To leave almost 8 year old in house alone while I go to the shop?

[Weebitawks]

So I want to pop to the shop (less than 5 minute walk) to get some nice things in for us for breakfast. DS7 (almost 8) understandably doesn’t want to get dressed and come. Would I be unreasonable to just take toddler DS?

DS is sensible and would I imagine just sit in front of the telly. I don’t think he’d get up to anything and I’d lock the door. I’ve just never done it before so I don’t know?

Sorry for boring post.

They can in the UK christmassnow is there somthing you've read to suggest otherwise? My children's school are aware of our bus stop arrangements.

NOT IN THE UK
Which bit?

At our local pools 8 yr old don't need an adult and kids can walk to school and back from the beginning of KS2 if parents send a letter of permission in.

hell yes.

8yo is too young.

In year 7 so 11/12 I would expect DS2 to walk home from school.

And if I was late back, this would include getting himself a snack and drink. He can make toast and nuke stuff in the microwave, all medicines are in a locked box and he knows not to lick the bleach.

But I have worked on this slowly since he was 9 and a bit and I went to the corner shop and back.

He is at the age and maturity now where I would leave him for up to an hour - 11 year 6, and over the next academic year I will be increasing it to 2 hours maximum.

But we have done a lot of, well if X happened what would you do? It has been slowly built up.

He can go to the shop and the park, walk up the lane to the common and I will leave him plugged into fortnite while I go to the shops.

I’m ancient obviously but I used to walk to school and back on my own at 7. And there was nobody at home when I got in as my mother was teaching at a different school. She would get in 30 mins later. So if your child isn’t sensible, yes, why not.

My 7 yr Old won’t even go to the toilet/upstairs by herself! She wouldn’t let me leave her! I wouldn’t anyway.

I'd leave my nearly 9 yr old, very sensible dd alone for a max of 20 mins if she wanted. Our front door lock is tricky tho so we'd need to practice that random at other escape routes, just in case! I also have a completely wild 5 year old whom I can't ever envision leaving alone!

I did exactly this for the first time today. Needed to go out to buy lunch, DD age 8 did not want to change into outdoor clothes so asked me to leave her behind. She pointed out that she had supervised herself for the previous five hours while I was upstairs working. An extra 20 minutes alone wasn't going to be an issue.

I think to let an 8 year old walk to and from school and to go to the swimming pool alone is awful. Sorry.
But i feel sorry for thise children.
Im surprised schools and swimming pools allow this. What if something happened.

Im surprised schools and swimming pools allow this. What if something happened.

There are lifeguards around for this very purpose! Why on earth wouldn't you let your 8 year old experience some basic independence in a safe environment?

Yes, they’re hardly swimming in the local quarry.

Take the kid with you ffs.

I've left my dd alone for short periods of time like that since she was 7. She's not supposed to answer the door, and I do leave the back door unlocked in case of fire, 'cos I worry about stuff like that. How else do you ease kids in to independence?

There are lifeguards around for this very purpose!
Quite.

To be honest when mine were younger I would go with them but sit in the cafe observation area. From 8 I didn't always go in the pool with them though.

Just no

Lifeguards cant help your child feel safe.
In the changing rooms.

Crossing roads on the way to and from school. What if the child felt poorly or was bullied or just well anything really

You sound quite anxious?

You could all get killed on the car journey home. What do you think is going to happen in the changing room? Kids get bullied at school, it’s not limited to the walk home.

We can all only speak from our own experiences though, and every child is different, and everyone’s journey to and from school will pose different hazards. Your views are just as valid as my own.

"Take the kid with you ffs."

FFS what a stupid reply - you could keep taking them with you until they are 32, but at some point you need to let your child learn some independence and it's an entirely fair and sensible parenting milestone to consider when that point should come. I've just started leaving my 8yo for 15 mins or so. He's sensible and there are about 50 neighbours he could call on in an emergency, and also the risk of coming out on his bike in the dark with me is exponentially higher than staying at home.

I wouldn’t. I’ve only just started leaving my eldest who is 12. Won’t leave my middle one who is 10.

I’ve done this recently with my nearly 9YO DS and my 7YO DD when she was feeling poorly. In both cases only to drop the other at a club; I checked they knew what to do if a fire breaks out, and who to call if I wasn’t back after a certain time.

Some of these replies are bordering on ridiculous. I have left my very sensible DD alone for short periods since she was 8. She is now nearly 10 and often walks to school (very close by) or the local shop (ditto) by herself and I would happily leave her for probably up to 1 hour by herself now. Children need some independence! You also need to judge on a case by case basis- some of her friends could not be left alone yet.

100% No

I would. 100%

When did we as a society get so fearful? I would from 8 ish if the child sensible and ok about being left. Dd 10 and have done occasionally to run errands / take her sister to sports clubs for about 18 months. . She is very chilled and mature one of her friends was horrified so would never leave her if I was her parent.

@MsTSwift Whenever I bring that up, people say it's more dangerous now or there's more accidents, but the statistics just don't bear it out. What's really happening is there's a mass delusion that if you let children do certain things you're a bad parent and that scares us to do or not do certain things