What age is ok to leave a child at home for short periods?

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I have a 10 year old daughter, would it be unreasonable to say leave her at home while I nip to a shop nearby? What are peoples thoughts? And if not yet, when?

Hear, hear! This is exactly what Jonathan Haidt talks about in his book 'the anxious generation'. Over coddled in real life, under supervised on line.

It's just 999 though isn't it?

Not like we won't leave them alone because we actively want them to be on screens, it's just like what if the house catches fire?

Maybe the answer is to get a landline.

My 10yo walks herself home from school, sorts her own dinner and stays until we get home from work roughly 2 hours later. She’s been walking home since September. I think it’s fine to be left alone at 10. I was doing the same thing at the same age but with a longer walk crossing 2 major roads.

In our case it’s because we don’t have a landline. We never used to it so got rid of it. So unless they had their own phones they couldn’t contact anyone in an emergency if home alone.

I miss having a house phone. Might trial having a 'house' brick phone.

The point still stands though that a 10 year old with their own smartphone is far more likely to get into trouble on line (at any time), than they are to encounter other problems whilst home alone for 20 mins.

It feels like people worry about the wrong things.

I was leaving my daughter on her own for short periods of time (up to about 20 minutes) at home from early year 6 so probably 10/11.

I think with a sensible child, a mobile phone and as long as you are local and can be back quickly it’s fine.

so don't give them access to the internet! Brick phone or landline.

You can't cover every eventuality but having a child really hurt themselves and drip a lot of blood around the place before he managed to attract our attention, no way would I put extra barriers in by having him need to go downstairs, out of the front door, navigate a couple of driveways and knock up a neighbour while in pain and dripping blood. Each to their own though, I suppose .

At 10 we were leaving them for half an hr or so.

My eldest is 11 and can be left alone for about an hour comfortably, and very recently I have started to leave him in charge of the 4 year old for 10-15 minutes while I pop to the shop. We have a few basic rules like no answering the door and no leaving the house unless it's on fire, and I've only left them both when the youngest is engrossed in something and not being a PITA. We live next door to a pub (with live in owners) so someone is always around should an emergency happen

'so don't give them access to the internet! Brick phone or landline.

You can't cover every eventuality but having a child really hurt themselves and drip a lot of blood around the place before he managed to attract our attention, no way would I put extra barriers in by having him need to go downstairs, out of the front door, navigate a couple of driveways and knock up a neighbour while in pain and dripping blood. Each to their own though, I suppose .'

I do agree, some sort of way of contacting you is needed if it's going to be more than a short while. Just find it a bit sad that 10 year olds unquestionably have a smartphone but their parents are only just thinking about leaving them at home for a short while. Feels like it's the wrong way round.

Whatever age you and the child feel comfortable with and from your description, she sounds ready now. Most should be fine by 10* though.

*honestly most would be fine long before 10, its normal to leave them home alone from around 7 in my country - that's the age when they start to get more independent here, like walking to school alone.

As a PP said, 10yo are Year 5/6. They are allowed to walk home from school on their own. So no reason they can't also be left at home for a short period of time. Like 30min to pop into the supermarket or drop a sibling at a local club.

Indeed. We probably started around 8 for 10 mins or so

Following

10-11 seems normal, i think i was 12

I occasionally leave my nine year old for up to an hour to do club drop offs and such. My 11 yesr old I leave for a couple of hours happily and my 13 year old has stayed at home all day when he hasn't wanted to come out with us.

They know the various ways to get out of the house if there was a fire and not to touch cooker/kettle etc or answer the door unless it was emergency services/beighbour. they have mobile phones, keys to the doors, and we are very good friends with both of our neighbours.

They all also know first aid thanks to being st John cadets, and know the chain of people to call if there was a problem/we didn't come back by a given time etc

I love the idea that some posters have suggested to set a timer for longer than they will be (obviously they will be able to call me whenever if they need me) and their child/children are to call someone if the timer goes off that is a brilliant idea and I will be using this when mine are old enough to be left alone for longer than expected as if I'm not back then it's likely something has happened and I may not be contactable

Its something you need to work upto. 8/9 is a good time to start leaving them for very short periods such as 10mins while you nip shop. By 11 they need to be able to wrangle buses etc. alone so a slow and steady build up of independence is a good thing.

We started leaving for short periods around 9. She now walks to school and back herself and comes home one day until we get back. Going to be able to leave her for a day soon. She is 11 and going to secondary in September