To leave a 13 and 10 year old at home alone until 2am?

[Afternooninthepark]

Would you feel happy/comfortable doing this?

Its a no from me, I would leave them in the daytime but not that late at night

No probably not to be honest. I’m guess it depends on how mature/sensible the kids are, if they are happy to be left and if they can contact someone nearby in an emergency.

No

No

No.

It's unfair on the 13yo to be responsible or a 10 yo at that time of night. I assume you will be out for the whole evening, rather than just popping out for half an hour at 1.30 when they are asleep.

I have a 14 year old and a 10 year old and I wouldn’t.
I leave them for a couple of hours during the day or evening but that late is too much

I was regularly left overnight from age 13 in a house on my own whilst my parents worked nights. Once there was a burglary which woke me up, another time I managed to disturb a prowler was who was attempting to break in. Burglary happened at 11pm, prowler was around at about midnight. It was terrifying on both occasions. I consider that my parents neglected me quite badly.

IMO there’s absolutely no valid reason to do this.

From when until 2am? From 1am because one parent has to go and pick up the other parent, I probably would. From 7am the previous day, I wouldn't.

I wouldn't risk it.

Yesterday, I was having a conversation with my friend and said that when my 14 year old gets to 16 (dd would be 14 then) it will be good as dh and I won’t have to worry about babysitters etc and we can go out in the evening a lot more than we currently do. She turned to me and said ‘oh, dh and I do that all the time now, we often go out and leave the kids (13 and 10) until 1 or 2am’.
I know we all parent differently but personal, I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing this, I wouldn’t enjoy my evening I would spend it worrying what the kids were up to! My friend is A LOT more laid back than me!!

I wouldnt.
Daytime yes. Early evening...maybe but that's to late

No I dont think I would.
If you can't get a babysitter and they are fairly responsible at that age is there a neighbour who could be "on call" for you? Either via a baby monitor or by giving the older child their number to call if anything came up.

Oh sorry, cross posted. I agree with you especially if your friend is just doing it for a night out, I thought it must be for a work shift or something.

shadylady that’s awful! My friend lives on a really dark but busy road, I would worry about the kids so much.

No.
Not in these days.
You dont know whos` watching.
Kids first mates last.

BeanBag7 no, its for regular nights. They says they want some time together and to meet up with friends etc. Don’t we all?? 🙄

No I wouldn't.

regular nights out

A mature 13 year old on their own yes but with a 10 year old no due to the time of night.

Incidentally one of my nephews' occasionally had to be left overnight on his own from that age. He had a choice of staying at a nearby friend's house but refused. I also offered to stay over but he refused that. He did have about 6 neighbours include both next door to call on in an emergency. Nothing happened.

No, first time we did it they were 12&15

@ShadyLady53
Hang on what???
As if it wasn’t bad enough that it happened once to you while they were out, they still left you again?
That’s awful, you must’ve been petrified!

@Stampy84 The second time I was 15 but after that my Mum stopped working nights.

Yes, it was really out of order and wrong. I still have problems with hyper vigilance and anxiety.

Absolutely not, no way

I think it depends, really. Having drinks at a neighbour's house or at a pub/restaurant in the next street - probably OK. Going out somewhere that's a taxi/bus ride away - probably not.

I also think that it's actually harder for a 13-year-old to keep an eye on a 10-year-old than it would be for them to babysit a much younger child. The smaller the age gap, the less authority the older sibling has. My sister used to babysit me but because she's 10 years older than I am, the dynamic was very different - I only really remember seeming like an adult to me so I would have done what I was told. But when I was 10 I think I'd have laughed at a 13-year-old who tried to tell me when I had to go to bed.

I was left when i was 10 for the weekend with a 4 year old, 2 year old a a baby, we survived. When i was 14 my parents buggered off to Malta on on holiday and left me some money to feed myself, i was fine.
To those who say the wouldnt leave kids "these days" it isnt more dangerous these days