Would you leave Year 5 and Year 7 home alone after school?

[Jinglejinglejingle7]

Advice please. After a struggle following redundancy, myself & Dh are both getting new jobs. Ive had a job offer and dh looks like he's about to get an offer. Big change in circumstances as I'm going full time in office and dh will be hybrid, possibly 3 days in office. I may have some flexibility to finish early and wfh but I cant push that yet.
Problem is we have 2 dc, eldest year 7 youngest year 5. I think they are old enough to be left at home for an hour/ hour and a half. Eldest makes her own way home already, youngest gets picked up/ dropped off but its 15 minutes walk max and he's 10 now so could walk or eldest could collect. Dh worried that they're too young. I dont think we have a massive choice. Would u let 10 year old walk home, then stay with his sister for an hour or hour & half on they're own? They're sensible, get on well, we leave them now to run to shops/ walk dog etc.

yes they will be allowed to do all that, unfortunately the world we live in is a shi* show. If you don’t live in London maybe it’s different.

You just said you wouldn’t leave them at home - which is one of the things I mentioned. And if safety is a concern, surely they are safer at home than out in a London?

A burn from boiling water from a kettle, or a scald from steam, can be quite serious on a child's skin. A child aged 10 or under is still at risk of a burn being much more serious than it would be in an adult, because their skin is still much thinner.

I also think kettles are risky because they are generally fairly heavy when moderately full, and usually sit on a worktop that some 10-year-olds will find a bit of a stretch to reach across as safely as a full-grown adult.

I'm not uptight about children and supervision, but I think telling a 10 year old not to use the kettle without an adult in the house would be perfectly sensible (I know the OP has said that hers wouldn't choose to anyway).

I think it's fine, will be in the last term of Year 5 now and my eldest has been walking to and from school quite happily for some time, she is now Year 6. Also think an hour or so at home alone would be fine also.

Yes fair enough. The pp was “wow”ing are idea of a 10yo having basic first aid knowledge tho, which to me is standard.

Actially none of mine would have used a kettle as they don’t drink tea but hey. They knew first aid tho. All went to Cubs and Scouts

YY, Cubs is wonderful for this stuff.

I didn't read their post quite like that; I thought it was more they thought first aid alone wouldn't cut it, and I think I'd be with them on that.

It is such a judgement call though.

Yes I would rather that however statistics show that most accidents do actually happen at home (and that’s for adults)

Mine are older now, but I would definitely have been happy with this arrangement at those ages. You know your own children best! Some are fine to be left, others not.

Congratulations on the new jobs!

Most accidents happen at home because people don't risk assess what they are doing.
People don't have accidents watching TV or reading books, they have accidents with ovens and doing DIY projects.

Outer London and every primary I know of nearby lets Y6 walk home alone, a good number allow it from Y5.

What about school holidays?

No. Your older child may be okay just them but not to have responsibility for someone else, you will need to draw upon after school club / childminder or whatever like everyone else does.

This

the older child is not a babysitter!

Yes

There’s no minimum age at our school (Scotland), it’s up to the parents. They usually start around p5 and by p7 no one walks with a parent. My son started walking himself to school in p4, my daughter is more nervous so started in p6.

But I don't see it as the older child having responsibility for the younger.

My older DC did this when the youngest was still using ASC/a friend picked him up for a while. Once he was in year 5 as I say he came home. That was under his own steam (literally as his siblings were both at secondary school by then). He was 10 and was at home and fine. DD then in year 7 was not his babysitter. If he had been an only child we would have done the same.

@Foodbeneficiary have you thought that accidents in the home as a PP says, are mostly relating to things like DIY or cooking or other household tasks – which a 12yo is unlikely to be doing? Also we spend a lot of time in our homes – hence more happens, including accidents. I cannot believe you really think your DC are safer out and about in London than they are in their own home? If that's the case why are we not all constantly tramping the streets?

Yes, we are the odd ones.

When we were this age my mum gave me money to go to the coffee shop next to school and get a hot chocolate and read a book, my year 7 brother collected me from there and took me home

Find an afterschool nanny or a babysitter who can do the regular schedule.

And basic first aid sometimes isn’t enough. Are you leaving them the car keys too in case they need to pop down to casualty? Sure, why not.

No I didn’t use to do that.

We assess risks all the time and make decisions based on that. I assessed this risk as low.

There are risks and possible dangers in the home and outside. It’s not possible to mitigate against them all.

Honestly don’t see an issue at all, I think we baby children too much nowadays. My DD’s started walking home alone in year 5 and 6, then when eldest DD started secondary the youngest walked alone. It was a 30 min walk, they had phones. I work FT and wasn’t always home when they got back. They were absolutely fine, didn’t burn the house down, would just sit on Roblox or whatever till we got back. Year 9 and 10 now and don’t seem too traumatised by the ordeal.

Just on after-school club. My Y6 DC often has to go due to us working. He hated it as he was the oldest one there.
The manager cannily gave him an 'honorary leadership role' - he's basically a helper and he loves it now. Also all the younger DC thinks he's a rock star

Gosh yes I would

Ours actually suggest it from Easter of year 6!