What age did you let your child come home to an empty house...

[CovidStoleTheRainbow]

... after school? And wait a few hours until the first parent got home? 5ish pm.

As a one off, I'd absolutely try it. Make sure the 13 year old knows to cone straight hone that night.

Covid has forced many a parents hand into letting kids try things earlier than English parents usually would. In some countries, it wouldnt be unusual.

10 year old DS is managing this fine so far. Waits 15-20mins for me to get home. Usually feeds the cat and goes on a screen. Wasn't planning to start until end of year 6 but DS hated the childcare and is much happier now

Depends on the child and if they are happy to be alone. For my children it was between 10 and 12 after school but to of my children were fine home alone for an hour from around 6 years old. I remember getting a lot of pepper on MN for that though!

Will the school allow it at 9? Mine only allows children to leave without an adult from year 6.

Is the 13 year olds finish time very different that they're 30 minutes later?

If we're stuck our 14 year old can just about make it across the half mile to our 9 year olds school. I now have no qualms about them being together for an hour or two whilst we're out.

I find mine are happy to be left whilst I go out for an hour, or get home together but don't like going into an empty house on their own.

I think 9 is too young. Mumsnet will tell you it's fine for your child to walk 5 miles home, do their washing and have a 3 course meal prepared for your return though

I disagree, I think on here most responses usually mean more towards I've only left my 13 year old for an hour and only if I'm in the garden

My yr7 11 yo did this for the first time last week. I was home at 6pm, so he let himself in, made a snack, did some homework and played Xbox.

He does use the hob, toaster and kettle when I'm around, but I forbade him from doing so. There was a power cut while he was alone, but he didn't worry and I was pleased by that.

For context, I work from home, but in an office in the garden so he is very used to being by himself in the house - not alone as such, but he can keep himself occupied.

11, once or twice a week for an hour/hour an a half. Dd loved it. Once or twice she forgot the keys and waited at the library. Starting from year 7 was coming back on her own most days.

Well never, in the sense that when mine were yr 5- yr 9 or so I was a teacher, which meant I could get home by 4pm (and work later in the evening). So tho they were in an empty house, it was never for very long.

But my three made their own way home from when the youngest was yr 4 and the older two were yr 6 and yr 8.

OP if your 9yo is happy to be alone for 30 mins till the 13yo gets in, I would be fine. Funnily enough the only issue I ever had was once when ds1and dd were for some reason BOTH late at secondary and ds2, then yr 5 so 9-10 yo, rang me to say "will you be home soon mum?" - I was walking up the drive!

My little brother btw was letting himself in at age 8, and as his older siblings were at secondary by then, and not home till 4.30, he was at home till my mum got home about 4pm.

Mine are Y6 and Y7 and come home to an empty house 2 days a week, I'm home by 5pm. My youngest goes to a childminder. I couldn't get the 10 year old into after school club (my days changed). They go on screens till I get home. It's not ideal but works at the moment.

My 11 year old walks home and waits for us to get in about 5
My 9 year old gets a lift home from a friend, then also waits for us to get home

Ds was almost 10 when he got his own key and needed to let himself in after school. We lived right by the school, but he would be on his own for a couple of hours until I got in after work. It wasn’t ideal, but we had no alternative.

Amazed that some people don't leave their 12yo. Smiling at the thought of dragging ds1 at 12 hither and yon to his younger siblings' activities. I'd have got a very dusty answer. Those NSPCC guidelines make me so mad.

11 for both of mine but they are super sensible kids so I might have left them a bit earlier occasionally if I had to. But only if I had to, not regularly. I do get that it is shit though

I've only left my 13 year old for an hour and only if I'm in the garden

That's a joke, surely?

It's ok I just re-read it! It's sarcasm. It's clicked 😂

I guess year 9. Left them in the house earlier.

If they're mature enough to walk home then they're ok to be alone for half an hour. That's barely enough time to raid the fridge and get the telly on

As a one off, I probably would. Long term, it's not a great plan.

Could he go to a friend he's walking with? Or could you be on the phone with him for that half hour?

I used to be home alone for a while from age 11
and I'd stay home alone all day if ill - long before the days of mobile phones

No problem if a child has been brought up to be independent, but would be a shock if not

If it's a one off I'd request for the 13yo to leave school early

I was probably about 10 and hated it. Honestly look back on that with sadness.
I wouldn’t trust my 9 year old with a key let alone being on her own - and I think she’d hate it too.
My 11 yo is epileptic so it’s always a no.

My son was 10 and started in the last few weeks of year 5. He leaves the house about 40 minutes after me and locks up (cycles to school) and gets home about an hour to an hour and a half before me. It was something he begged to do, he hated going to before / after school club. He’s pretty sensible and mature for his age and had / has a mobile for emergencies. He really likes the independence. I was exactly the same, I was 9 when I begged my mum not to make me go to the childminder anymore and was given a key. My son is 11 now and in year 7. He's been home alone for most of the pandemic with regular check-ins by phone, its a shit and less than ideal situation and for the first few weeks I fretted a lot but with no childcare and being classed a key worker I have had very little choice so I totally get your predicament. I guess it all depends on how mature and sensible the child is, whether they are comfortable and confident enough to be in that situation and if they have access to a phone.

TPS see I definitely think ten is too young. My parents left me to go home and let my nan's cat in and out when my nan was in hospital and I remember that time as horrible and lonely.

No kids myself, but I was doing this from aged 10 (in year 6 as a summer baby). The school was less than a 5 min walk away, I'd let myself in, watch two episodes of pokemon, and then my dad would be home.