Strange AirBnB situation...

Could she not have been just putting the bins out? Having a coffee/fag in the garden? Chatting to a neighbour? My kid would ask where i'd been if i wasn't literally in bed/the kitchen when they woke up. I bet she broke her normal routine of being in the living room, because you were there.

Maybe she was putting the bins out
kids freaking probably told to be silent etc

The children killed in a fire were all under 5, not secondary aged.

I’m surprised people would think that was ok but again ,it’s all speculatIon about what the situation was and there’s no evidence that the air bnb owner went anywhere at all or that there was no other adult present in the house…we have stayed in numerous places where only 1 of the home owners is involved with guests..hence why I think it’s on over reaction to want to call S.S. on the evidence presented!

Mine would do exactly the same 😂😂 if I popped into the back garden even, “where were you? I was all alone and worried?” I usually always say where I’m going but sometimes you’re just going to pop a bag in the bin while they are watching tv!

people who are saying oh she only popped to the shop....do you think that would be ok?

A lot of vivid imaginations on here.

a) there might have been another adult in the house - you have no idea about that
b) she might have popped out to get something from the car / shed / post a letter / speak to a neighbour / get something from the corner shop.

You have no evidence whatsoever that she was out all night. What a very odd leap to make.

I also think it odd, when staying in the living room in someone's house (as per the original concept of Air B'n'B) that you didn't go and say goodbye / you were leaving now.

It’s also extremely weird to leave a hosted air bnb without saying goodbye…it is someone’s home you know. The original concept of air bnb was personal contact and hosted rooms in someone’s home so there’s a lot of give and take needed…though I personally wouldn’t want my kids to feel uncomfortable in their own home but again I’m reading too much into a very unclear situation.

@Takeittoheart i highly suspect you were over reacting and it’s a case of 2 plus 2 makes 5, as it’s highly unlikely the mum left her kids alone overnight…you do have an option to communicate with the host, how about you message her about what happened to clarify? We also have kids who would say where were you when I’ve been in the garden hanging out washing!!!

I think it’s strange you didn’t knock on the kitchen door and/or call out a goodbye given the host (the mum) was just in the next room!

You don’t have an evidence she was gone all night, and loads of people with children (especially in London) Airbnb their rooms. I stay over by my office fairly often and tend to actually look for families because I know they are less likely to be cokeheads who keep me up all night. 😂 But it’s not at all unusual.

I mean do I personally think it’s a bit dodgy? Yes. Would I do it myself? No. But I don’t think it presents a reportable safeguarding concern.

She could have gone out for 15 minutes to fetch food or a run, there was a teenager in the house after all. I don't think "where were you?" equates to all night.

If you don't think urge description met what you were offered then take it up with Airbnb. Do remember that an airbed in the living room was how it started though!

Why is this odd? her child was talking right outside the room of paying guests. Of course she is going to shush her. She doesn't want to disturb you and she doesn't want to look unprofessional. I shush my children when I get a work call. I assure you it's not because I am hiding anything.

I find it very unlikely that the mum actually left her children alone with you and tbh I think you are making a bit of a leap. She could just as easily have overslept and been in her bed, or maybe she was just having a poo. My six year old frequently says she "can't find me" when I've only gone to the loo.
As for her coming in your room I find it highly likely the room isn't always rented out and she just did it for some extra cash and the kid forgot or didn't listen.

You didn't, but when I asked what info you'd used to conclude that, you just insulted me and said 'from the OP'. The OP said she thought the kids were left alone and scared overnight, so I had no way of knowing you thought something different from the OP from your reply, but I apologise.

The fact is no-one actually knows what has happened or who was in the house so we can all only guess really.

My husband is often in the house when my 8 year old finds me and tells me she didn't know where I was and thought I was dead. This is often after I've told her I'm popping the corner shop or going out to water the plants.

I suspect the AirBnB listing was for a room in a family home and OP completely failed to read between the lines. Mum popped out for a few mins, maybe even telling the older one where she was. Younger one panics.

Not enough evidence to report anything.

Where did I say left alone all night?

The daughter was distressed. The mother had been away long enough for the daughter to become distressed.

I don't think it's safe or appropriate for children to be left in their home with complete strangers for any length of time. Even just to "pop to the shops for milk". There were children killed in a house fire just before Christmas a couple of years ago while their mother left them unattended to "pop to the shops".

The only grey area which on a second read popped up in the OP is whether or not the children had a father and whether he was in the house. The daughter's panic suggests not.

It's you that's misread my post.

Report it to children's services. I don't think AirBnB should be involved, I'm not confident they would do anything.

Fifteen minutes away can be long enough to do harm.

more than likely she popped out to the shop early in the morning or something like that!

No? Just checking you didn't misread.

So because the OP heard a child saying "we didn't know where you were" you concluded the children were left alone all night and that everyone suggesting, based on their experiences of hearing their own children saying this, that the mother could have been in the driveway or indeed anywhere except out all night, is "making excuses" for neglect that definitively took place.

She probably just popped round to a neighbours or to the bins or something. The shushing was probably because you were asleep in the next room. My DS1 was an anxious type and would think I'd gone missing if I was hanging the washing out!

From reading the OP - are you being deliberately obtuse?

How have you reached the conclusion that the mother left her kids alone with strangers?

Shocked at how many posters are making excuses for a mother leaving her kids alone with complete strangers from the internet. There is no excuse for that level of stupidity or neglect.

I'm a teacher.

I'd report it to social services. Better safe and sorry and hopefully it will make her think again.