10 year old alone after school?

[Picklelicklemk]

In a bit of a pickle. Our DC becomes too old for a local nursery we use for after school in a couple of months. I don't finish work until 5pm and home for 5.30pm.

School finishes at 3.15pm what am I supposed to do to bridge the gap? Is 10 too young to be alone? DC is fairly sensible and trustworthy but just seems so young!

No family or friends we can rely on.

What do other people do for after school care when their DC hit this age? TIA

@Jacesmum1977

Thanks for understanding. Guidelines did make things much easier. It was a minimum, many parents would have waited a couple of years but it was the best decision for our family. In the UK, I would have been afraid to leave him before 10, not because it was unsafe or because he wasn't capable but out of fear of someone reporting.

I'm sorry for what happened to your son. I understand that can absolutely affect what you are comfortable with!

I’m never embarrassed to admit if I get it wrong 🙌🏻 And in your case, I was.

I had no idea you’re not in the UK (I haven’t read much thread if I’m honest). Where do you live?

I say thanks with a lump of vomit in my throat. I don’t really know what else to say

I'm sorry to hear this, the online world can be a very dangerous place, I hope your son is OK. Completely understand how that would make you feel much more worried about security now.

In my country the guidelines are from 7, with advice on how to prepare your child to be home alone and prepare them for travelling to and from school alone at that age. DD's social worker was fine with it from 6, because she knew DD and she knew the situation. What's needed here is more guidelines on the internet and social media, so many of DD's friends had all kinds of social media from 7 or 8 years old, I dread to think about the grooming potential for them.

Ops child will be 11 in a few months which is when he'll be too old to for the childcare he is going to now

I'm not sure anyone cares what your child's dad thinks but presumably he pays towards childcare costs and has your dc after school if needed, unlike the op who it seems would have to sort out after school on herself

@Jacesmum1977 I'm so sorry about what's happened to your son.

Your post really resonated as I'm constantly amazed by parents I know who don't ever leave their 10 year olds at home for even 10 minutes to get a pint of milk but allow them unfettered access online via phones and tech. Our 10 year old still doesn't have a phone and I monitor her online activity like a hawk but am happy to let her walk half a mile home from school and be at home on her own for an hour after school watching telly, making herself a cup of tea and doing her homework!

My friends teen daughter gets paid to sit with a girl yor dds age op. She makes her a snack, checks for homework and otherwise just studies there while the girl plays, watches a bit of tv etc. Is this a possibility?

And I don’t care what you think!
You don’t know anything about me and mine. The op decided to create this post.

@TheTimeIsNowMaybeNow

I apologise. I read your comment incorrectly. I am sorry for my comment

This was completely normal in the uk also until very recently. I started going to school on my own in primary school and took my younger siblings when they reached school age. We had a crossing person for the big road and didn’t play daft. By eleven I was crossing that road my self and catching the school bus to my secondary school 5 miles away. How else do ordinary families cope.