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.

Another latch key kid here. I was about 7. I'd walk home from school with a gang that lived in our street. My DGM would be back about an hour later.

There were loads of us latch key kids at school. I remember at the start of PE lessons we'd all take the keys off from round our necks.

I don't think I was until a teenager. My mum worked but my auntie lived down the road and worked in a school so I went there in the holidays or to my retired grandparents.

I was a latch key kid at 12,was fine with it. Was a bit miffed when my younger sibling started secondary and DM could then start work earlier and be home by 4.30.

At about 10 alone. I had a sibling 6 years older tho, so from when I was age 8 they walked us home from junior school and we were all in until our mum got in from work at about 5. From senior school if ill I was left home alone.i remember having vomited a couple of times in the night but feeling fine in the morning and being thrilled at the prospect of a full day at home alone doing whatever I wanted. I was 12!

I cannot remember, I was young (7 or 8) but my grandparents lived next door.

My youngest has been alone every morning for 30 mins since she has been 8 years old (her older sister has complex needs and I need to take her to a bus collection point and wait for the bus). Since I am a lone parent, there is noone to look after the younger one.

Around 4 for an hour or so, when I started school at 6 (not UK) I was already fully self sufficient regarding travel, making myself lunch etc. as both parents worked.

11 or 12, Year 7 anyway. Just while they went to do the weekly shop. I loved it!

My DM went back to full time work when I was 10- but I wasn't home alone then. Yr6 was a combo of After school club, making my way to orchestra practice alone, friends houses, both parents finishing early (and starting early) one day a week, plus before school clubs. Yr7 I came home alone, although my brother was around.

I was in primary school but can't remember the exact age. I had to get the school bus home and let myself in as my parents worked. It wasn't uncommon in the 70's.

I was 12 when left overnight to look after my then 7 year sister and 3 year old brother while parent when to the pub with friends. She had promised to be home when I woke in the morning , but wasn't. She then wouldn't answer her phone leaving me imagining all sorts of bad things having happened to her and casually strolled through the door around lunchtime like nothing had happened.

I was 12, I think. Neither parent "worked"(mum sold a business and became a housewife when pregnant, dad was director and not in the office every day) so it was a night out when they left me. They just decided I no longer needed minding. I grew up an only child in a massive house though. Not being within earshot or sight of my parents was normal, as was my own company so I didn't turn a hair at them not being there. Our home at the time probably would have been frightening if I'd been younger though- it was very gothic and eerie at night!

I remember having a pizza & watching Gosford Park on tv, that night. I recall following a similar pattern on subsequent occasions- being left a pizza, and watching tv. I know I took myself off to watch in bed, the first couple of times in the creepy house but I was more relaxed after we moved- slightly older and in a friendly house so sat up more. I remember them going out one night when I had a migraine!

My sister had started high school (11 and I was 9) when she would leave us to nip and do a shop for an hour.

We weren’t left for her to go to work in hols until we were both at secondary and she only had 4 hour shifts and our Aunty and Grandma were close by.

In the evening we were a lot older.

Seemed to be the norm at the time. We had a “normal” childhood.

Probably about 10 or 11. When I got to 10 my parents decided we didn't need a nanny any more because i could look after me and my brother. By 11 I was shopping for and cooking dinner for us and to have ready for parents when they got home from work.

8yo, for an hour. I grew up thinking this was completely sensible & norm (born 1960s) so struggle with MNers angsting over leaving an 11yo kid.

@Facefullofcake I was a bit younger, probably 5, my brother started abusing me at the point we were left alone at home too.

I babysat my 3 younger siblings from 11. I was happy to do so as prior to that we had a paid babysitter - a woman in her 20s who my parents knew from church who still lived with her parents - and her boyfriend always came over as soon as my parents left and he gave me the creeps (nothing bad happened but they used to spend the time smooching on the sofa and he'd make creepy or mean comments if we came downstairs, so we stayed upstairs even if my parents left the house early evening before our bedtime).

I was happy and confident babysitting from 11.

I was home alone when ill and off school from younger (probably 9 from the context of memories) and didn't like that. They were at work but I still think it's completely wrong to leave children home alone for the first time when they're running a fever and vomiting! They both had stable jobs with paid sick leave and IMO should have taken time off when primary school children were ill enough to be kept home from school, especially with high temperature and vomitting.

Don't remember - I had older siblings so was often left in their care anyway. I had a childminder at primary school who picked me up so I wasn't home alone after school, though. At 11 of course I came home from secondary school on my own and let myself in, as everyone did. And I cooked dinner, once a week - it was good practice.

It was always fine! I think it's clear from these replies that context matters.

11. My mum went back to work full time when I started secondary school, so I'd come home and let myself in. I wasn't really alone though, I had my dog. Actually, it wasn't until he died when I was 20 and I realised that I was completely alone that I started feeling uncomfortable at home by myself. It sounds stupid, but I was so used to him guarding the door. Once he was gone, it didn’t feel so safe anymore...

Age 11, that’s when my mum went back to work and the teachers were on strike, so we were home at midday.

I was definitely in high school before I was left on my own, so about 11/12 ish.

Once, when I was about 7 and my brother 4. Mom had gone somewhere on the train and needed collecting from the station. My brother and I were watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on TV and kicked up stink about going with dad to collect her so he left us home alone. I remember we spent the whole 10 mins jumping on the sofa...
Well after ten mins our mother came flying through the door having clearly given dad a hell of an earbashing. We weren’t left again for years! Not until I was 11 and had 30 mins alone in the house each evening before everyone else got home from work/school.

We were left too much too in my opinion. We let ourselves in after school from we were 6+7 and were alone for around 3 hours. We even prepped dinner too. In the holidays, we were alone all day from around that age. I hated it which is why I am the extreme opposite with my dc (one of those parents who has never even left the kids in the car alone when I pay for fuel )

Never, not until I passed my driving test and took my mum and dad out for a meal

Around 7

From age 9 I had my own door key (sister was 11). Mum got home from work at about 6pm and dad worked shifts. I often walked home from school alone as young as 7 or 8 because mum was late to collect me. I would climb over the garden fence (patio door was left open for the dog).

This was the late 80s. I cannot imagine this situation being considered acceptable now. We had far, far more freedom and were definitely brought up in the tradition of benign neglect. It wasn't ideal but probably developed my independence.