Would your ten year old be happily left at home with an older sibling?

[Fourarmsv2]

I'd like to go out for a walk this morning. I wouldn't go far and I'd be out for an hour. I have a mobile. DS2 can work a phone.

DH is away.

DS2 (10) doesn't want to be left in the house without a parent. He probably won't even move out of his bed in the next hour (has breakfast and an iPad). His older brother (12) is home.

Would your 10 year old be happily left or AIBU to ask him?

Thanks sunny I've never told anyone that. I stopped crying about him beating me up when I realised no one believed me. He was golden boy, head boy at school, married his childhood sweetheart, has perfect life, good career as lawyer etc. I got put in foster care at 14. Taken back then kicked out at 16.6 at 8 weeks pregnant. I don't blame him, just wonder if behind closed doors he's evil to his family or if there was just something about me that made him think practising karate on me, a foot shorter, six stone lighter was his only vice. But hey, he's a success and I am a mess so have no avenue to comment or be listened to, or believed.

Fortunately we don't even have to see each other at Christmas any more as my parents wait till he's gone before inviting me over as he doesn't want his family exposed to me.

I have a middle older brother I would have been and was perfectly happy to be alone with. Still spend time with etc. So I don't think there is anything wrong with using older siblings as sitters. Just wanted to get it off my chest that even as teens some kids aren't quite what they seem and some sibling rivalries might have more sinister roots than typical spats and competitiveness.

My 11-year-old stays at home with his 14-year-old sibling sometimes when dh & I go out.

Either a couple of hours into town or a night out - and they're fine. Dd is sensible & ds does what she tells him.

He recently let himself in from school (our childminder was sick) & made himself toast before Dd came home an hour later & he was fine.

Next year he's for "big school" so we really need to start leaving him for a while to see how he copes.

So yes, long way of saying as long as he's OK with his sibling then I'd leave him ☺

Decaff, I come from a large family & the brother closest to me in age was a bully to me. Pushing me down the stairs, jumping on my foot, scratching me etc...

My mum made sure we were never alone for any length of time - it's only now that I'm 40 & he's 45 that we can manage to sit in the same room. He just hated me.

I have an age gap (and older step DC) so mine have happily been babysat by older siblings but they were a fair bit older.

I am just under 3 years older than my sister. I started being left at home "in charge" for short periods from the age of 12/13 and she was always very happy probably because it was an unspoken agreement that biscuits were unlimited when they were usually very much limited. However, we generally got on well and although we did bicker, I was much nicer to her when I was alone with her because I felt responsible. I have friends whose kids will not be nice to one another when a parent's back is turned. I wonder if this could be an issue in your case. Is your older DS responsible and do they get on well?

I leave my 10 year old with her 14 year old sister.

I've never left her for a night out yet, but she's happy for us to leave her while we run errands, supermarket shop, she lets herself in after school and is happy enough until her sister gets in 10/15 minutes later. She starts secondary school in September so we've been working towards more independence for a while

They get on pretty well, they're both pretty sensible, we have a lovely neighbour on standby and neither DH or I are far away so so far so good

My almost 8 year old is happy being left with either teen - 14 and 16. We've been leaving the teens in charge increasingly over the last year, when I realised I was babysitting very small non siblings in farmhouses all around at the same age without a)being able to drive and b) no mobile phones.

Dh remembers "babysitting" his younger sister when she was in a cot - he's only 6 years older than her so couldn't have been old enough to be left in charge.

Recently when we mentioned it during an evening with his parents, his sister was horrified but his mum laughed saying it was what they did in those days...!

My 10 yr old dd is fine with being left with her older brothers. She gets left for a couple of hours when I am working. The only thing she complains about is that I won't allow her to have her friends round to play when I am not there.

My two do fight, but so far they haven't when left alone. They tend to be on games consoles in different rooms playing together.

They aren't both primary age - Y5 and Y7.

The biggest hassle is usually friends calling and then wanting to go out whilst we're out which I won't allow.

In the end DS2 thoroughly enjoyed his walk which ended up being more like three hours with no rush. DS1 was fine by himself :)