To ask about leaving children home alone?

[ThisLittleKitty]

Whats the youngest you would leave a child home alone to pop to the shops? I know everyone's area is different so shops will be further away, but just looking for a general idea.

[JRUIN]

I would probably leave a mature 8yr old alone for up to 15 minutes if they were happily engrossed in something, but not a child any younger than that, unless I absolutely had to.

[AdalindSchade]

lil bit of an overreaction Gillian but knock yourself out

[Ollivander84]

I was 11 when I was going to the stables etc alone, had solo responsibility for my horse (parents not horsey!)
I was a sensible child though

[Sophisticatedsarcasm]

we leave my DS 10 alone for 20 odd minutes at the most. Usually to quickly run the dogs round the block or go to the shop. I used to stay on my own from aged 9 .

[Qvar]

GillianLouise, your opinion is a problem because you've stated it as fact, that's all.

And I AM genuinely concerned that you are a childcare profession who knows nothing about child protection

[Qvar]

GillianLouise, your opinion is a problem because you've stated it as fact, that's all.

And I AM genuinely concerned that you are a childcare profession who knows nothing about child protection

[gillianlouise1973]

Am going to apologize and I will never post any thing again, as am in the wrong but everything is only an opinion. Therefore every body can do what ever they want but as for me, I know where I stand the now, so that is fine. I will remove my self from this site. Sorry to of bothered you and I apologize for posting.

[stegosauruslady]

I leave DD2 (9) for twenty minutes or so with her older sister (11). We leave the 11 year old for an hour or two, she also gets the bus by herself.

[Thehogfather]

gillian if you don't want to do the same as many other parents of secondary age dc, and leave him whilst you work, that's up to you. But don't then complain about how tying it is. And certainly don't try and pretend it's the law.

And no, lots of us don't only work because we have family etc to provide childcare.

[AdalindSchade]

@gillianlouise1973 there is no 'child protection' that says you can't leave your child under 14. You can absolutely leave a 12 year old for short periods while you are working.

[gillianlouise1973]

Am feeling stupid yet, everybody has there opinion, yet mines is the one that cause concern, try working and having child care, every body I know have older children, gran-parents, aunts, uncles etc , who can help with child care, but when you do not have any of that close to hand and you are trying to do what you think is right, when its not. You are left feeling lonely, sad, and annoyed that you can not move with out some kind of criticism.

[gillianlouise1973]

May be I do not know how child protection works but May be I do not know the law but yet both are intertwined which makes it harder for me, to go any where, yet if you deem your child mature enough, you can leave your child and as long as they have means to take care of them selves, again child protection deem that you can not leave your child until they are 14 years old but what do you do, its a catch twenty-two, so that means, the now am not working because am stuck in and have no means to do any thing except wait for when my child is school or away visiting his dad, to do shopping. So look on the child protection sites and the law sites to see what they say as it is different for every body and you try and understand it from my position as a mother and a (ex- )early years worker, as it makes it hard for me. Try get a job that fits in the hours of 8.40am - 2.50pm, so you can be home for your child/children, who are too old for child care that ends at 12 years old, yet they are too young still to be on there own. Because you can not leave them on there own to early or any later. So what are you going to find wrong with this. Am on my own and I have little support.

[Qvar]

Hi, I have a 12 year old who can be left on his own for two hours but he has to know where am going, who with and how long and that he can get hold of me, through a mobile device - Am also a early years worker, so I know that he is mature enough for that length of time but the law states that he has to be mature enough to be left on his own, but he is still to young to be left on his own, 14 years old is when they can be left on there own and also baby sit. The chances of being charge with child neglect is a possibility and therefore parents need to know about child protection. Its a hard choice but what ever you do, know the law and child protection before you do any thing. Found on any sites that state the law and council sites for schools and nurseries. hope this is of some use. It helps me when I had to work.

this post terrifies me, because you claim to be a childcare professional and yet you know NOTHING of child protection law or how to apply it.

