What age is reasonable for a child to be home alone after school?

[Fortheloveofpizza]

Another price increase email from after school today. As of next year I will only have one child left needing childcare thankfully.
I have always kept them in until P7 which is 11/12 . My youngest will be 8 next year and I will only need OSc one day for an hour. He’s a short walk home. What age do you think a child can let themselves in and be alone for an hour?
Appreciate not 8 but interested on what ages.

I’m in Ireland and looked into this before and didn’t see age 13 mentioned? There’s no legal recommendations, but Tusla (the child and family agency) say a child under 14 shouldn’t be left alone or unsupervised for more than a very short time (with young children never being left alone obviously).

Jennigal

We heard a report on rte years ago (eldest is adult), and they were saying they don’t recommend under 13. Yes no legal age but at the time 13 was everywhere so we’ve gone with that since

edited to add it was pre Tusla as far as I know

So are there after school clubs at secondary schools in Ireland then?? What happens in rural Ireland, are all secondary schools local so parents can pick their children up on the way home?

It’s not necessarily an issue of cost but there is hardly any provision for secondary school children, primary schools have wrap around care for children but I’ve never heard of such a thing at a secondary school. Similarly childminders pick up from primary school but I’ve not heard of people using them for secondary school children. Other commercial holiday clubs generally take children up to the age of 12, have heard of the odd one taking kids up to 15. In my experience once they get to secondary school they complain profusely about any idea of being put in childcare. I’m lucky I only work part time and my DH works from home a lot so we only have to use childcare occasionally but my 10 year old complains every time she has to go to the childminder or holiday club, ( not at all that she dislikes the childminder) she used to love the holiday club when she was younger but now is in such a grump about going the staff find it hard too. Yet the younger one absolutely loves it there. None of her classmates go there anymore

There are homework clubs in many secondary schools. Also school buses run for those living in rural areas. Others are collected and those living locally in a town often walk home. Or catch a bus if it’s available in cities or larger towns.

Secondary starts later here though. Mine were 13 when they started. Until then they had to be collected by a parent or designated adult at the primary school gate. The school was in a rural area though and local roads weren’t safe for walking so this could vary depending on the school, I’m not sure.

@Justsittingbythefan

Same here. DD was really unhappy in the holiday clubs in the end, too babyish for the 10/11 year olds.

We managed the last Summer from Y5 to Y6 with one week Scouts trip, 2 weeks family holiday, day camps at her riding club and DH wfh. We also shuffled her friends around so on my days off I had 2-3 girls for a day and she went to their houses on other days.

So how does it work e.g I’ve got an almost 11 year old, currently childminder picks her up from the school in our village or there is the option of the school breakfast and afterschool club and holiday club, in Ireland would she just carry on attending primary school with that provision until she is 13?
I can’t see how a homework club would be useful as I don’t get home until 6pm, her secondary school is several miles in the other direction to both my work and where we live plus she needs some dinner before I get home.
Seems crazy they have to be collected by an adult until they’re 13 over there, they allow them to walk home on their own from year 5 here (9-10 years old)

I think people in the UK are very anxious and it’s become a much bigger deal than it ever used to be. I think it depends on the kids and what they’re doing and for how long. I’m in Australia and I know people round me that leave 8 year olds alone for short periods on certain occasions and their kids aren’t even that sensible. They still just watch TV. I think it’s reasonable for a sensible 8 year old kid to be alone for 30 minutes or so. Don’t actually know what the law is on it though.

It is hard isn’t it, we manage by me working part time and hubby taking as much time off as possible during the school holidays. The pony type clubs don’t really help for me as I need childcare 8-6 and they tend to be 9-4pm, fortunately I have managed to find a quite expensive one near my work that she enjoys but not sure how we’d manage without that. Certainly a lot easier with the younger children, especially the youngest who just goes to nursery as usual with a cooked lunch and dinner on site so when pick up after work at 6 just bath then bed. No worries that they’re not open for odd days over the holidays either, like the school holiday club who only open of enough children booked in

I think it's totally child dependent. My 9 year old would be scared out of her mind if I even just popped round the corner to shops for 15 mins. My friends 8 year old would throw a party 🤣 your child may be able to handle it.

