Leaving the DC at home alone

[LovelyBath77]

They are 12 and 8. I have left them for an hour or so in the past. But felt guilty. What age would you leave yours for an hour or two to shop or go to the gym?

Iccan't believe that kaniel went on a tear long shopping trip

I am leaving them in a mo to go round the co-op just round the corner, they are Ok playing together on the computer. That kind of thing i feel Ok with. Also my eldest will go to the shop for me sometimes and I stay with the youngest. I guess it is about going from there and seeing how they feel as well. I once went off for a bit of time an hour, and they were a bit worried, so have learnt from that. It's their confidence as well, i suppose.

Kaniel a year does seem rather long.

And i bet kaniel still came back without the main thing she went out for (i do that all the time

It depends on a number of factors, really. What would your child do if a stranger rang the bell? How would your child cope in a fire? Would your child do anything dangerous like have a go at cooking with sharp knives? Also, is there a crazy ex on the scene who might try to coax the child out of the house?

In my case, I was a very mature 8 year old and could have been left on my own for an agreed length of time. I would have just stayed put in one room and watched TV. I would also have known what to do in a fire. But it comes down to how well you know your kids' strengths and limitations individually and also how they act together.

As there are 2 DC, you have to consider whether they would look after each other in a difficult situation or not - siblings go through years of being cruel to each other. Depends what phase yours are in!

Do your DC know your neighbours? If there was a problem would they be able to call (via phone) and/or knock on the door? Leaving kids 'alone' is always easier if there's a community around them as a backup plan.

It depends on the kid - I was left alone in the house for bits of time from age 8 onwards.

From 9 onwards I'd go to school/back myself (20 min walk or 10 min cycle) and from 10 onwards I'd have the house to myself after school (till 6ish).

I was very independent and sensible though. With my brother, we didn't leave him home alone till like 12! He was pretty immature.

My 2 are the same age and I do leave them while I nip to the local shop. Just recently started leaving them for an hour or so in the school holidays while I go to the gym. Gym is 2 mins drive away, DS 1 has a phone and I keep my phone on me the whole time. They're both sensible and I usually find them just as I left them, glued to their tablet, tv or PlayStation!

The main rule I set is that they absolutely cannot have friends in while I'm gone. I'm fine with DS1 being responsible for his younger brother, but it's not right for him to be responsible for other kids.