to have left 11 year old DD home alone for 20 minutes?

[freddiefrog]

My car is only 4 seats

Yesterday I had DD1, our foster child, DD2 and a friend here so more people than seats in the car.

I had to take DD2 plus friend to a birthday party in town, so left DD1 here on her own (about 20 minutes)

She's sensible, has a mobile phone, plenty of neighbours around. She walks to school on her own and goes out with her mates anyway

DH was a bit shitty about it

Seriously you need to ask?

My son is (just) 11. He walks to school on his own. I (irrationally) don't like the idea of leaving him at home on his own but my dh would do it in a flash, especially in this scenario - and quite rightly!

I'm glad my dh pushes me to give the kids more independence because it's the right way forward. There are dc in ds's class who have front door keys and walk home on their own, get their own tea and wait for parents to come home from work and they are fine.

Yanbu. You know you're own child and how sensible she is. My mum would have left us at that age to go supermarket shopping for an hour or two.

Fwiw I babysat my younger siblings near enough overnight from the age of 13.

I'm also wondering what exactly I could have done if the house caught fire and my 11yo dd had refused to get out. No way could I have carried her, she was taller than me.

I know MrsJay. But it does sound like this was the first time they've ever done this.

yeah maybe dad getting all protective and thinking the house is going to vanish into thin air with her in it or 'something'