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

sillygoose

never in a million years.

This_Year

WantToBeSE wrote: »

Hi,
i am just interested in opinions.

Would you leave your 13 year old and 9 year old home alone together from 8.30am-5.30pm for 6 weeks (during summer holidays)?

Or what about 8.30am-1pm?

Nope. I would potentially leave the 13 year old alone but definitely not with the 9 year old. And then only for the 8:30am-1pm with a trusted neighbour being aware that he was alone and whom he could go to if there was a problem.

securityguy

This_Year wrote: »

Nope. I would potentially leave the 13 year old alone but definitely not with the 9 year old. And then only for the 8:30am-1pm with a trusted neighbour being aware that he was alone and whom he could go to if their was a problem.

The neighbour would, I'd hope, decline the honour. It would mean that the neighbour is tied to the house 35 hours a week as well, because what would happen (and how would they feel) if they went out to the shops and then something happened in your house?

WestonDave

No.

Firstly they might get on fine in short bursts and whilst you are around, but 5+ hours per day, stuck in the house together for 6 weeks, is going to get to the point where something is going to wind them up.

Secondly as many have said - the 13 year old is one thing being left on their own - the 9 uear old no, and no the 13 year old shouldn't be being left as proxy childcarer.

However beyond all that, the prospect of both of them being presented with 6 weeks of nothing to fill it pretty sad - are you seriously suggesting you work every day of 6 weeks so they get no holiday, no trips out etc. I can understand parents struggling to cover all the holidays out of leave which is where play schemes, sports camps etc come in, but surely you can take some days off?

jetplane

No it is unfair on both children. 13 year old should not have responsibility for 9 year old for 9 hours a day 5 days a week never mind for 6 weeks. :eek: Doesn't matter how well behaved and mature they are.

6 weeks of not playing out? No days out, no friends around, no entertainment, no trips to the park, no fun. Lordy I would be fed up looking after a 9 year old for those hours if we had to stay in and eat sandwiches

I might leave a 13 year old in bed and come back at 1pm but only if he had just himself to see to and could contact me or neighbour.

FBaby

Here we go again about the rights and wrongs of living children home alone

Mine are 13 and 10. I will be leaving my 13 year old alone from 7:30 to 3:30pm. on some days. My son will be walking to the holiday club for 8:30 and be back by 1pm, so they will be alone together for 2 hours. I think it is a total of 6 days out of the whole holiday.

They've been home alone for a few hours a number of times and I have no concern at all that they will be safe and responsible.

Gigervamp

But, as you said, in your case it will be for a total of 6 days, not 6 weeks.

peachyprice

FBaby wrote: »

Here we go again about the rights and wrongs of living children home alone

Mine are 13 and 10. I will be leaving my 13 year old alone from 7:30 to 3:30pm. on some days. My son will be walking to the holiday club for 8:30 and be back by 1pm, so they will be alone together for 2 hours. I think it is a total of 6 days out of the whole holiday.

They've been home alone for a few hours a number of times and I have no concern at all that they will be safe and responsible.

It's hardly the same as OP is considering doing though and is what most people have said would be acceptable for their own children.

Would you eave your 13yo in charge of your 10yo for the entire 6 weeks?

milliemonster

Everybody here seems to be saying no which is fine as you have asked for opinions, but what no one seems to have considered is whether the op has a choice or not, at the end of the day if the op has no support network and has no choice but to leave their kids then there is no alternative.

Years gone by kids were left alone for hours on end at much younger ages, I'm to saying its right or wrong, but sometimes needs must and there are no alternatives.

I have a 14 year old girl whom I've left alone for a full day (12 hrs) while I've been at work and have no problem doing so, I wouldn't leave her to look after her 10 yr old brother for that length of time, but only because I don't need to, if I had no alternative then I'd just have to get on with it and wed muddle through.

There will always be cases of where children come to harm, but some people just don't have a support network to fall back on

peachyprice

milliemonster wrote: »

Everybody here seems to be saying no which is fine as you have asked for opinions, but what no one seems to have considered is whether the op has a choice or not, at the end of the day if the op has no support network and has no choice but to leave their kids then there is no alternative.

It's not like summer holidays have come to a surprise to OP though, she's been sorting out school holiday childcare for the last 9 years.