Yes, pudding rather over-egged there.

So how does it work e.g I’ve got an almost 11 year old, currently childminder picks her up from the school in our village or there is the option of the school breakfast and afterschool club and holiday club, in Ireland would she just carry on attending primary school with that provision until she is 13?
Yes, they are 12 or 13 when they leave primary school here @Justsittingbythefan.

Seems crazy they have to be collected by an adult until they’re 13 over there, they allow them to walk home on their own from year 5 here (9-10 years old)
As I said, I was describing the school my children attended, which is located in a rural area. The roads there aren’t safe for walking. Other schools may do things differently.

Because, to me, it seems obvious that children should be capable of taking some responsibility for themselves before being expected to do so. Raising children to be independent can only do so much if they simply haven’t reached those physical and psychological milestones. Yes, I did prefer to err on the side of caution with my children’s safety. I’m sure you’re doing the best you can, as I did with mine. But my opinion won’t change because it is inconvenient to you.

Year 6 felt right for us. So age 10/11.

I’m so surprised at how young some kids are left. I have a sensible, mature, responsible 10 year old DD who I have left for 10 mins at the most in the last 6 months and wouldn’t want her walking to and from school on her own yet at all. But I am prepared to be considered overprotective.
I have a far less mature 7 year old DS and I feel like he’s about 5 years off being left 🤣

I agree that DC should be able to take responsibility before they are asked to do so. I just wonder why an 11yo has to be "very sensible and mature" to be allowed to sit in their living room for 20 minutes without an adult in the house. Sen aside, I think pretty much all 11yos can be trusted to do that; or if they can't, parenting has gone wrong somewhere. What responsibility are they taking on?

We all assess risks on a daily basis and I genuinely think the risk here is minimal. But I would also hope that your 11yo knows full well to leave the house if the TV bursts into flames (an incident from DH's childhood but ver unlikely to happen today).

I mean I suspect we agree and perhaps only differ on the definition of "very sensible and mature" which I am taking to mean "an 11y who is mature beyond their years", rather than "pretty much any NT 11yo".

It's no inconvenience to me btw – my DC passed this stage long ago.

Year 6 for me. So 10/11

That’s ok as long as the wraparound care provision is there until they reach the age they’re considered ok to be left on their own.
We’re in a semi rural area here and the roads are not considered safe so the council provides a bus to get the secondary school kids to school and back and then they just go home until their parents finish work. My older ones could only do homework clubs on days I wasn’t working as wouldn’t have been able to pick them up otherwise

Most parents don’t have a choice but to leave their 11 year olds for a few hours after school

The poster is not saying it’s inconvenient because they want to go to a yoga class, they are working to provide food and shelter for their child

Once you get to secondary, childcare provision vanishes so if you work out of the home with set hours, you have no choice but to leave your kids home alone.

I guess it depends party on where you live. My DD started walking to school at the beginning of year 5, and she’s a July baby so was just 9. She walked with all of her friends the same age, and we live in a village where there would be multiple adults who know them walking the same route at the same time. We all look out for each other’s kids, and if we saw any of those walking with friends being silly for example we’d let their parents know.
I also started leaving her home alone for very short periods in that year, but again we live in a community with close neighbours, and they know there would always be someone around to help if needed. She’s now nearly 11 and can be left for a couple of hours quite happily.

In England they let children leave and arrive at school unaccompanied in year 6, so 10 turning 11, I think at that age they would be fine, letting themselves in and waiting for an hour.
I will leave my 8 year old home alone for about half an hour now to nip to the shops, but he wouldnt be comfortable walking home alone to an empty house.

I've never heard of this in UK. Most schools are year 6, with the occasional one being year 5.
My son is year 4 and can't see him or any of his peer group being let out unaccompanied 😳

My children in England walked to school and back from year 5.