[Qvar]

I can see the shop from my front door and vice versa, so from seven ish for a sensible NT child. They could just run and get me if any issues. Older for a kid with additional needs, or a complete pickle.

[Strokethefurrywall]

14 years old is when they can be left on there own -
What. A. Load. Of. Bollocks.

[italiancortado]

14 years old is when they can be left on there own

No. It is not.

Why do people keep repeating this? It's absolute bollocks.

[gillianlouise1973]

Hi, I have a 12 year old who can be left on his own for two hours but he has to know where am going, who with and how long and that he can get hold of me, through a mobile device - Am also a early years worker, so I know that he is mature enough for that length of time but the law states that he has to be mature enough to be left on his own, but he is still to young to be left on his own, 14 years old is when they can be left on there own and also baby sit. The chances of being charge with child neglect is a possibility and therefore parents need to know about child protection. Its a hard choice but what ever you do, know the law and child protection before you do any thing. Found on any sites that state the law and council sites for schools and nurseries. hope this is of some use. It helps me when I had to work.

[blackeyes72]

I have done similar to most on here. I leave my 8 and 10 year old together for max half an hour or so if I need to drop off and they are busy watching a film. This is rare though as generally I take the 8 year old with me or 13 year old is there and keeps a close eye on them.

[HungerOfThePine]

Mummyontherun86 you are right my dd isn't quite nt but it's yet to be confirmed what is going on, in this case she really wasn't listening even though she responded when told. In one ear and out the other.

[Mummyontherun86]

@hungerofpine I think your daughter is unusual in being upset by being left while adults are literally just in the garden. No judgement, but my pre-schoolers are able to come in and out of the garden in the summer to get a drink, go to the loo, find me loading the dishwasher. We don’t have a huge garden and I’m fortunate my kitchen has big windows and patio doors overlooking the garden... but from friends and neighbours I’d say 3/4 yes most children are capable of finding their responsible adult in another part of the house or garden.

[PoisonousSmurf]

With my DDs it was from when they were at least 11 years old. But never for more than an hour.
Now they are 16 and 13 if it's half term and I need to work, then the longest is 4 hours.
But for some weird reason I'm more anxious about going out for the day with hubby and leaving the kids alone as I think that if we had a bad car accident, then they'd be left all alone and the only people they'd see next would be a police officer.
So, I don't mind going out by myself and leaving DDs but never with my husband.
Lol! I don't think I'll ever relax until they are both adults!

[Echobelly]

Our shop round the corner is about 25 metres away, so TBH there were times I popped out to buy things needed for dinner when the kids were tiny and asleep and my DH wasn't home yet! They both slept like rocks and never got up to ask for anything, though they do occasionally now, and it was literally no more than 2 minutes.

These days if I need a something I more usually send out DD, now 9, to get it, as she loves the responsibility (and I love the not having to go to the shop). Planning to let her walk to choir practice that starts before school, and back from a midweek evening class, about a mile, next term when it is lighter, a) because she'll have to be making her own way to and from secondary school in less than 18 months' time, so I want her to get used to it and b) it just makes logistics easier.

DS, 6, is not very mature and occasionally a bit wild, so it might be a couple of years before I'd leave them both alone for longer than 10 mins or so.

[basilbrushe]

DS is about to turn eight and I’ve left him alone when he was sick

That's seriously shocking. Honestly what on Earth were you thinking about? A sick 7yo. Alone!

[HungerOfThePine]

My dd is almost 8 I can't imagine leaving her for a length of time until she is around 10.

I sometimes leave her in the house so I can sort car out or if I'm in the garden could be anything from 10-45mins but she has every opportunity to shout at me from the window or come outside as I leave back door open.

One time her dgp left her in the house while they did their gardening, they had told her but when they came in half hour later she was hiding behind the sofa crying as she didn't know where they were.
She hadn't taken in what they said and never looked for them beyond the house.

I think it's a case by case thing.

I was frequently left alone or with older siblings from age of 7 I managed not to come to much harm.