To leave my 7.5 year old home alone today?

[brewbrewbrew]

She's off school as the bubble are isolating and I had school runs to do today.
Was fine for the morning run as dh was here but not for the afternoon one.

I drive a 7 seater car and had been given a curtesy car for the day. This car only has 5 seats and I needed 6 if dd was going to fit in.

I couldn't do anything else at short notice. The others were at school and needed collecting.

I spoke to her beforehand about the dangers and what to do if x or y happened, explained she could use Alexa to call my mobile also if there was a problem. I was gone about 15 minutes in total.
Even if I'd have walked (which isn't so close) she wouldn't have been able to come to the school with me as they've sent the bubble home. But at least next time I can leave her in the car if needs be now we've got the big one back.

I came home and she was where I'd left her, on the sofa watching tv lying down on her iPa

Is this awful of me? I feel so negligent.

[MarthasGinYard]

Choking still terrifies me even now

[CleanAndPaidFor]

@reiki21 calm down with your "don't ever do it again" instructions. I genuinely would worry more about a generation of children growing up who are unable to look after themselves. The risk here was minimal. You'll drive yourself mad with your catastrophising.

[reiki21]

What if there had been a gas explosion or something similar nearby ? Don't do it ever again. You are most definitely being unreasonable leaving a child of 7 home alone. For any length of time. What kills me about this is you saying you had others to pick up at school. Why couldn't alternative arrangements been made for those kids rather than you leaving her 'watching tv'. I'll guarantee she was on hot bricks till you got back and just didn't let you see. And no I'm not being hard. All sorts of things can occur in 15 mins. What if someone passing saw you leave and though 'empty house' and I'll just go help myself ? What if's are many.

[kayteep]

I wouldn’t leave my 7.5 year old even though I know he’d be fine and tbh probably wouldn’t even notice I’d gone for 15 minutes but what if you’d have a car accident or something else had happened. When my son had to isolate I had to send my daughter to wrap around care as it was the only way I could manage drop off / pick ups.
It’s done now and they are fine so no point beating yourself up about it but if I was you I wouldn’t do it again!

[sparklewhynot]

I just think it is rubbish journalism full stop to pinch threads off Mumsnet. Is it a slow news day??

[ChristmasinJune]

[quote sparklewhynot]@Ineke this story, this thread has been published by the mirror

www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/mum-slammed-negligent-leaving-self-23060879
[/quote]
Awful, lazy journalism there. I've noticed "slammed" is very popular just now and gets used for even the slightest disagreements or queries.

[Greektome]

I notice that they don't mention the crucial "15 minutes" point until the bottom of the article.
I'm amazed that the OP felt worried enough about this to ask MN. A no brainer that it was ok.

[G5000]

Wow how lazy is that Mirror article? Does someone actually get paid for copying a couple of random comments from mumsnet and calling it an article?

[Ddot]

Bravo

[Ineke]

Have read the mirror article, if course it is totally unbiased,(not) half the posters I think are in support of the OP. In my opinion we need to teach our children independence and not bring them up to be nervous, unadventurous, and ill equipped with the modern world. So many children suffer from anxiety issues, it's not difficult to see why. Risk is everywhere, we need to teach children how to manage it with confidence, not fear.

[dangerrabbit]

FFS.

No wonder we are raising a generation of adolescents with unprecedented anxiety levels when children can't be trusted to have small levels of independence at an early age.

YANBU OP and you did the best you could in these circumstances so please don't pay much attention to some of the more extreme reactions on this thread.

[sparklewhynot]

@Ineke this story, this thread has been published by the mirror

www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/mum-slammed-negligent-leaving-self-23060879

[Ineke]

Sparklwhynot...what article?

[sparklewhynot]

I've just read this article in the Daily Mirror

[Ddot]

Not good but it's done and dusted now, if you were a bad parent you wouldnt be beating yourself up about it
Years ago it was the norm, walked to and from school by myself with (sister) to junior school. Mam would leave us to go shopping all the time. I remember being fourteen, sister sixteen mam dad went on holiday. Kiss your family and forget about it

[G5000]

Well obviously!!! The car accident was just an example of not knowing what is around the corner. You missed the point entirely.

No I didn't. If she was held up due to some other reason, she could have made arrangements and the DC could also call mum if mum was delayed. So only issue here would have been unable to let anyone know she can't get home for a long time and DC is alone. Considering the other DC would have also noticed if OP wasn't there to pick them up and they knew about isolating sibling, again not a high risk.

[nannaeva]

When I was her age, I used to walk to school and back by myself and I was able to cook myself dinner.
I think now a days kids are overprotected, she wasn't in any danger.

[Spidey66]

@Spidey66

Add to my above, he could work in a supermarket and unable to have his mobile phone on the shop floor.

Having thought further, those who could drop everything and come home are probably either furloughed or WFH, it being a lockdown and all. Those still out at work-like my examples- are essential workers who can't bring their work home.

Some people seriously need to get real.

[AmbroseGHmum]

@G5000

What would have happened if you were involved a car accident

If OP was really in such a bad accident that she couldn't make other arrangements and even communicate there was a child home, surely it's better the child was not in the same accident with her?

Well obviously!!! The car accident was just an example of not knowing what is around the corner. You missed the point entirely.

[Spidey66]

@G5000

What would have happened if you were involved a car accident

If OP was really in such a bad accident that she couldn't make other arrangements and even communicate there was a child home, surely it's better the child was not in the same accident with her?

Quite.

[Ohdear2020]

I think yabu to post this on mumsnet to be honest - you were always going to be flamed. Nothing happened, it’s fine, don’t beat yourself up, maybe don’t do it again. And don’t post about it on mumsnet!

[humblesims]

It's not ideal but its not really a big deal either. You judged the risk and took it. Life is all about risk assessment. Life is messy, you dont always have the luxury of the perfect option so you judge the risk. Yes something could have happened but it didnt and 99 times out of a hundred it wouldnt. But you cant live in cotton wool. It was a one off so move on with your lives.

[G5000]

What would have happened if you were involved a car accident

If OP was really in such a bad accident that she couldn't make other arrangements and even communicate there was a child home, surely it's better the child was not in the same accident with her?

[AmbroseGHmum]

All I would say regarding your decision is that you couldnt guarantee it would have been 15 minutes. What would have happened if you were involved a car accident on the way to or from the school? It happened to me, luckily both my kids were at school and I was fine and could phone someone to collect them for me. But you can never guarantee it will only be 15 mins etc. No judgement here, but I would only suggest that you factor this into your decision making for next time. Everyone was focused on your 7yo. But what would have happened if something happened to you?

[BBOA]

In such situations just ask yourself; ''What would the Coroner say?". Always makes me see sense! Personally I would not have done it, but all is well in the world so move on from it.We've all made mistakes at some point!