AIBU 9 & 7 yr olds shouldn't ge left alone??

[eeyoreandpooh]

AMIBU to think it's not right to leave a 9yr old and 7yr old alone playing in a park while you go to the shop? Said shop is a car drive away - not just round the corner or over the road

If they're sensible kids I don't see a problem?

I used to go to the park with my brother when we were those ages, and in those days we didn't have mobile phones or anything.

I think that's fine, depending on how trustworthy they are.

I leave my ten and seven year olds at home while I nip to the shop.

Why not?
Even see children that age walking too and from school. Going to the shops. Playing out.

Come to think of it, me and my brother used to go swimming together at those ages too.

Yep, I'd do it if it was local and familiar.

I wouldn't leave them alone, personally I think 9 is still too young to be responsible for a sibling and 7 is way too young to be unsupervised.

Fair enough, thank you:)

I think it's fine.

I think if they are sensible it should be fine, wouldn't do it myself though and I would hope they had been left with a phone incase of emergencies.

I don't see why not.

I probably wouldn't leave them at home together at that age. I probably wouldn't leave the 7yo at home alone, either. There's more things that can go wrong at home, though.

A park is a public place, and if an accident did happen, there would likely be an adult to help, if needed.

My DC have gone on errands for me and to the park without me from about 8.

For a while, we lived near a park, and when we heard the icecream van, I would give them some money, and they'd run off to get icecream, which was lots of fun for them. Now we live over the road from some woods, and they often play hide and seek in the woods. The 13yo and 11yo, mostly. The 15yo is less into that sort of thing!

I leave my two of the same age alone for up to half an hour. When I was little it was more like half a day.

Yes I think it's fine.

At 9 with a 7 year old brother we were everywhere and anywhere within a mile radius and only came home when we were hungry. No phones either.

I personally wouldnt in a park. I might leave them on their own home to go to sainsburys if they didnt want to come. My sainsburys is across the road though.

I would, if they're sensible enough.

I let my 10 yr old walk my 5 yr old to school sometimes. Is that wrong?

Personally I wouldnt (as a parent of a 9 & 7 yr old) however I do leave them in the house if popping to the shop.

I personally wouldn't. Why take the risk? She can go to the shops with them can't she?

I am a lone parent and have always taken my ds with me wherever I go. However, one time, when DS was about 7 or 8, he was not feeling well and was resting on the sofa watching a DVD. I'd run out of Calpol so went to the local supermarket, about a 5 min walk away. I'd dialled my mobile phone from the home phone and left it with him so he could talk to me whenever he wanted. However, while I was in Sainsburys the line cut off for some reason. So I grabbed the Calpol, plus a few essentials and hurried back home to find him looking out of the window for me sobbing his heart out. I'll never forget that, felt absolutely awful.

DS is 10 now and he practically begs me to go to the shop while he stays at home, 1. because he hates shopping and 2. cos he feels like the big lad at home alone. I hardly ever do although when I was his age I would quite often be at home all day long during the holidays, looking after my 5 year old sister.

Of course it should be fine.

But you can't. Because in the unlikely event something happened there would then be an investigation by SS/police. As a carer I don't leave children alone under 14 at home, even after then only for short spells.

I wouldn't leave mine in a park alone. They are 7 and 10. I do leave them in the house for up to 30 minutes but I'd worry too much to leave them somewhere outside.

I know most accidents happen in the home but my brain shows me awful things that could go wrong if I left them in a park, but if I leave them in front of Minecraft the worst that will happen is they will bicker.

Depends on the dcs and the park. i would leave mine, but the park is a tiny one on our smallish estate, 100yards from the front door and surrounded by people they have known their whole lives. There is probably a dozen houses that they could call without even crossing a road where they know the adults from school or because they are the parents of friends. I wouldn't leave them in the 'town' park.

"As a carer I don't leave children alone under 14 at home"

Do you mean while looking after other people's children? Or your own? If your own, then, well, I am lost for words really.

Cannot in a million years imagine applying them rules to my own DC (15, 13, and 12). There would be howls of protest. From everyone.

I'm a foster carer so don't (and can't)

OK clearly there are rules attached to foster caring. They don't necessarily apply to everyone tho.

For example, there is no law or rule against leaving children of any specific age at home alone. So actually, you can leave them even if they are under 14yo, based on your assessment that they are not at risk of harm. A 10 year old for 30 mins? Fine. A 2 year old for a day? Not so much.