To leave our DCs in our house while we go next door for dinner?

[Tapewormuprising]

Our neighbours have invited us for dinner next week and i was wondering what people's thoughts were on this.

We live in a semi-detached house on a quiet road. Our DCs are 8 and 15 months. 8 year old will be in bed reading and will fall asleep at about 8.30 and our 15 month old will be asleep with a baby monitor (we will be able to get signal next door. There is also a movement sensor). We'll be one room away really.

So, will we be awful parents if we leave them?

And you reckon that social services would take action against someone popping next door, with a listening device? Don't you think they have worse cases to be worrying about?

They are not "popping next door" they are going for a boozy night with neighbours to another house. No doubt full of chat and laughter.

I think SS would be very interested.

What combust said.

I wouldn't be able to relax.

My father's elder sister set herself on fire and was killed as a child (in very different circumstances) so I think that massively colours my view in these scenarios!

sqitten- I wouldn't relax either.

Which defeats the whole point of the evening- a social ocassion to relax, socialise and unwind.

But obviously some of us would be able to relax even knowing that our children were home alone.

combust Are you a social worker? I am and I am telling you, they would not be 'interested' in the slightest.

Sounds like you are not doing a very good job then myfairy.

What the fuck! I did not invent the legal threshold for intervention. Are you dim?!

Nice attitude for a social worker myfairy- I hope you don't speak to your clients like that.

Your response speak volumes.

You told me I was doing a not very good job. Talk about baiting! Don't get your knickers in a twist because legally, there is nothing a social worker would do.

You have no idea of my actual job, so how dare you pass judgement on me and expect me to smile sweetly?

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) advises that:

children under the age of about 12 are rarely mature enough to be left alone for a long period of time
children under the age of 16 should not be left alone overnight
<strong>babies, toddlers and very young children should never be left alone</strong>

Just because you would interested combust doesn't mean SS will or should be.

I doubt being next door WITH A LISTENING DEVICE would count as being left alone under those NSPCC guidlines. They are no more alone than they would be in another room in a large house.

It's inadvisable to leave children alone, I said up thread that I would not. Regardless, the threshold for legal intervention is clearly outlined in the Children Act 1984 if you want a (long) read, although open to interpretation.

Hang on, there was a SW upthread saying they would. Is there some kind of grey area in child protection or something because providing both comfy and myfairy do the job they say they do, they seem to be in absolute disagreement on the issue of whether SS would be 'interested' in this.

No chance would I leave an 8 yr old and 15 month old in the house whilst I went next door for dinner.

Its unlikely to meet the threshold for child protection services unfortunately, unless that incident was part of a wider picture. But it doesn't make it a sensible thing to do regardless of that.

I am not currently in a child protection role, although I have been very recently. I suppose it depends on what you mean by 'interested'. They will not grant a care order for something like this. It's unjustifiable in court. Unless OP is going around to her neighbour's every night and getting so rat arsed that she couldn't find her way out of a paper bag.

"I am telling you, they would not be 'interested' in the slightest."

"I suppose it depends on what you mean by 'interested'."

You are backtracking now myfairy.

There is law and there are guidelines. Not grey areas as such but assessments to be made. If this was reported it would be followed up by a phone call or at worst a visit and maybe a bit of a lecture but no one is going to remove children because of this.

I wouldn't do it as the youngest is very young and 8 not that mature. My 8 year old wouldn't like it I think.

I am absolutely not back tracking. Maybe comfy read it differently to me. She did not give any details of what would happen, with the exception of being on a list...what list?!

What do you do think SS would do then since you know so much combust22? EPO?

If this was reported it would be followed up by a phone call or at worst a visit and maybe a bit of a lecture but no one is going to remove children because of this. Even if this was the least worse case scenario, then is it really worth it for a meal at a neighbour's house? Why even risk getting on the SS radar - for what? A bit of food and a few glasses of wine next door.

It may be a grey area, but if an accident happened and the 8 year old called emergency services and they discovered he was on his own with a 15 month baby, of course ss would be notified, which may result in the removal of chikdren from the parents.

But why would the 8 year old call emergency services when the family could hear them on the monitor or the child could go and get them from next door? I just don't get it. Surely most children would call mum before they called 999.

It might happen, it's just risky two young children in the house on their own.

im on the phone and dodgy connection.

If a child protection complaint is made IT HAS TO BE FOLLOWED UP there is no grey area.......

What happens next can go down many paths.