To leave my 7 yr old home alone for 30mins ?

[confusedwithschool]

My 7 yr old DD has the dreaded chicken pox ( she’s on day 5) but still absolutely covered. Half of his class are out cos of this

Tomorrow is my DS’s year 6 graduation and there is no one I can call to babysit ( that’s even if they would want to )

I can’t take her there as I would be exposing other kids but at the same time how can I miss my sons grad?

im torn . I plan to be on video call with her while there and the school is just down the road , a 2 min walk

not sure what I can do ?

Presumably there will be TAs and 1-1s floating around during the leavers assembly that would otherwise be in the classroom doing reading groups etc.

Schools having graduation is absolutely ridiculous. Just don't go.

My son who is now 13, till very recently used to say “who is looking after me!” When I had to go somewhere.

Blimey.

The TAs that aren’t in Year 6 will be available, as will office staff. DD’s school have done this for other parents (and for me when I had a seizure!) so it’s more than plausible.

This is true. In fact, there are studies showing that exposure later in life (ie through kids/grandkids etc) is helpful in preventing shingles from developing.

Although there is no law regarding age children can be left alone (ridiculous imo) it is an offence if the child is at risk. I imagine leaving a sick child home alone is putting them at risk so it would be classed as an offence if the authorities found out OP. I would never do this regardless of circumstances.

When my DD had her first young voices concert I stayed home with her brother who had chicken pox and he was 15!
Granted it was for a full evening and DH went to watch DD but I’d never leave an ill child. It sucks but it’s how it is. Is there really not one person you could call on at all?
Sorry OP, I can imagine how you must feel

No you can’t
don’t be so stupid

During Covid I couldn’t go to my sons play (where he was a main character- the dame) because of Covid.
The show wasn’t allowed to be filmed but the school did film his parts to show me, with the understanding that no one else saw them.

Then this year, like you, my 3yo has chicken pox. School we’re doing a picnic at school on the last day and (he’s ND) he was beside himself that I couldn’t go. Even sitting with his best friend and mum wasn’t ok (he goes there once a week, normally as we swap childcare). I called school and they let him come home before the picnic as he was really upset about it. We had a lovely day.

I understand a leavers assembly is more important so I think you need to give your son some options (if no one can sit with DD). What is most important to him? That you go, that you get to watch via a friend’s parent’s phone, or get footage later from school - talk to them about that.

That's a shame u have to miss it but these things happen. U can't leave a 7yr old for 30mins.

I know it's tempting as I have a 7yr old. I do occasionally think I cld leave them to do nursery drop off as they are still sleeping and I'd only be gone 5-10mins but I then give myself a shake. They are too young what if a fire started or u got in to an accident etc.

Pretty sure its not the OP's fault that her DC's school call the leavers assembly a 'graduation' - imagine getting your pants in a twist about it being called that!? Leavers assembly at that age is a big thing - maybe some being mean dont live in the UK, thats all I can think.

Glad the school could help out OP, enjoy

Errrrrr no, the fact that this has even crossed your mind to leave a 7 year old (and a poorly one at that!) home alone is absolutely bonkers and you should in fact be totally ashamed of yourself to be honest!

Its scary that people think this might be acceptable.

I'm old school and would say yes to lots of these type of questions on here but in this case I'm firmly in the stay home with your sick child camp.
When I read graduation I first thought you meant university where I could see a genuine dilemma but turns out you are talking about leaving primary school so no dilemma at all.

I had to leave my 7 year old at home for 20 mins as I had to take her sister to school and back. She wasn't well enough for the car journey. I had her on FaceTime the whole journey. She is sensible and did not move from the couch the whole time

It would be poor judgement and irresponsible to leave an ill 7 year old child alone for any reason. A pretend "graduation" / leavers assembly which your dc will not remember in 6 months time is not a reasonable reason.

I would also not even consider purposely taking a child suffering from chicken pox into a primary school.

Also, if they are too ill to be bundled into the back of a car for a school run, they were definitely too ill to be left alone! What are you meant to be able to do on Facetime if they urgently need you and how can you safely watch Facetime when driving? Either she wasn't that ill and could have went in the car, or she was ill enough she needed an adult there.

Absolutely not under any circumstances.

I agree - people are so rude. As a child who rarely had parents available to watch things - I did notice.

If there is really no one you could ask (now is the time to be cheeky and call in favours) then having someone video it and watching it together later - you could link your phone to the tv and make a big deal of it that way.

Surely you can't facetime someone while you drive?!

I wouldn't leave my just turned 8yo that long, because frankly he's an idiot. But in theory if they are sensible I think it's fine. I was regularly left alone at that age and we didn't have the mobile phone, video doorbells/security cameras back then. Year 6 graduation is a big deal to the 11yos.

@WindsurfingDreams have you ever heard of something called hands free. Surely you have....if not it's a device that your phone sits in while in a car

Absolutely not.

At 13 is he not making his own way to and from school? Wanting to go out with mates? I agree 7 is too young but once they hit high school, learning disabilities aside, they really should be gaining independence

it is Really interesting to see people getting hungover about what a child leaving Primary school is called . Whether it is called graduation, leavers assembly, it is a very huge milestone for my child and for we as parents.

thank you so much to everyone who offered kind suggestions and made me wake up my tired brain from sleepless nights to think of other alternatives. She would stay with a TA who is available as all other teachers and students would be at the assembly

Delighted you can go !!

I leave my 7 year old for up to half an hour. I mean everything has risks, if anything a motorway journey with a child would be more risk prone than leaving them in the house for half an hour I would have thought. It depends on the child I think.