnt like being out late im sometimes not sure who is safest actually i do know something though my 2 kids are totally different. and like other posters you have to treat each child individually but give them responsibility as you see fit .
ps i was the youngest of 9 walked 3 miles home from school each day on my own from the age of 10 the rest were in high school i was always wandering off playing somewhere ,i babysat from the age of 10 every fri and sat no payment and did the full summer holidays from the age of 13 for a 2 and 4 yearold whilst my sister worked and her hubby slept ,didnt know any better do tend to mollycoddle my 2 a bit so allowing dd space as she puts it has been difficult .well done op on making the decision always think its harder when its boys or is that just my boy lol