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?

10 is much too young in the evening full stop regardless of a younger sibling or not. They are unlikely to know what to do in an emergency, and could feel scared in the dark.

I have just reached an age with my dc that I feel comfortable to leave them now for an hour or two in the evening. 14 nearly 15 and 11 almost 12. Both very sensible and mature, they get ob very well.
Even then we were only two minutes walk away at a neighbours, and we checked on them every hour or so by text.

I think it depends very much on the individuals.

But something I always want to say on threads like this. Don’t present it to them as the older looking after or being responsible for the younger. Talk about “looking after each other”. Try not to set up a hierarchy- that makes tyrants and rebels!

I left 6 year old with 12 year old for short periods during day and a year after that in the evenings provided we were local.

Now at age 9 & 15, apart from overnights alone pretty much anything goes. I have another DC who is 14 who never gets left alone for more than an hour with youngest as he is irresponsible!

Oh and I wouldn’t leave either all day even at 14 and 11, a few hours yes. All day no.
Least of all because they will get very bored and restless, and spend all day on their screens. Leaving them all day would be more like ages 16 and 14 for us.

Take them! Or are they not worthy of a nice dinner?

10?? No way! At least 12/13 i'd say!!

I wouldn't leave my 10 year old. Longest he'd been home alone is about 10-15 minutes while I've collected DD from an after school club. In fairness he's not the most sensible 10 year old but even if he was I wouldn't leave him for that long.

Agree with Marilyn - 12/13 when there’s a younger sibling involved.

I think that the ten year old could be left alone for two hours on a summer evening, but not with the younger one.

10 with an older sibling yes, 10 with a younger, nope. The younger must be only 8.

I think 10 is too young.

Though if you are friends with a former cabinet minister, and have an apologist for PR, you can leave three pre-school children alone whilst going to a restaurant and get millions of pounds in public funding when one disappears.

Take them! Or are they not worthy of a nice dinner

@Sagradafamiliar how rude that is. Totally unnecessary

Mine are the same ages and I’d come home to carnage!

Nope

I was a latch key kid when i was 8 and my brother was 10 after school for an hour or so and my parents would sometimes pop out in the evenings too. I think if the kids are reasonably sensible and you're contactable it's largely fine and helps develop independent kids - me and my brother were never bothered in the slightest by it. I think if you have left them alone before during day etc its fine. Maybe if it's the first time they've ever been left on their own then no.

Definitely not at 10, especially when in charge of a younger sibling. I imagine it would spoil the dinner anyway having to race back and worry about the kids the whole time.

First left our youngest alone for a meal at 13, it was quite a quick meal. He barely noticed we were gone.

I think your youngest is a little young to be left with a 10-year-old. Does the youngest have any friends who he could stay over with?

I think alone once in high school, but with a sibling of three years younger, around 14.

That time of the day 14 or 15 with younger sibling. Maybe 11 on their own.

Way too young

I instinctively thought 13. Even where restaurant very close and 13 year old responsible and sensible and younger and good relationship between them.
10 is scarily young to my mind.

I think 10 is too young. This year we have started leaving them both home alone to go out for dinner and they are 12 and 14.

I've just started doing this - my eldest is 13

We have recently started leaving DS's 15 and 10 yrs alone, whilst we do the shopping etc. Have never left the 10 year old home alone but started at 10 with DS1 ( he's a much more confident child though)

I definitely wouldn't leave a 7 and 10 yr old alone

10 is far too young regardless of younger sibling.

Few minutes during the day - 10/11 years (year 6).

For a couple of hours in the evening - when eldest turned 15, youngest was 12. Would leave eldest on his own in the evening from 13/14, but not with his brother.

Holidays - from half term year 7 (so, 11/12), but only part of a day, and leaving him lunch.

From 14, DS1 had a debit card, sorted his own lunch out etc.