Shall I leave them at home for 2 minutes?

[Loki234]

I've got a COVID test coming tomorrow, I'm on my own with 2DC. I need to take the test then drop it in the postbox as soon as possible.

The postbox is 2 minutes drive from my house so I'm wondering whether I can leave my 2DC ages 7 and 9 while I drive to pop it in the post box.

Obviously I won't go anywhere else as we are self isolating and I'll only be gone for 4-5 minutes.

What do you think?

I would. Give them a screen and they won’t even notice you’ve gone!

If you're driving, why not just take them with you and leave them in the car?

Are they sensible and can be trusted together by themselves?

Christ I thought you were coming on to say they were 3 or something
Yes I’d do that

Or take them in the car?

They are sensible for their age and I know if I leave them on their switch they won't move.

I think it would take longer and be more disruptive to them to get them in the car and that's why I wanted to ask what other people thought.

Oh gosh, definitely. I’d borderline leave my 4 year old alone to nip to the post box but it’s at the end of our road.

I think it would take longer and be more disruptive to them to get them in the car

How long does it take to put two primary aged dc in a car

I don't understand why you need to ask. Just do it. If anyone says you shouldn't, that's bonkers, so you wouldn't take any notice of them anyway.

And lets not get started on the non existent risk of infecting people with covid while you're out of the house while you're (presumably) supposed to be self isolating.

of course

oh a two minute drive.
how far to walk?

You could spend longer than that in the bathroom!

When I had a postal test, Royal Mail collected it - you don’t post it yourself. The information about what to do is on the pack when you get it. In short, you log onto the website, put in a barcode and that triggers the collection the following day.

@Stinkyjellycat

When I had a postal test, Royal Mail collected it - you don’t post it yourself. The information about what to do is on the pack when you get it. In short, you log onto the website, put in a barcode and that triggers the collection the following day.

When I had a postal test we had to post it. There are dedicated post boxes for CV-19 tests.

Yes. Unless either of them has form for violence or smashing things, they'll be fine.

My ds let himself into an empty house and made his own toast a couple of times when my train was late. He knew how to phone for help or which neighbour to go to. Not to touch the iron, kettle or oven. Not answer the door to strangers.

Given them a tiny bit of responsibility.

This is so weird I don't understand it OP

Yes, I'd leave them alone at that age but why on earth don't you just tell them to get in the car?

7 and 9?! Unless they are likely to kill each other whilst you're gone I really don't see the issue.

Yes, I would leave children of that age alone for 5-10 minutes, but not much longer. Make sure they know the basics about not answering the door to strangers, not going in the kitchen, how to get help if needed, etc.

Yes

I would. Like a PP said you could be in the bathroom for longer than that!

Yes but you could also put them in the car with you.

I’d leave my 6 and 12 year olds but that’s because the older one is that bit older.

It would take two seconds for them to jump in the car so I would just bring them with me.

DTs are not the sensible type though and actually wouldn't want to be left alone.

I'd leave the 9yo definitely. 7yo I might take (my 7yo is likely to take the opportunity to fall down the stairs or lock herself in a bathroom... Not naughty, just a bit daft at times!) However you know your children.
Incidentally, I do leave 7yo to pop a parcel to the neighbours or similar, but I'm nearby then. How far is the two minute drive?

I'd either leave them for 2 minutes' drive, or send the 9 year old on foot to the post box.
When we had our postal Covid tests, I had to take them to the prescribed postbox during a specified window of time before the post was due to be collected.

Yes I would leave them, but is that post box one of the ones you can use for covid tests? We had an absolute fucking nightmare sending ours off and ended up having to get it collected.