To leave kids in bed whilst I run

OK I will ask one more time - why is a sleeping 14 year old more risky than a sleeping 40 year old? Assuming you trust the 14 to be in charge generally.

They are both unconscious and the 8 year old equally knows where they are and how to wake them.

They're not toddlers, and it's the morning not the middle of the night. If your teens are seriously so incapable that their siblings couldn't possibly wake then up, or they'd go wandering the streets in their pjs rather than pick up a phone, then that's on your parenting. It's not typical. Perhaps if you'd been a little more lax your kids would be more capable.

Yes i do? This thread however is about whether a sleeping 14yr old should be responsible for their younger siblings whilst the parent goes out. Such lax ideas when it comes to parenting on here.

Honestly I'm probably a bit of a helicopter parent compared to many on here...I probably wouldn't do this because I'm very very risk averse and detest running but I really do think it's fine.

Do you not go to bed every night and trust that your kids will still be alive when you wake up?

Sorry genuinely don't see the difference between a parent being asleep while in the charge and a babysitter doing so. My DH is pretty hard to wake but DS is quite capable of coming and shaking him if he needs something.

No, there is no need for parents to take turns to stay awake

A sleeping 14yr old should not be responsible for their younger siblings while the parent goes out for a jog. Have you ever tried to wake a teen?!

I'd love to read the replies here if the sexes were reversed. 'I'm at work, dh at home with 4 kids and he's left them alone in bed asleep while he goes to the gym'. There'd be a clamour of posters shouting 'LTB NOW!'

Absolutely fine.

Make sure they all know, doors locked, and they know what to do in the morning (help themselves to cereal, get dressed, brush teeth etc.)

But I am often in sole charge of my child and asleep. DH even more often as I travel for work a lot. How are we meant to manage it - always have someone awake?

The 14yr old isn't babysitting, they're asleep!

To be fair a poor diet in childhood is much more likely to damage them than OP leaving a 14 year old babysitting for 30 minutes.

I could not give a rat's ass what she gives them for breakfast.

I just don't think she should leave kids sleeping and go out, for whatever reason. Parenting involves managing your time and organising things as well as supervising your kids. At the very least be in the house when they are bed.

I'm flabbergasted that these very simple things need pointing out.

@Gloriia

yes, she must. Exercise is an essential , non negotiable thing. Do you think her time could be better spent doing something else? Ironing perhaps? Making granola from scratch for her children’s breakfast?

The other thing I used to do was a hills session literally just running up and down a steep hill at the bottom of my road - I think 4/5 attempts up and down again was 5K - any options like that near you ?

if you are going to do it I wouldn’t do an out and back type run or even a circuit - I would pick a 1 mile route from the front door and do it 3 times - you could be back very quickly then if needed

As long as op is contactable and some ground rules are set around reasonable behaviour, of course leaving a 14 year old and an 8 year old alone for 30 minutes is fine. At that sort of age a degree of independence should be encouraged.

Depends on the fourteen-year-old, I think. And also being explicit to the younger ones that "K's in charge".

I was looking after younger siblings at that age. But then I was so sensible that it was a family joke.

Fifty years later, I'm still looking forward to some unspecified future time when I'll stop being so sensible.

Some of the things I wouldn't be happy with a teacher doing which I do all the time:

Letting my child out of school to pop to the shop or park
Bathing my child
Making medical decisions for my child
Buying my child clothes/toys
Making decisions about what my child should eat, or their bedtimes
Being alone in a room with my child
Being undressed around my child

If your 8-14 yos cannot cope with being left alone for 30 minutes, you've failed as a parent.

I think it’s great you want to do this. I really struggle to prioritise myself at all

Do you mean the alternative is going late at night?

And you've still yet to address anyones concerns about leaving children who you deem to be incapable in some way, alone while they're up and about.

The only risk in life is not sleeping through a fire alarm.

It's not outrageous it just not safe. Do it when they're up and awake if you must.

Make sure you take your phone... the most likely emergency will be you twisting an ankle or forgetting your keys.
Kids will be fine.

@Gloriia

i think it’s highly irresponsible of you to have exercised when your kids were up. What if they’d fallen down the stairs?? Or put the cooker on and started a fire? Or run the bath and floored the place?