Leaving kids at home

[Nodancingshoes]

After some opinions - very, very undecided on this. I have 2 children aged 12 and 8. I have sorted the summer holidays with a mixture of annual leave and family help but have 1 week left. I will need to be at work for 6.5 hours on 3 of the days. Work is a 10 minute walk away from my house. Would you leave them at home?? My sister says yes but I am wary... We do leave them for short periods such as when we go to the supermarket. I think they will be ok but I guess I'm worried what others might think!

I would put the 8 year old in holiday club and leave 12 year old Home, they rarely surface before noon tbh!

I'd send the 8 year old to holiday club (they don't get a choice - except which holiday club if more than 1!).

The 12 year old is fine to stay at home on their own but should be encouraged to make plans with friends so not on their own all day. If they don't have plans, it might be nice to pop home at lunch time if you can (this advice based on my 12 year, who is fine in terms of maturity to be left all day, but has a tendency to get bored).

Do they not have friends’ houses they could go to? I think being 12 and having responsibility for an 8 year old for that length of time is too difficult. If they don’t like the holiday club I’d definitely try and arrange for at least the younger one to go friends’ houses - three different friends would mean not imposing on one person and you could easily offer to return the favour another day?

Well if the 12yo isn’t responsible for the 8yo then they are looking after themselves so either way it’s not on.