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?

My friend has just started leaving her 12yr old looking after her 10yr old but only for an hour or so and only if she is going to be 1/2 streets away so I would say it's too young.

Super disappointing for you though. Do you have any babysitting companies locally, we have one that only employ DBs and referenced check people and they can often do short notice, or a neighbour that you get on with? Sorry I'm sure you have probably thought through all other options.

No, don't be daft.

No way!

I was when I was that age with younger siblings. And I would with mine. 2 hours in the evening? I'd put them on the sofa with a film and some snacks. You'd be back before the film finished

It would be disastrous if I left my 7 and 11 year old olone. He'd boss her around, she'd rebel and one or both of them would fall off the trampoline.

Even on his own my 11 yo would not be good. yesterday he cooked (and burned) toast in the microwave

I think 10 is too young, especially with a younger sibling

11/12

10 would be fine alone for a few hours, but not with a younger sibling.

DS was 10 the first time I left him home alone in the evening, from 7 to 10 p.m., with regular texts from me and my kind next door neighbour (a lovely 60 year old granny). He was almost 12 and just about to start secondary school the first time he was left alone for an entire day (7.15-4.30 or so) and 15 and three quarters the first time he was left alone overnight.

I would leave a 10 year old, home by 10 pm.

I wouldn't leave a 8 or 9 year old home alone for two hours or more, or after their normal getting ready for bed time and I wouldn't leave a child younger than 8 at all. I wouldn't leave a 10 year old in charge of a younger sibling.

I wouldn't leave a ten year old. I think our eldest was 12/13 when we left her for the first time, and we were only going to the pub down the road for a drink. Wouldn't have gone anywhere further for quite some time.

I started to leave my 8 yo with a 12 yo older sibling for half an hour in the afternoon, for example for me to pop to the local shops. By the time older sibling was 14 and younger 10, I’d leave them for 2 hours in the evening. By 16/12yo I was happy to roll in after midnight! Once youngest was 16, oldest was away at uni and I could happily leave him overnight for one night.

Until 16 you are legally responsible for them. Not to say you can’t leave them, but you can’t leave them in a situation that might be harmful. The interpretation of what constitutes harmful is tricky.

book a sitter through sitters. com - we've used them, it's fine

Nope. We are only just starting to leave the 10year old when we are popping to the shop 10minutes away for milk or something stupid. Even then he has his phone that I check is on, the cctv is up on display so he can view the whole of the outside if anyone knocks something scares him out side. The doors are locked and his given my keys with strict instructions no cooking and no opening the door to anyone, ring me if his scared or just what’s to chat.

Certainly wouldn’t leave him for hours with his 7year old sister. I’d come home to a blood bath.

I’ve just started leaving my 14 year old looking after her 10 year old sister for the odd hour in the evening. Wouldn’t have done so any younger.

10 is too Young to control/take responsibility for younger sibling.

I can now trust my 15 year old Ds1, implicitly with ds2(10)

We’d leave our DC for an hour or so during the day, they’re 12 and 9. Wouldn’t even think of doing so in the evening though. That seems like much more of a big deal.

I feel like a responsible adult (or at least teenage babysitter) needs to be making sure they go to bed, and is in the house while they are in bed.

I don't understand how you can say for definite 'no way' based on age alone.

Surely how mature the kids are, what they can cope with, what skills do they have and really importantly, the relationship between them, is much more important than age.

At 7, i had my own penknife, could cook simple meals (grill or oven but not hob), went out alone and was trusted to be back by a certain time.

At 10 I could cook a full meal (not a roast but not far off) that was at least edible if not exactly perfect and could have looked after a well behaved quiet 7 year old (and sometimes did)... but NOT my own actual sister 18 months younger than me because we fought viciously and frankly, dangerously.

If you think YOUR kids are safe, then they almost certainly are! Never mind what MN thinks, who don't know your kids at all!

Yes Op they are too young. Have you not got a teenage neighbour who could sit and watch a film with them for two hours. My girls would if someone was stuck.

No way. Too young & definitely not fair to be responsible for a younger sibling.

I think it's totally fine even with the sibling. But then again I grew up elsewhere in Europe where this would be totally normal.

Rezie

Me too! I almost said that, but got flamed last time I did

I would, but I'm also elsewhere in Europe and people would think you're totally overprotective if you got a babysitter for a 10-year old. Of course, also depends on children, where you live, if they know the neighbours, how far you're going for that dinner and so on.

No way. We haven't left our 13 year old alone in evenings yet.

13-14 with a younger sibling to look after. Maybe 11 on their own. 10 is fine for a couple of hours in the day time, the evening seems different somehow.

You know it's not ok anyway op, hence why you originally organised a babysitter.