To leave my 12 year old at home with sleeping toddler for 5 mins?

[Doppledanger]

Would you leave a 12 year old dd at home with 19 month old asleep in bed for 5 mins to pop down the road to collect other child from an activity? Their dad isn't home at that time so if I decide not to then child won't be able to go to said activity.

I would leave a sensible 12 year old in that situation for up to 15 minutes.

My 7 year old can cook a meal without me hovering. I'm just still in the house while he does it.

I have a 12 year old who is very sensible but I would never leave her in the situation where she was responsible for a younger sibling. Accidents happen and a 12 year old is old enough to feel entirely responsible if something happens on their watch but perhaps not old enough to not blame themselves iykwim.

I just don't think it's fair on the 12 year old, no matter how responsible and reliable they are.

I would expect that you would be in the house with a 7 year old cooking!!

It was the thought of a 14yr old not being left alone with the cooking.

I think this would be absolutely fine

My sis is 14 and cooks without her parents even in the house, shes quite mature, but she had the benefit of 3 much older siblings aswell as parents to teach her.

I've left 12year old DSS in charge of sleeping toddler DS for a few mins. It does completely depend to the 12 year old though, he's very mature and incredibly sensible. I would never have left DSD 2 in charge at that age.

Hyenas!!

I have two 12 year old DDs and I wouldn't have a problem with this at all.

What country is that then HicDraconis, where you can't leave a child home alone until 14! 14!! . Mine come home alone from school three times a week and are on their own for 2-3 hours. They aren't going to be happy with a childminder at that age, so what other option is there?

Of course. I'd be happy to them for longer than that