How old is old enough to stay home while the parents go out to dinner?

[Notthetoothfairy]

Is 10 (with a slightly younger sibling) too young, if left with a mobile phone?

You were seriously considering leaving a 7 year old at home? I am shocked.

I was wondering when is too old for holiday clubs in school hols and thinking 14 would be ok but not sure about the (will then be) 11 year old

14 year olds can legally look after 11 year olds. But your 14 year old at that point will want to be going out with their friends rather than sitting at home minding their sibling.

Plus, I would only leave them home together if - at that point in the future - they have a good relationship. If they fight all the time, no way.

And I’m surprised to hear you think 7 is only ‘slightly’ younger than 10...

32

I'd be OK with that if more or less next door, but feels a bit young otherwise, and I'm pretty liberal about these things.

Obviously depends on the kids a bit, but I can imagine we might leave DD with brother (3 years younger) for local jaunts like dinner or cinema when she's 12 or 13. She's 11 now and we already have left her alone for a few hours in the daytime with a friend of same age and phone (when she didn't want to see a film with the rest of us), or with her brother when popping out to local shops for 15-20 mins.

Too young. 12 if on his own, 14 if in charge of a younger child.

Find another babysitter, it's not difficult.

Is there a relative or a school friend of your child's family that could have them? Explain what has happened and that there is a takeaway treat in it if they would have your kids.

Definitely not ok. And I don’t think leaving a 10year old for a couple of hours in the evening is ok either. I have a 10 year old and an 8 year old and I don’t leave them on their own at all yet. 10 year old on there own, yes, but not together for 2 hours at bedtime for the first time!

If the 7 year old would have been in bed then I’d have said yes by you can’t let the 10 year old put them to bed.

Ten and seven definitely not. Don't put that kind of responsibility on a ten year old. Fourteen for responsibility for a sibling if the eldest is responsible and the youngest isn't a pain in the arse, and they get on okay.

7 and 10?! I’m surprised you have to ask.

7 is not slightly younger than 10 🙄

Fwiw, I would leave my 10yo for an hour or so, with strict instructions not to eat anything. Not to answer the door, and to have her phone next to her at all times.

I wouldn't leave her in sole charge of a 7yo

No too young sorry. And I'm fairly relaxed about these things.

Definitely not OP - sorry. I'd maybe be happy to leave the 10 year old alone but absolutely not with a younger sibling - it's far too much responsibility!

7 is not slightly younger than 10 🙄

Yeah, that detail was deliberately fudged in the OP in the hopes that everyone would say it was ok

I think 10 is too young to be left for 2 hours, maybe up to half an hour but certainly not with a younger sibling.

I would have thought about 12 to be left alone for 2 hours and only if they are quite sensible.

Thanks all, I think general consensus is this would be fine if they were 14 and 11 (or possibly 13 and 10, preferably not in the evening).

Watching this thread with interest, as our DD is almost 12 and DS almost 10. We live 1 minute walk from a pub and we are wondering if they are old enough to leave for a couple of hours early on a Friday or Saturday night so we can go for a couple of drinks, especially now it is light in the evening. We have no childcare so get no time just us. I do think 10 in charge of a younger sibling is a bit too young but it depends on how sensible they are and how far away you are going, also if they have access to phones etc in case of emergency and how well you get on with/trust your neighbours and could they go to them with a problem. Apologies if you have answered all of these, I haven't read the full thread...

And yes I realise 7 is not ‘slightly’ younger than 10 and wouldn’t really have done it, just a snap reaction to being cancelled on

13 yrs on their own 16 in. Charge of a sibling, 10 is definitely too young especially in charge of a sibling

There’s no minimum age to leave a child alone as each situation varies greatly depending on the child both age and sensibility, as well as the length of time and place, nearby neighbours and time of day etc etc

Evening is much much different to during the day, the child is going to be tired and therefore more grumpy/emotional/scared

I’m on the lower end of leaving children alone but we live in a quiet village but with several sets neighbours who are generally around if a proper emergency.
Leaving a child is a gradual process and involves education about emergency situations that may come up, rules about what not to do etc etc and making sure they know things like how to get out of the house in an emergency and not using the gas or playing on the trampoline
You should start with leaving for 10 minutes while you pop out, to 30min, 1 hour etc etc
Mine are all scouts/cubs etc so they know first aid, and other emergency procedures which gives me a bit more confidence.

I have an 8, 10 and 12 year old. The 12 year old comes home from school on the bus and lets himself in and is home alone until we all get home at 6pm twice a week and in the school holidays will stay home alone for the day, occasionally with a friend over. He’s very sensible and will always stick to the rules and is happy to read, draw maps and play video games.
DD will be in year 7 in September so will do the same as DS, she is also very sensible. Currently I would leave her for an hour or so but to be honest she’s happy to come to the shops etc and if we are going out it’s generally something to do with her (taking to a club or something)
DS2 I will leave with one of the older ones for 15 minutes as I know if he’s on the computer or tablet he will stay put forever! I wouldn’t leave for longer than that and would not leave him on his own at all.

14 and this without a younger sibling.

Just read the whole thread, 10 is fine to be left imo as long as they are OK with it but I think 7 is still too young. We left DS for five minutes last year when he was 8 as I got stuck in traffic and MIL who was watching him after school had an appointment, I was freaking out until I got home and we live in the most quiet boring cul de sac imaginable where we all know each others names and most of the neighbours are retired and home all day. It is only now we lave them at almost 10 and almost 12 and then it has only been 2 hours during the day.

10 and 7, no. I have a 12yo and 10yo and I will leave them for up to 2 hours in evening if I am in the village and back before it's dark. But they are sensible, know the neighbours well and we have worked up to it slowly.

Not with a sibling