Children in waiting rooms

[BigRedLondonBus]

Dd has some regular hospital appointments at the moment but I have no child care so it means taking all 4 children to the hospital with me. It’s abit of a nightmare what age would it be acceptable to leave children in the waiting room whilst we have the actual appointment?

In a couple of clinics I have been to recently (ENT, Dermatology) they had children's play areas but had signs saying children must not be left unattended. (Same hospital).

my2bundles

I would reschedule for when they were in school, or hire a sitter. I wouldn’t leave them, because I don’t think it is appropriate.

I was left in many hospital waiting rooms as a child, normally in a place I could see the receptionist so any strange characters wouldn't bother me. It's done no harm and because of a few reasons I would do it about 2-3 times a week from age 7. Nothing ever happened and I was far more interested in my book. Most hospitals have cctv and security.

hercule No it's not. It's not expecting someone to ensure that they don't wander off or to stop them making a noise etc. It;s just being a normal member of society that wouldn't leave someone behind in a fire.

As I said, I'm not the most tolerant of people but I am a normal member of society that ensures that vulnerable people are helped.

Don’t children play out unsupervised at 7/8? I know they do around here. There aren’t any signs. I don’t think it’s the same as leaving them at home as I could be gone a couple of hours (buses to hospital) whereas the appointment is 10 minutes. I can not rearrange.

This is like that thread where no one on mumsnet would let their teenagers go for a walk in local woodland trails because of all the rapists, flashers and muggers.

It's 10 minutes. Of course something catastrophic COULD happen but back in the real world, kids can wait alone for 10 or 15 minutes in a waiting room, where for almost all of its lifetime, nothing terrible has happened.

WaxOnFeckOff

I wouldn’t leave them behind in a fire. That’s not the point. I would never expect someone else to be responsible for my children just because I happen to be a nice person who would step in if I had to. We’re not talking about whether the nice people would do something. We’re talking about whether it’s appropriate to rely on the kindness of strangers, as it were.

Hercule rescheduling often means being put back on a waiting list for several months. I don't have funds for a sitter 😕 my kids are fine in a waiting game room for 10 minutes, I'm not going to delay an appointment.

I've been waiting 5 months for an appointment for one of my DC. It's an hour away. If I had some younger DC, I'd rather take them and leave them alone for 10 mins in a waiting room than up to 3 hours home alone. It's not as easy just to get an appointment at a different time.

BigRedLondonBus

I wouldn’t let my 7 year old play out unsupervised, no. Where I was brought up it was rough as, and we live on a main road. Hospitals are places where you can’t rely on others, unfortunately, so I wouldn’t do it. However, you seem determined, so...

hercule I'm not sure what point you are trying to make here.

my2bundles

Assuming no rule against it, that is your call. My call is a no.

WaxOnFeckOff

Really? I think I’m being pretty clear.

I'm. other going g to stop doing something I've successfully been doing for 10 years just beca use someone on the Internet finds it unacceptable.

If you cancel an outpatient appointment in some specialties if it's your first appointment you'll be de-listed and even for a follow up you may wait 6 or 8 months
For a chronic condition that needs regular monitoring that's a risk far greater than leaving your child somewhere perfectly safe for ten minutes

my2bundles

That’s also up to you. The OP is asking strangers. Whether or not she is just looking for validation of what she is going to do anyway is another matter, but she did ask.

Hercule if God forbid one of your kids needs an urgent appointment which cannot wait and you have no childcare I'm pretty sure you will change your mind.

I would happily do it (and have) from 7/8+. As parents we know our own dc best. I’m sure some kids would run off or make a distraction, but plenty would sit just fine with a phone / book / tablet, and that’s a judgment call for each parent to make.

my2bundles

I’d just take them in. I don’t know any doctor’s consultation room which won’t fit in two well-behaved kids on ipads.

There’s 5 of us in total and a pram. We didn’t all fit we had to squeeze in and stand. Like I said was a pita and distracting which is why I was asking if it was ok for them to wait outside for 10 mins.

I don’t get you, OP. You are asking, but you seem fairly entrenched in your position (that it’s fine). Just do it if you think it’s fine.

And the pram doesn’t have to go in if the kids don’t, surely?

It's fine bigredbus.

For goodness sake it is for 10 minutes in a waiting room, usually with a person at the desk. Whatever do some folk think is going to happen 10 minutes? Why also do you think that other waiting people will be made to feel responsible? Of course you can leave them playing quietly on tablets. I bet the adults waiting will be making more noise chatting than they do. The only stipulation I would make is that if someone needed a seat they should let them have one.

I will be doing it. I’m just wondering if others would do it. Dd does need to stay in the pram actually.