How old were your kids when you started leaving them on their own at home?

[RosieLeaLovesTea]

How old were your DCs when you started leaving them at home on their own? For any be 30mins or an hour if you pop to local shops which are 1 mile away? Or 5 min drive in car?

did you run through what to do in am emergency e.g fire and use of phone for emergencies?

I think it was the summer before they went to high school. And yes, they knew how to use the phone, knew not to open the door to anyone and get out the house if there was a fire.
Perhaps a bit younger if it was just to the local shop which is a 2 minute drive away.

Year 5, aged 10 because of COVID, single parent and I had to go shopping. Without COVID I would have probably waited until year7.

Same as PP. aged 11, end of year 6.
DD is very sensible though - lots of her friends were not allowed to be home alone for more than a couple of minutes!

9.5, summer before year 5. We did have a very clear emergency plan and for the first couple of times we're in regular contact via WhatsApp (dh has 2 phones, she doesn't have her own). It was about 30 mins.

Aged 9 to pop out to pick up a sibling ten mins away.

Remember it's statistically safer for your child to be in their own house than in a car.

Lots of people on mn will say not until age 11. In real life, moat people I know start at around 9, with quite a few doing so earlier, albeit for very short periods. Dd started choosing to stay home occasionally while I ran ds ro his activity from when she was 8. Interestingly, she now often chooses instead to come with me.

We used Alexa to stay in Touch the first few times.Ano door opening of course, know how to get out and we have lovely neighbours all round so the dc know they can bang on anyone's door and get help.

You know I really can’t remember! I think my eldest about 13, I would leave my youngest or middle child with him when he was 15 I remember that. But I never left the three of them together. Tbh my middle child always wanted to come with me.

i always had my mobile on me and there was a strict instruction to call their auntie if I wasn’t back by a certain time or they were worried and couldn’t contact me. Problem in the house they were to run next door.

they were always fine. We never left them at night/evening. I always got a sitter. I would tell my eldest it was so he was responsible for the young ones all evening instead of doing what he wanted

5 mins... 9
1hr...10
More than an hour... Yr6.

But DH works away, so they've had to be a bit more independent. I was at a committee meeting the other evening and people brought along their 12/13yos (it was 6 30,pm, so not overly late)

The US is so different on this. My family there leave their kids from 7/8.

I was a bit surprised by it so I looked up some US forum threads and that does seem to be the consensus

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1139592.page

5 minutes aged 9. 1 hour from Y6. I started to leave my eldest alone while I was at work occasionally from age 13, for specific and unavoidable reasons.

Short periods they were 10, couple of hours 11 and then longer periods when at high school. Now 13 and let themselves in after school etc.

This.

8

Age 10 - I was working away and DS decided he didn't want to go to after school and it meant DH didn't have to change his work schedule or put himself out in any way so they both agreed DS would get the bus home and spend 2 hrs by himself.

To be fair, DS was a sensible boy and seemed fine with it.

Can't remember for DD probably age 10 but DS he was 10. He's very sensible and it was only to pick up my DD from the nearby bus stop. We live on a busy road and I don't trust the drivers or anyone around here as sad as that sounds. I would brief him and he knew to chill out in his room on his game.

Summer before secondary, as in secondary they will often be first home. Started with popping to shop, now can happily leave them for a few hours

9 for short periods then gradually getting longer. They had strict rules about answering the door/phone, no cooking or bathing. They generally just watched TV. By 11 when they started secondary they were travelling on public transport to school.

Y5 we would drop one off and leave the other at home for a short period. Y6 they came home and let themselves in.

Now 13&15 we'll go out for the evening (15 mins away) or for most of the day without concerns.

12

9, with parents and grandparents on speed dial on the landline, only going places I could get back from on foot in 10 mins (eg picking sibling up from after school activities) and they were a sensible child. Gradually built it up from there.

When DS was in year 6, the after-school club stopped running on Fridays, so I'd take a late lunch, collect DS at 3pm, settle him at home with a snack and the TV, and go back to work. So he was on his own for 2 hrs 15 mins once a week.

Not ideal but there was no alternative. He had a phone and could ring if he wasn't sure of anything, he knew not to answer the door and we had rehearsed what to do if there was a fire. He was fine.

10 for ds2 earlier this week as he's now in y6. I was late back and dh had to go out so he was alone on the xbox for 25mins, no phone! It was fine but we do need to sort the phone. He also walked in front of the walking bus on his own without a phone for 25mins since starting year 6 1 day a week. Teachers follow behind him so im not worried.

Been leaving him alone with his 13yo now 14yo older brother since he turned 10.

Think it was 11 for ds1 but again it wasn't until he started y6. He's oldest in year.

About 10 I think for nipping to shops
11 for coming in himself from school instead of going to after school club (we are Scotland so he was still in primary until 12).

I remember having to go to the post office, DD1 was seven, DD2 was three and DD1 was adamant she wanted to stay there and watch TV, so I took DD2 only and left her at home for about 15 minutes. Generally I tried to avoid that situation of having to pop out when there was only the three of us in. DD1 walked to/home from school sometimes from the age of 9, though technically I was usually somewhere behind her on the pavement with DD2.

I didn't leave them in the evening for any length of time until DD1 was at secondary school, and then only to somewhere walking distance away. DM lives with us so not many situations have arisen where they have actually had to be home alone. DD1 is away at university now and DD2 is 15. If DD2 is on her own for the day she is quite capable of feeding herself and pets and walking the dog. I'd probably not leave her for a weekend just as she'd probably feel a bit lonely, rather than that I don't trust her or that she isn't mature enough.