Leave 6 year old at home with 13 year old

I used to, when my kids were similar ages. It's fine if the 13yo is sensible and the younger one will listen to them. I don't think it makes any difference whether the 13yo is awake either. A mature 13yo is as competent as an adult, and just as capable of coming to their senses quickly in an emergency such as a house fire. When I was that age, I used to have a kip sometimes while babysitting late at night. The parents were fine with it.

Obviously they both need to know that you're out, so tell/remind them the night before.

Op i know it's not cheap but if you have a David Lloyd near you they do have kids clubs for your youngest. That would give you time to exercise when they are entertained.

Another thought is going for a run when he's in any other clubs he does, instead of going back to the house go for a walk or run.

Go on the weekends when they are both awake? I would leave them if the 13yo was sensible and the 6yo was good. I was left at 11 with my 9yo sister, we were very sensible and close with our neighbour who was in next door.

If that's your life five days a week or even 4 I salute you for trying to go to the gym at all, but wouldn't it be easier to fit in a quick run a few times a week, be out of the house for less time and maybe get them involved in a park run at the weekend?

You're not unreasonable to leave them at home, but adding an hour and a half onto a long work day sounds very long

My friend's DD is 13 and mature enough to look after her 5 year old DS, but I agree with others that I'd do it only when 13 year old is awake.

Could you join a gym near to work to go to on your lunch break maybe? I know it's not the same, but if childcare is difficult, there are some great home workouts (if you have the motivation) you could do in the morning before work, or after the kids go to sleep. This is my plan for the new year, as it's so difficult to find time where I'm childfree for the gym, but could fit it in after bedtime for 30 mins in the living room.

I think it's fine, as long as the 13 year old is okay with it?

I wouldn’t have left my younger one with his older brother at those ages mainly because the y both have ADHD and could be unpredictable but I used to babysit for neighbours kids at 13.

How far away will you be?

My Gym is a 7 minute walk and 5 min if I ran. In an emergency, I could be home within 5 minutes. I did leave my 4 year old with my 10 year old once for 2 hours once but I had told my DD (10) of it the night before and also put on my nanny cam (really cheap on Amazon). Put breakfast on table/juice in fridge etc.

I don’t think it would be an issue. It’s likely they won’t even be awake when you get home. Just make sure you are nearby and have the cam set up.

I would say if the following are true then go ahead:

Gym is close by
Set up nanny cam
Mature 13 year old (knows how to exit, call emergency etc)
Play well together

I could even talk to them with the nanny cam.
Chances are they won’t even be awake when you get home. I use to go gym at 6.30am and when I returned at 7.30 I had to wake kids/Hubby to get ready for school/work.

I think it's fine for half an hour, maybe 45 minutes, but an hour and a half is too long. If you aren't exercising regularly at the moment, it also seems an unnecessarily large amount of time to devote to exercise. Why don't you go for a 30 minute walk/ jog / run (depending on fitness) for cardio, and then do 15 mins of balance and strength training (yoga, arm weights etc.) once you're back?

I do this and it's fine, both sensible kids and my phone is on. They usually watch tv together but the oldest could make cereal if needed as in your case. In the 90s it was common for 13 yo to babysit 2 or 3 younger kids as paid babysitters and they didn't even gave mobile phones.

I just read it'd be at 5:30am so it's definitely sensible not to go. 5:30 is much too early and obviously the 13 year old needs sleep and leaving them alone sleeping is too dangerous. I hope you can figure out other ways like Youtube workouts

90min is ages. I wouldn’t. But I might do a 25min run in a loop round nearby streets. With my phone and leaving them a phone.

You can go downstairs and do a home workout video or your garden or garage to woekout.

No, have a jog or do a youtube on your lunch.

The 13yo would be fine, but not with the 6yo.
Sorry. I have similar aged kids and think they'd end up fighting or being horrible to each other. Your two might be different though.

I also think 90mins at that time in the morning is a long time, I assume your thinking 15min there, hour in gym, 15min back.

Too much responsibility for 13 year old at that time of the morning. Fine to leave them, if 13 year old is sensible ad trustworthy, for a quick half hour appointment if you had something you needed to do at a reasonable time of day.
I would be too worried to enjoy the gym!

No, a 13 year old shouldn't have that responsibility forced upon them. If anything went wrong, it could be devastating for him.

Just put Joe wicks etc on you tube and work out at home. Lots of second hand equipment on Facebook etc like treadmills and cross trainers etc.

Is it essential you go to the gym? Surely you can do some things at home in the morning. Leaving 2 sleeping children is not a good idea.

My concern with a sleeping 13yo is that they can often be heavy sleepers if there is an issue.

If they are both sensible children for their ages and the 13yo is happy about it, it's fine in waking hours.

I have an 11 & 13yo and they've been fine to leave together for a couple of hours at a time over the past year (it's built up gradually). The 11yo is actually the more practical child. I don't leave them in the morning until one of them is awake though.

its perfectly safe and normal.

Another post showing how fucked up British parenting is.

How far off 14 is DD?

13 year old, fine. 6 year old with him, absolutely not fair on him. I am the slackest of parents and no way would I leave a just teenager in charge of a much younger sibling like that.