To leave an 8 and 12 year old while I pop to the shop?

[OoohOnly90CaloriesIllhave10]

I would be about 20-30 minutes.

I've just run out of washing powder and I know my 8 year old will whine about going and he constantly asks if he can just stay home with his brother (12, nearly 13).

My parents used to leave us kids. In fact we used to baby sit our baby brother while they went to the pub. But then, a lot of the stuff they did back then was questionable by today's standards.

AIBU to leave them while I popped out?

(Wtf it's not letting me do the bloody poll?!)

I would.

Absolutely

Yanbu...
But I am sure a load of people will be on to say you are

Yes its fine

Most definitely leave them

YANBU. You have a mobile phone and they can call you if they need to. They are old enough to know to just stay put doing safe, sensible things.

If it’s only for 10/15 mins then yes.

I have an 8 and 12 year old and I'd leave the 12 year old but not the 8. Only because they fight all the time. Depends what yours are like I guess.

Of course it’s OK.

But you will be warned about the dreaded “anything” that can happen.

I would, at 12 I babysat all evening for toddlers! But it depends on your kids, not all 8 year olds can be trusted to be sensible for their older sibling, others are fine

Or sorry just seen you said 20-30 🙈 yes I probably still would actually

Of course it's ok.

Of course it’s fine at that age.

Yes. But my friend still gets a sitter and her eldest 15! The mind boggles

I leave my 8 and 12 year olds together for up to 2 hours without worrying very frequently - there's a 2 hour overlap between me leaving for work and DH getting home during school holidays when I usually do lates so as to spend most of the day with the kids. They don't fight though. Usually 14 year old is home too but not always, if she has plans with friends I always encourage her to go along and wouldn't ask her to stay home to babysit.

I happily leave the 8 year old alone for 30 minutes - we do have good infrastructure/ neighbors and he is very competent at using the landline, knows what to do in various situations etc. We live in a country where it's considered negligent not to prepare your children appropriately for gradually increasing independence, and eyebrows would raise at a NC 7 year old, let alone 8, who couldn't be home alone for half an hour.

Definitely.
Both of mine would be glued to the x box and wouldn't even notice!

If you can’t leave an 8 and 12 year old at home for 20 minutes, something has gone seriously wrong in your parenting

I would, but I would also leave the 8 year old alone, I think 12 is young to babysit.

I would.

Yes I think that would be fine.

I would

Absolutely not. The house might explode, the DC might spontaneously combust, the house might be flooded, a tornado could hit etc etc
Seriously, it will be fine. Do it.

If you can’t leave an 8 and 12 year old at home for 20 minutes, something has gone seriously wrong in your parenting

Oh FGS. There's always one. Because kids always do exactly what their parents tell them to do, all the time, especially when the parents are not there.

And you don't "parent". You are a parent.

And to the OP - yes it's fine.

Is it a true 30 minutes or closer to an hour? It would also depend how they get on, and the maturity of the eldest child especially. Those simply saying I would, haven’t considered the characters or maturity of your children, if you have any close neighbours and whether it is safe to leave them.

You have your doubts otherwise you wouldn’t need to post...

I’d have went mine to the shop.