Leaving 11 year old home alone for 2 hours?

7 replies

Digestivescusturds · 21/04/2018 22:17

DD is starting secondary school this year, she’ll be 12 in October. I work till 5 so DC will go to my DM’s house but DD says she would rather be at home since there isn’t much to do there. But I do worry if something were to happen say walking home I wouldn’t know until 5. Is anyone else’s DC home alone until they get back from work?

OP posts:

negomi90 · 21/04/2018 22:21

Give her a phone, it doesn't need to be a smart phone.
She'll be doing more independently anyway and having a phone will mean you can get hold of her.
Then she goes home and texts you when she gets there or you can call her if you're worried.

NewYearNewMe18 · 21/04/2018 22:21

Mine were at that age.

It depends on the child. In reality they aren't going to be home for two hours, often there will be homework clubs or sports or music practice etc , then there's the walk it's self.

What do you think is going to happen on the walk? And dare I say it, she'll have her phone? She could go to your DMs if something happens.

hairymorag · 21/04/2018 22:22

My DS starts secondary school in September. He is going to have to use pubic transport to get there. As part of preparing for this he has his own keys and walks to and from school. He is at home for a couple of hours twice a week when we are at work. He has our contact numbers and I call him to make sure he is in the house. He will get his own mobile too in the next month. That will make communication easier.

Atthebottomofthesea · 21/04/2018 22:26

Mine does. Admittedly only one day a week as normally dh is there. Currently she uses public transport. I think she does text dh to say where she is. She now has a Sim only contract. She was burning through the payg.

sothisisspring · 21/04/2018 22:27

Sounds fine, I got the public bus back across town and let my self in the house as soon as I started secondary. I was home about 2 hours. My Nan was only a 5 mins walk away though. Do you have any friendly neighbours who she could approach if she had a problem? We have some nice ones and some (who look nice) but are in fact super mean around here. If you got her a phone she could text you when she got home the first few times for reassurance?

Imnoth3r3 · 21/04/2018 22:49

I agree with giving her a phone and letting her go home...maybe just for your peace of mind she can start of doing in only one or two days a week to see how she goes?

adaline · 21/04/2018 22:56

I don't know anyone at school who didn't do that at 11. We all had working parents and there was no childcare for that age range.

It's fine

Flip