To think a child of 8 should not be left

[notnow2]

To walk home from school, and stay alone until 18.30. Someone I know says that this is the age that kids can start to do this as childminders don't take children over 8.

There is no legal age to leave children.

She runs the risk of a prosecution for neglect/ss involvement.

NSPCC suggest no one under 16 should mind children.

GOV uk website refers to NSPCC guidance which says under 12s are rarely mature enough to be left for long periods of time. Under 16's shouldn't be left alone overnight. Babies, toddlers and very young children shouldn't be left alone at all.

I'd class 3.30 - 6.30 daily as long periods of time.

Depends on the child. I was a very mature 8 year-old. By that age I would happily be alone at home (a flat, with other people in the house). And use public transport independently in a large city. And cook a meal (and go ingredient shopping beforehand). I loved all that. But I guess I was very independent. I would get quite offended when a babysitter/childminder was suggested .

But I agree 3 hours alone at home every day is a bit much. It would be quite boring for the child? Couldn't the child do some after school activities. Music class, sports club or something like that?

I have two nieces who both turn 10 next month. One is 9 going on 18, the other is 9 going on 6. The first one walks home by herself (10 minute walk) and stays on her own until my sister gets home, normally around 6pm. She is very mature and very capable. Other days my sister starts work at 6am so my niece gets herself up, dressed, fed and goes to school.

The other one, no way. Totally depends on the child...

My Dsis only started to spend time on her own when she started secondary school then she was 3 months from being 12 and I live about 5 mins away, I drive past her school to get DD. So there was always someone near by.

No way would I let DD stay at home alone for 3 hours, she'd hate it and I would worry.

AwakeCantSleep8 I agree, every day is a bit much.

My DS picks DD up twice a week, on the other days she goes to after school club (she also goes to breakfast club every morning at a different club)
I think if it were every day it would be a bit much.

I do this because the clubs do not have spaces on two days a week so I have no other choice.

I have toyed with the option of this being the arrangement every evening, but have decided against this as I do not feel it would be fair on them to do it every day. The two days give them a sense of responsibility.

I did that from being seven. I was only at home until about 5.15 though. I didn't really mind, I used to sit and read a book or watch tv. There was a neighbour who was always at home that I could always go in to see if there was a problem or I wanted company.

I also stayed at home in the school holidays sometimes and I found that pretty lonely. I was a really sensible child though which is probably why my parents did it.

I think it depends on the child. I never leave my 9 year old at home for more than about 30 minutes, if I go out to the shops and he doesn't want to come. He wouldn't like to stay on his own for much longer than that and I wouldn't want him to either.

I think it depends on the child. Maybe the child in the OP really doesn't like after-school club and would prefer to go home and relax for a couple of hours?

It is not if something goes wrong,it's if it leaves them at risk.(with regard to being prosecuted).

It's not hard to demonstrate a under 10 is at risk if home alone

Out of interest, how old do people think is old enough to be left in the house for a short time - eg 15mins?

I am envisaged a child not having to do anything in that time but watch TV, read a book etc.

I'm not planning to do it any time soon, but was thinking about it this morning.

Our cm takes children up to the end of primary for before and after school care. My older grandson is 8 and dd would never contemplate leaving him at home alone for longer than 5/10 minutes.

This is clearly just a classic case of someone with tiny children not having a clue about children in an older age bracket. When you've got toddlers an 8 year old looks enormous and completely independent, and you routinely assume that it'll be completely trouble free to go back to work fulltime once your child has started primary school.

Aherdofmims - my 9.5 year old gets left for around 30-45 mins on the odd occasion. For example I'm dropping one of my other children to a friends house at the weekend, it'll take 20 mins round trip, if dd1 doesn't want to go, she can stay at home.

If my DD was off school with a cold I'd sometimes leave her in bed for 15/20 minutes while I did the school run with DS ffrom the age of 7.5-8ish. Literally lying in bed with a book, and the phone.

I can't believe a school would allow an 8yo to leave unaccompanied. My ds is in Y3 so in class with 7 and 8yos, and they are not even allowed to leave until someone over 16 picks them up. I think it's the same for Y4 at least too.

There's also no way I'd let an 8yo walk home alone unless there were no roads to cross, and it was a well-lit route etc.

bialystockandbloom
You have a very good point there, I know in my children's school they have to be in Yr 6 to leave the school unaccompanied.

DS has to go and pick DD up from her teacher.

Thanks.

That's what I was thinking of - a situation in future when DD (she's now 6 which is too young IMO but in a few years) doesn't want to come with me to drop her little brother somewhere, or nip to corner shop or if she is ill and I am taking him to nursery or later school.

Year 8; yes.
8 years old; no.

At my child's school they are encouraged to begin walking home unaccompanied from P4, which is age 7 to 8, they send letters home several times a year requesting that children be allowed to learn some independence this way where appropriate. Up to P3 they are walked out of school by the teacher, to the car park, where they must be met by an adult. But from P4 onwards it is made very clear that the school do not take responsibility for what happens after the child leaves the classroom. I don't know any schools round here who insist on P4 or older being met by an adult.

My son started walking home from the start of p3 when he was just turned 7. However we live very close to the school.

Im a childminder, I dont have LOs, as I work in Pre School till 1pm.
I do however have Kids after school they are 8 (9in a couple of weeks) yr old girl, a 9yr old boy and a 10 yr old boy, and occasionally his almost 13yr old sister in school holidays.

Personally I think 8 is too young to leave alone for more than perhaps 15-20 mins..
I started leaving my now 13 yr old son alone for half hour or so when he was 11ish.
Now my 16yr old son, I hate leaving him alone in the house on his own, (and no, hes has no SEN!!) as I'm never sure whether it it will still be standing when I get back, so try not to do that to often.

My son is 12 and I have only just (in the last six months or so) left him on his own while I go shopping for 30 mins or so. One day I week I have to go to London and he has a key in case I am late home - I am due back the same time he is, so if he doesn't stay at school eg to do homework in the library and my train is late he needs to be able to get in. He's beaten me home twice by about 5 minutes. I also left him to get my hair cut for about 45 minutes. My dh has been leaving him for a few years now to nip round to the petrol station and buy a paper (10 minutes round walk).

He walked home by himself from the summer term of year 5 (2 minutes, but involves crossing a busy road). I think he could have done from year 3 - the teachers only discharged the kids into the care of a parent/carer/older sibling (who can be Y7 onwards) until the end of year 2.

He would have been outraged if I had suggested he still go to a childminder once he got to secondary school...he was annoyed enough when I asked my ex-childminder's 15 year old daughter to babysit him one evening before Christmas.

Totally depends on the child. My DDs are 12. E I could have left home alone for long periods from around 6 or 7 - very sensible child, very independent. She goes into the city centre on Saturdays with her friends, walks to guides herself (could walk home most likely, but I don't like the pathway)... S I worry about if she is at school and her sister is off. She has the attention span of a knat, she still needs to be reminded about crossing roads and basic cooking mostly involves the smoke alarm and a lot of squealing in panic. I think she'll be around 30 before I'm not worried about her being left home alone.

At their school only P1 had to be collected. From P2 onwards it was down to the parents to choose. Very few children are collected beyond P3, the children are let out and there's no watching to see that they've been collected or anything. Most of them walk home themselves, only really the kids going with CM's get collected.

Hmm well I wouldn't do it,and certainly not regularly.
But I think it is a grey area and would depend very much on the child.