To leave 8yo ds at home alone for 10-15mins

[bigmouthstrikesagain]

Ds is my oldest pfb so I am honestly a bit unsure. I need to pick up dd1 from an after school club once a week at 4.30pm - the school is 5 min walk away. Ds 1 is always really unwilling to come - whines and moans then begs to be allowed to stay at home, as he is comfortable and happy to play on the PC or watch tv while I go out with dd2 (3) to get dd1 - I have always dragged him with me but I wondered whether to leave him this week.

I spoke to dh about it - he suggested consulting the MN hive brain.

So leave him - with a phone strapped to his wrist, access to door key and emergency numbers!!? Or continue to drag him along, or sign him up for an after school club on same day?

We had several months of that, discussing how it would work, learning to use the phone etc, then DS changing his mind at the last minute, then one day he was just ready.

Yep, depends on the child. I leave my 7 year old doing her homework while I fetch her brother sometimes - similar length of time, max 15 minutes. More often she wants to come with me, but if she wants to stay and do her homework I never make her come with me.

She also has a key attached to the inside of her school bag on the off chance I am ever a couple of minutes later than her getting home (she finishes school at lunch time and comes home on the school bus which drops off very close to our house) and she has used it to get in a couple of times and waited alone for 10 minutes til I get home - in that situation I always phone the land-line and leave a message which she picks up as soon as she lets herself in, and phones me on my mobile immediately (hands free in car) so we both know the other is OK and she knows I will be home very soon. Obviously we discussed this possibility before I ever risked it happening and she is proud of being able to do it (and if she ever lost her key she could go to one of her friends on our road, whom she comes home on the bus with, for a few minutes til I got back).

She is sensible though, knows the standard home-alone rules and also (importantly to me) we have several neighbours on our road who have children at her school, who both she and I would be happy for her to phone or go to for help if necessary (in the house burning down, I got hit by a bus and didn't return eventualities - she could also phone MIL or DH - she is very used to using the phone and both speed dial and looking up numbers). If she finishes or decides she needs a break from her homework she often phones MIL while I am out and they talk the whole time I am gone (MIL and I don't often always agree on child rearing but she also thinks its fine that DD is in the house alone for that length of time and likes the phone calls :) )

this could be me posting. ds is almost 8 and school is 5 mins walk, can see it out the window. ds since sept has gone to and from school alone (only 1 tiny road to cross). He hasn't asked yet but i would allow him to wait at home. If he can lock/unlock the door. Use the phone to call your mobile, go next door for help and be trusted not to get scared or burn the house down then he should be fine.

Depends on the child.

DD1 - I would, and did
DD2 - not in a million years