WWYD Re yr 7 DS & Childcare ?

nottslass_2

Hiya,

DS is 11 and startng "big school" next week.

I work 3 days a week :

Wed: Leave home at 10.30 am &home at 5.30

Thurs: leave home at 7.30 am -home 5.30

fri :leave home at 7.30 but home for 3.30

I gave notice to my childminder and have just booked him in for Thursdays during school hols.

I'm now having a bit of a wobble and wondering if he's too young ?

What age do you think that its safe / sensible to leave kids alone from ?

DS seems quite happy with the forthcoming arrangement,is capable of making a snack and will be happy glued to his x box until we get home.

We have good neighbors,who would be quite happy to assist in an emergency and DP can be there n 15 mins should the need arise etc.

dibuzz

It's natural to worry but they seem to suddenly grow up when they go to high school.
Only you can say whether he is mature and sensible enough to be trusted but I don't think it's too young, especially if the neighbours are willing to help if he needs it.

Spendless

Here the only term-time childcare you can find for a yr 7+ child is a childminder you are already using to continue. The handful of kids I've known go to one at this age haven't liked it. Maybe cos the huge majority of their friends don't go to childcare anynore? How is your son about the idea? Has he been left before eg for you to go to the shops etc.

nottslass_2

Spendless wrote: »

Here the only term-time childcare you can find for a yr 7+ child is a childminder you are already using to continue. The handful of kids I've known go to one at this age haven't liked it. Maybe cos the huge majority of their friends don't go to childcare anynore? How is your son about the idea? Has he been left before eg for you to go to the shops etc.

He love's his CM and gets on well with her kids ( been there 8 yrs)

He's quite happy to be left for a couple of hours whilst I'm shopping.

I suppose the only thing i can do is see how it goes and revert back to the CM for a bit longer if need be.

He is quite sensible and knows we are only a phone call away - I suppose I also worry about what others may think and imagine some "do gooder" ringing social services and reporting me for leaving him to fend for himself :eek:

Mojisola

nottslass wrote: »

He's quite happy to be left for a couple of hours whilst I'm shopping.

I always tried to do practice runs. You've left him at home and done some shopping. Has he ever arrived home to an empty house? That can feel quite different.

Depending on the type of door you have - will he remember to take the keys out of the lock/does he have to lock it from the inside/if the keys are left in the lock, does it stop you unlocking it from outside?

Does he know not to tell friends that he's going to be home alone?

Have you talked through the "what if" scenarios? Someone comes to the door? Do you want him to answer the phone if it rings? Can he see who is calling? If you are going to be delayed, how will you contact him?

Will the neighbour always be in? What's his second option if something happens and she's out?

nottslass_2

Mojisola wrote: »

I always tried to do practice runs. You've left him at home and done some shopping. Has he ever arrived home to an empty house? That can feel quite different.

Depending on the type of door you have - will he remember to take the keys out of the lock/does he have to lock it from the inside/if the keys are left in the lock, does it stop you unlocking it from outside?

Does he know not to tell friends that he's going to be home alone?

Have you talked through the "what if" scenarios? Someone comes to the door? Do you want him to answer the phone if it rings? Can he see who is calling? If you are going to be delayed, how will you contact him?

Will the neighbour always be in? What's his second option if something happens and she's out?

Good point re" what if" scenarios - Will go through some with him.

He knows not to tell friends etc that he's home alone etc

He knows how to contact us at work and on mobile.

He has previously let himself in after a "after school club"

neighbor is a full time carer for her DP so is always at home,but we do have a back up friend down the road.

I've also thought of setting his alarm for 5 mins before he needs to leave the house in the morning so that he knows its time to get coat on ,bag etc and LEAVE NOW ! ( we will of course make sure he's up and dressed before we leave at 7.30

skylight

An alarm clock by the front door for 5mins seems a good idea!

My DD starts yr7 too next week and will be walking to and from from school. She will also have to let herself in whilst I am at a different primary school collecting the other kids. As will several other families in this street! She wont be on her own as long as your DS though.

But its making sure they know what to do with those what ifs, who to phone and what to do.
Our rules are simple:
No friends (except her one BFF occasionally) and no telling anyone she is home alone.
No answering the door.
Only answer the phone if a families name comes up on it. Ring my mobile from house phone then hang up (so I know she is there and it doesn't cost anything!)
Lock the door behind her.
No cooking.
Use the quiet time to get her homework done, then she can have first dibs on the TV.

Mind you, I think I am more nervous about it all than she is!

Mojisola

skylight wrote: »

Ring my mobile from house phone then hang up (so I know she is there and it doesn't cost anything!)

That's a good one.

Do you have a plan for dealing with someone approaching her on the way home saying that you've been taken ill and they've been sent to take her to the hospital or a similar setup?

It's important not to scare a child with all the possibilities (which are all unlikely to happen) while giving them the skills to cope if something out of the ordinary does happen.

Spendless

What time does he need to be up to get to school on time? Will he be awake before you leave the house?

Though my eldest has been perfectly capable of being home alone in the afternoon for ages and we've been working on youngest being together with brother since beginning of this year (She goes to Secondary Sept next year), I wouldn't feel confident if son had to leave house after us in the morning. Absolutely nothing to do with 'shouldn't' but because wild horses are needed to get him out of bed in a morning and he'd sleep in- despite alarm clocks. I've witnessed him sleeping through one going off next to his ear!

You know your own son, what his waking habits are etc. I'd make sure you have an evening routine where he packs his bag etc for the following day for ease.

mcja

My plan, when ds is old enough is to get one of these

http://www.screwfix.com/p/master-lock-5-key-combination-key-safe/77908?kpid=77908&cm_mmc=Google-_-Product%20Listing%20Ads-_-Sales%20Tracking-_-sales%20tracking%20url&gclid=COipuO3uqrkCFaPHtAodN3AAzg

Or similar. Means they don't have to carry a key with them all day, and is one less thing to lose when pulling books etc out of bags. No advice, but I am sure he will be fine if neighbours are there if he needs help.

x

dibuzz

I wasn't sure about giving me eldest a key when he went to high school as he was very forgetful and liable to lose it so I tied it to a piece of string which I then pinned into his inside blazer pocket.
The only time it was removed was when I washed his blazer so I was never worried he might forget or lose it.