What would you think to a year 3 child, walking to and from school alone everyday, coming home to an empty home till about 5.30pm, and spending all the summer holidays at home alone

[Lardlizard]

Apart from the odd week or two the mum could take off work for holidays rest of the time the child is home alone

OP are you going to tell us who/what/where/when this situation is/was?

Sounds like a mum and child who could do with help and support. Talk to them x

Definitely safeguarding red flags. As PP have said, support definitely needed. Early Help could be a possibility?

I think it sounds fine but I am from a country in which most kids start to travel to and from school on their on when they are 6 years (usually not home alone for long time until older though).

In the UK, I would expect social services to be called on me if I did this.

That would absolutely not be allowed at my children's school. They are not permitted to leave school without an adult until they are in Y5. The sole exception was a lad who lived across the street, but a teacher still had to watch him cross with the lollipop lady.

That's before you even get to the child being alone at home when they get there. My son is in Y3 and I would expect social services to be on my doorstep if I left him alone for that length of time. I think the school need reporting if they are allowing children to walk home alone at that age too tbh. What else are they letting slide?

I'd say that at that age I did that, with my younger sister in tow. Rural village, almost all kids did the same. We all relied on the SAHMs to 'be there' for us all!

These days though, that would probably get an immediate referral to SS.

Quite rightly.

Our year 3s can walk home alone, so I don’t have an issue with that. The summer holidays and time after school is a bit of an issue though

3!?! Is that a typo?

No way. DS is in year 3. I occasionally leave him for half an hour in the charge of very responsible 15 year old DD but the idea of leaving him in the house for hours on end with no supervision makes my blood run cold. As for walking home alone (apart from the fact the school is a 15 minute drive away anyhow) I'd not trust him not to wander into the middle of the road. No way just no way.

Is there not a holiday scheme they can use... there are subsidised ones near us if its money she's worried about. They must be able to find something surely?

^ sorry dd is 14 not 15 but principal is the same^

Ooh the suspense as we wait to see if this is OP doing it or someone she knows...

Depends so much on when this happened.

Totally not OK if it’s going on now - intervention needed.

But for various reasons, I wouldn’t automatically regard it as neglectful if it happened in the 1970s/80s or earlier.

Both DSs walked home in year 3. Not a dangerous journey, though.

No way.
Surprised the school lets a Y3 child walk home alone and 7/8 is far too young to be alone at home for that length of time.

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Is this a reverse?

I'd only be worried about the school holidays part tbh.

This makes me sad. My dd is in year 4, she’s 8. In year 3 she was 7. Way too young to walk home on her own (school wouldn’t have allowed it anyway) and the thought of her being on her own for that long in the house breaks my heart.
This isn’t ok, you know it’s not or you wouldn’t be asking. It’s neglect.

I have an 8 & 9 year old both boys.
Not a chance will either of them do that we live too far away and neither are capable of being alone/feeding themselves in holidays, besides if an accident were to happen or fire etc sounds v neglectful

I've a dc in year3. Very responsible and sensible child but no way would they be leaving school alone and looking after themselves for extended periods. I occasionally leave them for 5-10 minutes at home if I need to nip to the shop at the end of the road. That's my limit atm.

Are you the parent considering doing it/doing it or is it someone you know?

I don't think the walking to and from school is that much of a problem- it depends on a lot of things, like how far is it, and what are the roads like, is he walking with mates etc. The being alone is quite horrible though. It must be very lonely. And what happens if the child is ill, or worried about something that happened at school? It must be very scary for them...

Is this another of your threads @Lardlizard where you just post an OP and then disappear? Why do you not engage with people who bother to answer you?

I'd think you wer e desperate and had absolutely no choice but to go out to work and could nt get the child care. I'm sure there are lots of parents nd kids in the very situation y ou describe.

I think it's really sad.
From the little you have told us I would assume:
Single Parent
Not well off, having to work full time on a low wage
No local family/support

I'm less concerned about them walking home alone, depends on distance etc, and more concerned they are spending too much time alone and without parenting.
Are there any siblings?
I wouldn't call the SS, how is that going to help if the parent loses their job?

Assuming you are not the parent of the child:

I would try and find out about local clubs - my local church run very cheap holiday clubs, why don't you offer to have the child round after school/in the holidays?
UC pay for a big percentage of childcare costs - if parent is on UC that could help? (Has to be Ofsted reg).

You are part of this child's community, if you want to you could help in so many ways.

Is there an after school club the child could stay at and get dropped home by another parent? (Maybe school could be persuaded to use PTA funds to cover the cost).

Could you organise a rota of fellow class mates asking the child to join them at home after school to play?

There are so many small kind acts you could make and encourage others at the school to make which could resolve this issue so easily.

It takes a village to raise a child.

If this is your child and your circumstances, you need to reach out and get support from the school/a church etc to help you. A child being alone for so much time is so sad.