AIBU to leave 8 & 10 year alone to go out to dinner?

[BereftOfInk]

DH has suggested we go out to dinner together and leave the DC home alone. His parents often did this once he turned 10. I don't know if I'm being over protective as I was never left alone as a child. We live in a block of flats and would let our direct neighbours know they were alone, DC know them and could go and knock if they needed help for any reason. They offered to do this a while ago, but we thought the DC were too young so didn't. Neighbour suggested it as it's what her parents did when she was young (she wouldn't want to sit in our flat with them).

Get them ready for bed, stick a film on and let them go to bed when tired/fall asleep on the sofa. Acceptable or not?

I am a great granny. I was babysitting smaller children when I was 11.

I would say the problem I found, especially with bringing up children, was that some of the attotudes between the two countries are different enough that you are left not feeling as if either attitude really makes any sense - and not being able to rely on your gut feeling when 100% of the people around you disagree with it!
I do think that it's important within the family that the person from the majority culture does not automatically get the last word, though. It's a multicultural household, you both get a say.

I agree with pp's that they are too young. Your DH's memory of being 10 - he's probably right 10 would be fine if they were 12 & 10 (although mine are younger so I haven't got there yet)
I can 100% believe 5 year olds walking to school alone. When I lived in Munich there were some tiny kids, def no more than 7, used to walk past my flat on the way to Kindergarten/School. It was so cute - their school bags were as big as them.

No way. Mine are 12 and 13, I would leave them at that age but my mum lives next door but two so I know she’s around in an emergency. 8 and 10 far too young.