When do you first remember being left home alone

[WomenHour]

I think it was around 9 , my mum had to go to work so she left me and my brother for a few hours.

I think...11? I was a real scaredy cat and had to stay in one room and not go upstairs or to the toilet until my parents were home. I think I was 13 when I was actually comfortable to be alone.

Too young, the time that sticks out in my memory is when the parents of my sisters friend rang, and I answered the phone and said mum was out. They weren't too worried at first, but called back 10 minutes later, assuming my mum would be back. After the 4th call, about an hour after their first call, they started asking more question like how old was I? did she go out often? was I ok? And were clearly worried. I remember panicking, and telling them I was 7 (I was actually 6, but though they'd be reasured if I was older), then not answering the phone again. In retrospect that probably worried them more, as they phone rang constantly for nearly half an hour.

The bad thing is that wasn't even the first time I'd been left, it was a normal occurrence for me hence why I didn't think twice about answering the phone. It was only when they started asking questions I realised other kids my age wouldn't be home alone.

I think i was around 9 when I was left for 15 minutes or so when my mum would pop to the shop around the corner.

About 9, when my parents went to the pub. Sometimes they got a babysitter, sometimes not.. i was left with my 11yo brother, who started abusing me around that point.

I would have been four or five but my eldest sister was there and she was eight. My mother had to work. It wasn’t a big deal as we went to school without an adult and that involved walking a couple of miles and a ten mile bus journey.

8 as the eldest on my own, about 6 with a 10 year old sibling, all day from 7-6:30 on Saturday and 6 days a week during the whole school holidays (both parents at work getting ripped off by the family business) . A kind neighbour used to pop round and look through the windows, we used to hide because our parents told us too, I'm surprised they weren't shopped up to SS.

6 or 7 - too young but normal on our estate

I feel very strongly about parents who leave young children in their own.

It's so wrong and I would count it as neglect.

My parents left us a lot and even went away for a long weekend abroad once. I wish they had been shopped to ss.

I

I remember walking home from school to an empty house in year 3

During the day 10/11. Overnight (mum worked shifts) around 12/13.

I was allowed to come home alone in year 7 after school, but If my parents went out in the evening, they had my 18 year old cousin come round until I was 16

At 9 I walked home from school - parents and older brothers were at work. I had a key and got home around 4.15pm. Next home would be my oldest brother about 7pm. I thought nothing of it. It was normal for the times and place.

11. I was old for my years ,very sensible & not the least bit bothered. My 10 year old sister was a bit unpredictable but I was seen as mature enough to keep her safe.

I can remember fighting with my sister and biting her while my mum was at the shops, we were probably 4 and 6 (I was the younger one). The shops were opposite our house but once my mum gets talking....

I also remember shutting my sister in the airing cupboard when my mum was at the shops, but the door knob was really stiff and I couldn’t open it. I think we were 6 and 8. It was a looong time before my mum came home. Dsis and I love each other now I promise!

After school from about 9 I think, maybe earlier.

My DC are 10 and 9 and never been left alone in the house, they are as untrustworthy as my sister and I clearly were.

About 8 in the mid 1970s.
I was mildly unwell and was left with a bottle of Lucozade and a sandwich on the sofa with my blanket and the telly. Mum had to go to work - no work, no pay.

9ish my mum regularly left me at home with kids tv in the holidays so she could have a work out. For an hour or so

Then aged 13 parents left me in the evening for a couple of hours every week. I had to get my food (microwave meal) and have a bath and basically get ready for bed

I was 16 when I was home alone for the whole night. With neighbour told they would be out.

I think I remember looking after someone else's children.. I must have been about 8 years old
I was 10 when my youngest sister was born
I was in school uniform when I was taken into ' care ' for the 3rd time but care was cashing the income support stamp things at the post office and cooking a roast dinner for the baby.. my grandad said there was too many vegetables on the plate .. I'd learnt at school the importance of vegetables.. so I filled the plate with vegetables.. I learnt to pay the rent and everything, it was an achievement as my mother was in constant rent arrears.. I almost resented her coming out of the psychiatric hospital as I knew they'd be fuck all in the fridge and the rent arrears would build up ( of which income support those days cost about £3.00 in rent )... the woman downstairs in the flats never said much but always gave us potatoes, which when my mother was " on one " would throw them out the window. I always wanted to thank her for calling SS But alas she died before I could realise that she did the right thing and was old enough to realise

She went to the pub often .. it was literally across the road .. I was about 8

When I was about 8/9 my gran popped to the shop and I gave myself a fabulous fringe haircut, think Lloyd from dumb & dumber! My mum was rightly so quite furious with my Gran and me 😂

My dad died when I was 3 and my mum had to work. I was left on my own by my 13 year old sister for about 20 minutes when I was nearly 5. I remember very clearly sitting on the stairs with my teddy bear waiting for her to come back.

My sister was often left to look after us but spent most of her time in her bedroom as an angry teenager (who didn't improve much with age) and I remember summers of being left to my own devices and ranging about the local area with friends. I was 7 when I got my first doorkey. This was the 70's though.

5

My Dad used to take my Mum out to practice driving in preparation for her test. They’d put me in bed and tell me to stay there. They’d be gone for at least an hour. It was scary and it shouldn’t have happened. Early 90s. I was left overnight from early teens and home alone regularly until 10.30pm a lot once I was in senior school. I wasn’t really parented at all emotionally once I got to about 9.

When I was in the first year of senior school (so now yr 7) as I got home on school bus before my Mum was home from collecting younger brothers (we lived in the sticks and there was no bus to the primary school).

My first specific memory of this is Margaret Thatcher resigning and waiting for my Mum to get home to celebrate the fact!

From about 9 but my dads work was next door so they were never too far away. I’d bring my 5 year old Brother home from school and look after him u til 6 pm When my mum got in from work. Sometimes if she worked late I’d be in until 9 but my dad always came home to make dinner for us before going back to work.

I remember at the time going to the shops for sweets and leaving my brother behind thinking’s it would be quicker. If my parents had found out they’d have gone spare. He just sat glued to the telly tho.

From when I was 8 or 9 each time I was home ill from school and she had to go to work for two hours everyday as was a dinner lady. I wasn't bothered or worried about being at home alone. We had a neighbour who would come in if necessary.

My daughter LOVES being left by herself and has done since about 10 .. she sits and watches Netflix and has a pot noodle until we come home.. role reverse, very strange .. shes almost excited by the fact that both parents need to work and she has about an hour to herself with her crap telly before either of us come home