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?

Hercule are you sure it wasn't the waiting area for a@e on a Friday night?

If someone had sat down next to your DC and said something inappropriate or - god forbid - touched them inappropriately

Your children are at a bigger risk from this sitting on your sofa at home with your family and friends.

FrancisCrawford

I don’t think so. Hospitals are the one place people with serious health conditions which might affect behaviour have to go. You are more likely to see someone behaving oddly in a hospital than a shop. Having said that, I don’t leave my children alone in shops for 15 minutes.

I wouldn’t leave my children in the waiting room under the age of 10 personally.
But I do work at a hospital and I suppose that means I’ve been exposed to the worst case scenarios which would make me reluctant to leave my DC

Agree well behaved 7 and 8 year old can absolutely be left in the waiting room with iPads using headphones - volume quiet enough not to block out the sound of someone calling to them in case of highly unlikely emergency. Arrive early and make them go to the toilet ten minutes before your appointment time.

Whereas I have seen people swearing, shouting, soiling themselves etc. It’s great that you have been more fortunate
I really don't think a child is more likely to encounter this in an outpatient waiting room than waiting for you outside the toilets in Asda.

I'd happily leave 8yo DS in those circs. Would make sure he knows which consultancy room I was in. Leaving two can be a bit trickier if they have a tendency to argue but the iPad and headphones should help

WaxOnFeckOff

Statistically a person is more likely to be assaulted by a family member than anyone else, but that depends on the family member. On an individual level, a child with a stable family situation without step-dads who have been there for 3 months is more at risk of inappropriate behaviour from strangers. What I am saying is, I don’t leave my kids alone in waiting rooms when they are 7. Others can do as they like.

AbbyHammond

I wouldn’t leave my 7 year old alone in ASDA.

hercule by 8 children need to be able to go into toilets and changing rooms alone - you can't make an 8 year old boy go into the ladies with you. At some point you have to let some anxiety go.

I don't think the hospital will be happy with that. We don't allow any non patient under 18 to be without an adult.

Exactly Toddlerteaplease This is what I’m trying to get across: it’s ultimately not the OP’s decision but the hospital’s. OP, as other posters advised, it would be a good idea to check the hospital policy before going.

AbbyHammond

Which is why, if my 8 year old needed the loo, I’d stick my head in to make sure it looked kosher, then tell him I was right outside. The two situations aren’t comparable.

herculepoirot2 if you were in a pediatric waiting area with an 8 year old son and without his father, which toilet would he go to if he needed to go?

FrancisCrawford

I’m not a particularly casual observer. I can spot an alcoholic or a crackhead at 100 paces 😂

And I have no intention of stigmatising anybody. I am just not going to leave my children alone in a place I know is unpredictable. Hospitals are.

Our hospital doesn't allow unsupervised children under 14 incase of emergency as staff need to attend to patients from all over the hospital which doesn't leave much time to be rounding up random kids.

Yes it's unlikely and personally I'd be alright with leaving mine from about 10 as long as they could be trusted to stay put and to follow instructions from staff if needs but I do think it's a sensible rule given the environment.

anothernotherone

He would go to the men’s or boys’ toilets, but that isn’t the same. I would be immediately available if he needed me, I would have seen who went in before us, I would see who went in after. He would be out of my sight but still under my care. That isn’t the case here.

This is a none argument because they won’t let you leave your kids unattended in the waiting room. Just take them in with you

Non argument!!!

FrancisCrawford

Of course those things happen. All we can do is look at risk. From my perspective, it is less risky to take my children into a slightly crowded consultation room than it is to leave them outside, and that peace of mind outweighs the inconvenwince. For others, obviously it’s different.

*inconvenience

My friend was systematically abused by her uncle. A very respectable man, on the outside.

Same. Now serving a long sentence.