to leave ten year old twins in a cafe while I swim?

I think this is a shit idea if you ask me. There’s no way on earth I’d leave my children in a cafe while I swam for one it would not be an enjoyable swim for me I’d be worried about them and secondly you might not want “ childcare” but certainly you are asking for it. If I was a cafe worker and I seen two children on their own or their mother leave I’d feel like I’d have to/want/need to watch over them to ensure their safety and it would be my duty to safeguard them. do they not attend school where you can find time to do this while they are there? I could not rest or enjoy an activity knowing I’ve left them alone

I think that’s crazy particularly as you are around water.

Why would they be safer at home. Accidents are far more likely to happen in the home than elsewhere

Wowee i must be a terrible mother! As long as you can trust them to behave well in a cafe while you're not there, id say it's fine. But then, I let my 10yo cycle to the park all by himself 😬 and even the shop! The independence did him a world of good. Best if you (or someone close by) can be contacted in emergency though. Good luck with your channel swim!

Take time off when they’re at school and go then?

Not when they are together in a public place like a cafe.

Depends on the twins. The outraged reaction is one of the reasons our young people are so stressed and anxious. If they are mature and sensible go for it.

You know your own children, would they sit sensibly or start messing around?

How close are they to 11?

At 11 they will most likely be making their way to secondary school by themselves

Exactly. No wonder so many kids are in MH crisis if their parents give them no self reliance and put the fear of God in them that sexual predators will snatch them out of public places.

Yes I was starting secondary school 2 days after my 11th birth. Ironically I could walk there whereas needed a bus ( which I caught myself) to go to primary

FFS its absolutely fine

Some of the replies are baffling. Honestly, I thought you were being OTT for thinking they needed Yoto Players and games!! Just some food/ money and a book to read each or some wordsearches! This time next year they’ll be at secondary, very normal thing to do at their ages

Some of these responses are wild. My just turned 11 year old is home alone whilst I'm at work 2 days a week. She can bake/cook basic foods. Shes been walking to and from school since year 5. Shes been to the park unaccompanied, the cinema, shopping centre and a cafe. If we don't slowly allow our children to build up some independence how are they going to manage as they get older. Shes just started at secondary school where she is getting the bus etc... and getting herself to and from school.
I would personally say its fine.

We are talking about 10-year-old children, who are vulnerable.

For a shorter period of time, yes. And just generally, if there was a choking or heart attack incident 🙄someone could call an ambulance.

Sounds fine to me.

I think the issue is that a cafe feels like giving them to someone else (who hasn't consented) to look after rather than leaving them to fend for themselves briefly while you swim. It probably depends a bit on the cafe though. I can see both sides. If you go ahead, maybe have someone who knows where they are and what the plan is who they could also call if there was a problem. Two sensible boys hanging out togther waiting for you to finish an activity is very reasonable on the face of it, it's just the cafe that throws it. A big faceless community centre or leisure centre would be an easy yes.

You'll probably get a lot of "nos" on here but as someone who was roaming around the village I grew up in (along with every other child my age) from the age of 8, I would say they are certainly old enough to be left alone in a cafe. I also remember latch key kids from an even younger age. Yeah sure things could happen, just like always but the risk if minimal especially as they have each other and they might learn how to handle things just like we did back in the day.

Times change though - I suggest you wait a year and then they'll be at secondary school and you can leave them at home then and everyone will be fine with it because they'll be in secondary school age and presumably could be seeing themselves to school.

Edit: I think it's absolutely fine but you might have to deal with others who think not.

I’d just leave them at home. My 10 year old has been walking herself home from school for a full year and staying home for an hour alone to wait for me to get home from work.

Even leaving them in the cafe would be fine. But I’d leave them home since you’ll only get funny looks from other people

Totally bizarre comments. Maybe it’s another Scotland England thing. I’ve noticed that certain geographical areas seem to be much more cautious than others. I’m in a big city in Scotland and i think 10 is a totally normal age for a kid to be in a café with another kid. If you look in most Costas on a Saturday afternoon, there will be preteens drinking Frappuccinos together! I think it would be fine to leave your kids for half an hour

It's the nutters who never teach their children any independence is who's children will ironically be at more risk when they're older as they won't have any experience. You can't just " learn" independence at 16 or 18, you need experience built slowly. And if your 10yo can't be left for 30 mins in a cafe, you're failing at that.

They are ten YEARS old!!! Not ten months.

And we wonder why young adults have hideous anxiety and people complain they can't do anything. For kids who go to my local local grammar, they have to walk or cycle a mile to the station, taken a train 10 miles and then walk or cycle another mile on the other side. And they could have been 11 and a day in age aka only 2 days beyond 10. I see no reason why they couldn't sit in a cafe for 30 minutes.