To consider leaving my dds on their own for 30 mins in the morning?

[BoBoo]

DDs currently year 5 and 6 and at the moment, I need to leave for work just after 8am and they go to breakfast club. I am considering letting them stay at home by themselves for half an hour after I leave, when they would then walk themselves to school.

Both are very sensible, especially the eldest. She has a mobile, so could contact me if needed and our neighbour works from home so would be there if needed in case of an emergency. This would save us around £200 a month, which would be lovely, but I am also keen to increase responsibility and independence in preparation for secondary school next year. They are both comfortable with the idea. Do other people do similar, or AIBU?

I would. Dd1 is in year 6 and walks home alone and lets herself in for an hour and a half. Takes herself off to dancing once a week.
The only suggestion i would make is a key safe at a height they can reach with a memorable combination.

My dd1 started walking to school by herself when she was year 5. She's one of the oldest in the year and we didn't start it in September, so I think she was 10 by the time she started doing it. She had to cross one big ish road but she went to a safe place and crossed sensibly. It worked well for her. She was happier doing that than going to breakfast club (she still had to go to after school club until year 6).

I would allow it as long as the route is fairly safe. Would there be other kids walking their route to school as well? Is school happy with them walking on their own? We just had a message from school that year 4 and under MUST be dropped off and collected by an adult, but year 5 and 6 are permitted to walk alone as long as the parents sign a consent form to say it is their decision.

I wouldn't, I think they're too young. I think back to how immature/naive I was at that age and there's just no way.

If something untoward happened, they'd feel guilty, and it isn't their fault because they're children. I don't think that's fair.

My kids used to go to a lower school. Middle school,starts in year 5 and kids would always walk to school by themselves then. They had to cross a busy road (via a zebra crossing) as well.

Put a tracker on the mobile and check where they are by 9 o'clock

I think back to how immature/naive I was at that age and there's just no way.

Funny, I think the opposite, at age 9/10 my friends and I were getting the bus into the city centre to go shopping or to the cinema or swimming. This was the 70s, we didn't even have a house phone never mind a mobile! I was so much more mature than I think kids are allowed to be nowadays.

My dd's are year 7+8 and I wouldn't.

We have a middle school system here and walking to and from school alone or with friends from about the second week in year 5 is normal here.

If they are sensible and you set an alarm, then yes, do it, especially saving £200 a month. That would have a massive impact in our household!

They are far too young to be left. I'd say they are too young to go to school alone as well.

My only concern with it would be two of them. I always found my twins much more unreliable when they were both there than if there was just one of them.

How bossy is the elder one? Have you left them together before? Is the younger one likely to play up? How would they each react if the other did something against the rules?

I think it's fine. My ds school has a list of independent travellers, allowed from y5. Many children travel to school on their own (north London). They check they are all in school as a priority, can you let school know to check?
You can also use an app on a phone to track them en route and it can notify you when they arrive.

WaxOnFeckOff yes me too, I'm actually horrified at how little my kids are able to do compared to me at that age. What's acceptable socially to allow your kids to do has changed, and as a result they have a fraction of the common sense that I'd built up by 9/10. I was off shopping in town with a friend, taking the bus in, from 8. I still have friends in other countries whose young kids have huge independence from a young age, it's only in the UK that we've got so paranoid I think.

Year 7 and 8 April! . Blimey, any reason why not?

Not age 5 and 6. Way too young to be left alone in that way. Anything could happen, simply too much responsibility for a 6 year old, let alone 5! Sorry OP, big no from me. As a teacher I'd be really worried to discover this arrangement going on. As responsible adult you need to come up with plan B.

Can you get one of those internet front door locks, so it tells you when it was last locked and you can unlock it/lock it from your phone. It might be helpful if things go a bit pear shaped on the locking up after themselves front, or needing to get back in etc

Definitely yes - you'll be hindering them if they have to learn that overnight at the start of y7.

willy they are not 5 and 6.

Oops misread, thought you meant 5 & 6 year olds....! 10 years old is different but like another poster mentioned I wouldn't like them starting the day alone.

Not age 5 and 6.

Indeed, NOT age 5 and 6, year 5 and 6.

Why do people who do not even read the OP properly feel qualified to comment?

They wouldn't be starting the day alone. I assume the OP would wake them, make sure they have breakfast, clean teeth etc, then leave them for all of half an hour before they then make their way to school.

I don’t know. Getting themselves ready, remembering stuff, maybe forgetting somethings, I wouldn’t personally but it’s borderline so you know your kids. Is there any way they could do breakfast club or go with a friend?

We didnt have this issue in the morning but when my youngest son was in Year 5 he came home from school on his own and was alone for 30 mins till his older brother came in Year 7. They were fine

I think children live up to or down to expectations. If they're constantly getting the message that they couldn't possibly cope with this or that then they start to believe it. On the other hand, if you've considered the practicalities, talked it through with them and they're happy with it then I don't see why you wouldn't do it.

I was younger than your eldest dropping my younger brother and sister to school each morning, probably only a ten minute walk to be fair but still. My mother would get up in time to check we were fed, washed and hair brushed but we had no mobile phones or way of contacting her once we'd left the house and I can assure you schools had a much more laissez faire attitude to absence back in the 80s. Honestly it was fine! Try a couple of "dry runs" to iron out any kinks and if that works well then go for it.

I wouldn't do this at all, I'm clearly in a minority here but I'm quite surprised to find that. I will leave my 11 year old alone in the house for an hour or so but the thought of leaving him, responsible for a younger child, needing to get out at a certain time with the correct stuff and turning off/locking everything appropriately is just too much - and that's before any worries about the walk to school (Scotland, so pitch dark all winter), fires, intruders, zombies etc. There is a breakfast club available they should go until secondary. Your plan relies on other people keeping an eye out for your children, I dont think that's ok.

I started this with DS at similar age. Minor things that have happened in the year since started: left fridge door open, opened door to neighbour (instructions were not to open door to anyone if we’re not in), left back door unlocked, panicked phone call about location of PE kit, left lights on. All only once (except the lights which drives me insane!!). Also he is supposed to read but of course spends whole time on Xbox !! We text each other during my commute to check in etc