to think you don't leave your kids in a shop unattended?

No, he was not

5/6 far too young
7/8 crossover depends on the maturity of the kid
9/10 perfectly reasonable and these kids will be expected to commute independently to school once they are 11.

Someone up thread mentioned about shop displays being a risk....shop displays shouldn't be a risk, if a child can pull them over, then they are not safe, and I imagine a parent could easily sue, mind you the shop owner could probably make a counter claim...so everyone sues everyone, it's a winner for the solicitors!

And they had money - children do have money to spend, or they decide what they want Granny to get for their birthday or what they will get as a treat for tidying their room next week or whatever. Someimes my children have more disposable money to browse toys than I have at the end of the month when browsing clothes.

Seven upwards I'd say it's ok, six in most cases is too young.

I do think that the lack of independence in childhood has ramifications that extend into adulthood and see advantages to leaving kids in public where they have a task to do. I wouldn't just leave them for the sake of it, but nothing wrong with saying "look at the toys and choose something" for five minutes, to build independence.

I'm pretty sure I must have left mine alone at some point if I needed the loo as I have boys

I doubt your dd is that good with ages , one of mine is 13 and already 6"2 at 8 he looked much older than he was where as some of his friends looked much younger than 8

Mine are a bit older now but I left them in lego or Entertainer for 10 min while I rested outside. From about 8 onwards.

What do you think would happen to an eight year old in a build a bear shop? Who do you think their customers are? I sincerely doubt their parents are choosing bear outfits.

As for knowing how old children are, don’t be ridiculous.

But it's interesting you'd feel a library is safer than a non de script shop.

Where do you think someone who intends harm to a child is more likely to be? Yep - in the places that parents are more likely to deem safest to leave their child unattended.

Truth is we have to make decisions at times and sometimes it means not making negative assumptions about something just because or deciding one place is safer than another based on no evidence.

And for those mentioning JB you should be ashamed. He was abducted from his mother's side at 2yo. It should be used as an example of how anything can happen anytime and to decide if you live your life in fear or make reasonable RA knowing nothing is 100% safe.

What age do you think would be acceptable to leave a child in a shop at OP? For a 5 minute "popping to the loo" trip, all the way up to a "spending 20 minutes browsing in a clothes store they aren't interested in" period?

No he wasn't, he was stood next to his mum while she was in a queue

Don't you browse shops as an adult.

Sometimes I just look and if I see something I like I may buy it. Sometimes I'll want it and need to save and go back.

No wonder the high streets are dying if browsing can only be done online and is not encouraged physically.

Interestingly I noticed signs saying children must not be left unattended in two of the larger shops I visited on a local retail park this morning - well known craft and pet supplies stores. Suggests it maybe happening regularly.

If the unattended child is causing an issue then call the shopping centre security. But based on what I've witnessed in shopping centres this holiday it isn't necessarily the unaccompanied kids causing mayhem!

This 100%. The children who are being left alone are the ones the parents have established are sensible enough. Of course, that might not be 100% true, but then, the parent who has a fake sense of their child's abilities is probably also NOT the parent stopping the child from behaving badly even when they are there.

If a child has money to spend fine they are a customer if not then why on earth are there if not as a baby sitting service?

That wasn't the point I was making regarding 3 years old @jannier

I was simply saying that many 3 year olds, and only their own parents would know this, would stay exactly where you left them if they were told to.

I was making no comment on whether that was a sensible thing to do in this situation.

I've been in education over 2 decades. I'm less able to do it now than when I started as kids vary much more.

So that argument doesn't hold any water.

How do you know they are unaccompanied.

My ds sat on a chair silently whilst I browsed once about 2m from me. He was fiddling with a new toy car! The shop assistant came up and asked if he was ok. He said he was waiting for mummy. She had the indignant look and asked where mummy had gone.

He said "there"

There’s a big difference between asking your 8 year old to wait in the shop (and browse) while you pop into the loo and sending your 5 year old off alone to shop while you bugger off to TKMaxx for 20 minutes.

He was 2. Not really remotely in the age bracket OP is writing about. She is also more concerned about shop staff than the children, by the sounds of it.

Shops are for browsing in. The whole intention of a shop is to hang around in it looking 😂

Personally i don't see the issue.

5yo in one shop and parent in shop next door. Lots of 5yo are mature enough to do this - some absolutely not 😂

They probably have phones nowadays!

If the unattended child is causing an issue then call the shopping centre security. But based on what I've witnessed in shopping centres this holiday it isn't necessarily the unaccompanied kids causing mayhem!

I betting the same posters would be saying how childcare isn't safe because you just can't trust people but no car seat or leave them in the car perfectly fine.

James Bulger was 2, not 8. I'm not sure it's good taste to bring that up, but that's just me.

A year 3 or 4 child (7 or 8) is capable of staying out in a shop for a few minutes and calling for help if necessary.

Are you serious? Jamie Bulger was on CCTV it didn't save him from awful torture and death at the hands of those children.