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Child at home

6 replies

Cc9125 · 21/11/2024 18:14

My oldest son is 10 and in year 6, he is a very sensible child. He does not really play out and has only ever walked to the shop one minute away without an adult being with him. As he’s due to be attending senior school next year, I want to allow him to become a lot more independent. As I work in the school he currently attends, when school finishes he would usually go to wraparound but have recently started letting him and his best friend leave school together and go to our house. Both my and my friend (mother of sons best friend) were nervous but they’ve been great with it so far. They’re home alone for around 50/60 minutes until I get home from school, which is around the corner so literally a one minute walk.
i was chatting with my mother tonight and she said 10 is still young to be home alone for almost an hour, she seemed really unhappy with the idea of it and now im doubting our decision. Me and my friend are both very anxious about the idea of the kids starting senior school and trying to give them a good level of independence and confidence for them starting. I’m just wondering what everyone else’s thoughts are on this

OP posts:
Anonymous2003 · 21/11/2024 18:30

A 10 year old home alone for an hour is totally fine... your mum is being very overprotective. Some independence is good for kids at that age, you can really tell which uni students were smothered as children.

K0OLA1D · 21/11/2024 18:35

Mine stops in for a few hours while we take our eldest to football on a Sunday. They both stop in together in the holidays if I need to go into the office (eldest is just 13, but was 12 in the last hols)

He also walks home from school alone.

lightsandtunnels · 21/11/2024 18:47

I think it sounds fine. Y6 is usually a good time to start things like this IMO. But of course, it's more about the maturity of the child rather than age but as a ball park I think it's fine. You know your own child and as you've said, he'll have to more more independent next year at senior school so you have to start somewhere.

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ghostbusters · 21/11/2024 19:33

My youngest is 10 and in P6 (Scotland, Y5 equivalent). He walks home from school himself, or with a friend, every day. Sometimes he gets a snack or ice cream from the shop on his way. I've left him and his big brother home for an hour or so while I went to the supermarket in the next town 10 min drive away). He is pretty sensible so I trust him /them to behave without an adult present. I don't think I'd leave him for more than 2 hrs just now.

TeenLifeMum · 21/11/2024 19:35

year 6 was when we left them home for short periods. Sounds fine to me and you know your own dc.

Singleandproud · 21/11/2024 19:37

DD was yr 5 / 10 during COVID so started being left alone then so I could go to the shops etc. She was fine and enjoyed the time alone.

10 is fine your mum is just misremembering it's hard to look back and remember what age children do things. I look back to the baby and early years now and I have no idea what reading / writing / drawing standard young children should be at and DD is only a teen but you soon forget

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