To report my friend to the Social Services?

[BoxerShortShort]

My friend has booked to go and see a band in November. She asked me if I'd look after her kids and I said I couldn't as I was away that week - therefore she's planning on leaving them home alone from 5pm on Tuesday until 8am on the Wednesday. They're 12 and 14.
She always does leave them home alone so they are used to it but over night is different surely?

AIBU to inform the ss?

can I ask ,70, how long are they alone for?

YABU. Are you insane? Is this a reverse AIBU?

It's only DS Mary (he's nearly 13yo) .
He gets in at 4pm ,I'm home at 5pm.
He phones his dad to say he's in the house.
This is 3 days a week , on my non-work days I pick up DD and we sometimes see him on the walk home (and he ignores us) .
Secondary school boys do not walk home with their mothers !

oh I quite agree, no criticism meant, I am just curious,mine are also 13.

I didn't see any critisism in your question, honest.!

My next problem is my very independant but dog fearing DD who wants to walk home some days when she gets into Yr 6. She goes to After School Cub on my work days.

I've said to her I could ask DS to walk with her a couple of times .Neither of them will entertain it.

Children ,eh?

I need to find a babysitting service, didn't know they exsisted.
Anyway, I don't think its bad to slave these kids over night.
To the person assuming the 12 year old will kick off. Perhaps they get on well, the mother knows there will be no issues. Dbro used to babysit me from him being 15, we have never, ever had crossed word. Even as kids.
My dd, 8, asks to put ds 17 months to bed and does a Damn good job. Ds is in a toddler bed she take him in, tucks him and reads him a story. Then gives him a kiss and he falls asleep. This is with me lingering on the landing. Its so cute.
Please note I am not suggesting I leave my 8 year old alone with my toddler, but some kids just do get on. Fingers crossed it lasts.

Slave these kids? I meant leave these kids.

YABU I was allowed to camp at Glastonbury Festival on my own (with friends, no adults) at 14, and my mum is a SW.

14!!!

Fudgeling. Er can't say that was particularly wise of your mum! Pretty stupid actually.

OK I haven't read the whole thread but

My parents went to Corfu for a week when I was 14 and DB was 16. They filled the freezer and we got ourselves to and from school (which we did anyway). OK we might have overdosed on oven chips and frozen pizza but we were fine.

Look back on it, thank God they did have that holiday together because within a year my Mum was ill and within 2 years she was dead. If they hadn't trusted us and gone my Mum and Dad would never have had another holiday as a couple.

Chaz that's sad

PooPoo thanks. Its a long time ago now so I have come to terms with it. I am so glad my parents had that holiday.

I do think there's a huge difference between letting your children of tht age stay alone overnight out of necessity - work or hospital for example, and going out to have a good time. In my opinion I could understand leaving your children alone over night for the former reasons, whereas again in my opinion I deem it unnecessary to leave children of that age alone overnight to go to a gig/party.

At 12 my brother was getting supper and sending us to bed. We would have been 10 and 8. Not overnight, mind you, but once a week the parents had a choir practice and social and would be out - on a school night - from 6.30ish until 12ish. My elder bro was very responsible and sensible. Unlike some friends of ours of the same ages, who tied the youngest to a chair and then forgot about her until their parents returned the next morning!

Are you joking? Reporting her to soak services for leaving a 14 year old? Thought you was going to say they are 2 or some thing!

It's hardly child abuse is it? Taking time away from real cases of neglect.

I think it comes down to a few factors really:

1. How resposible the 14 year old is?
2. Do they know who to call etc in an emergancy?
3. What the relationship is like between her DC?
4. How far away the gig is in the event is shoukd heavens forbid something should happen ?

My parents used to leave me a 14 years old with strict instructions.

Woe, I thought you were not being unreasonable at all maybe I'm just over protective

In "the olden days",actually up to about 1940 or thereabouts,children left school at 14, and went out to work.

amillionyears the school leaving age was 15 very recently, only went up to 16 in 1972

chaz- I'm very sorry to hear that your mum died when you were still so young, but that doesn't take away from the fact that what your parents did was neglectful.

Sancerreity It wasn't neglectful at all. They knew we were able to cope. They knew that the neighbours would help out if needed.

Quite frankly I don't need sympathy from someone who clearly has no respect for my parents and their ability to judge a situation. I am holding back from a more forthright post because I think you are just projecting your insecurities on to my situation.

Both my brother and I are in our 40's and so we seemed to have survived the experience.