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 ?

Which law?

This

i get your dilemma and why you and your eldest would be upset it is a big step leaving for seniors (my middle child left last yr and I know I would have been upset to miss her celebration) my youngest at the time was 7 and I know for sure had she of been poorly I would had to have missed it there is absolutely no way I would have left her home alone or taken her with me unless I knew for sure she was not contagious. I’m immunosuppressed myself so taking a child poorly I just couldn’t put others at risk either.

Graduation from year 6 is a big thing. I would take the sick child with you, but stay at the back by the doors and the child maybe just sat outside but in sight if at all possible. Do school have any suggestions to help? Could the sick child go into the playground for 30 mins - unlikey to pass it on outside. or get someone to stay with child even if they are in the garden or park for 30 mins whilst you attend. Lots of potential workarounds which enable you to attend without leaving child x

Isn't this illegal at only 7 yrs of age? I would hope so!

Thanks

I posted an update yesterday that the school offered to watch her while I attend the assembly. But we ended up staying outside the assembly hall together outside where I could see my DS and I didn’t need to leave her side

I meant that the OP had misunderstood what the poster she replied to was saying.

Honestly you shouldn’t be torn at all ! Leaving a 7 year old at home alone is unacceptable. You should not have at any point seen this as a possibility or an option. No not a chance would I have ever left my child at that age wouldn’t have even crossed my mind for a split second. Please do not do this.

IdgieThread
i suppose you never have fat thumb syndrome. Lucky you.
The advice to leave a child alone may be terrible. However, the advice not to tell thousands of people on social media that you are going to do it is sound.

I’ve just started leaving my 9 year old and lots of friends and family think that’s too young. I think 7 is probably pushing it I’m afraid. Are you friendly with your next door neighbours maybe? Ie if there was an emergency there would be someone she could go to?

sorry just seen you were able to get sorted

I'm glad you got to see the graduation.

Other parent should get on a plane home. Why should you have to deal with this situation alone?

Failing that, are you sure a friendly neighbour won't help or a friend? It's less than an hour, there must be someone?

That’s a ridiculous thing to say. Year 6 leaving is huge to the child involved.

A plane home is a bit of an overreaction to a child with a common childhood illness. Lone parents manage all the time. If the parent was at the pub, absolutely.

I'm also surprised at not even having a neighbour who would be home, though. When mine were younger our elderly neighbours on either side would have 'babysat' from their own house. As in confirm they would be home and the child could knock at anytime.

I’m so pleased you got to be there x

No not at 7. Bad timing but sadly you can't leave the 7 year old. Can another parent take a photo of your year 6 child.

Read update so pleased x

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know why the NHS has restrictions, if that is the right word, on who can/should get the chicken pox vaccine? Why not everyone, as long as they are not allergic to the ingredients?

Again, just curious not criticism.

There are changes coming to this I think, with proposals for CP vaccine to be given to kids as is done in the US.

This would risk spreading CP to vulnerable people, this type of foolishness around illness is just not ok.

There are dangers with that too.

A child I know had the vaccine and when she came into contact with CP, she didn't appear to have it. Problem was, she did & the spits went internal. She very nearly died, she lost all moment in the limbs, stopped being able to speak or eat. She lived, just, but has been left severely disabled and will never function independently.

@confusedwithschool

i hope DS enjoyed his day?! & saw you there?

and hope DD is back to normal very soon!

Could you ask one of your sons teachers to video call the graduation instead?
I'm sure they'd be happy to help!

Thank you. He Saw me there and I got there in time to listen to his speech and see him get his certificate 🥳

I am very slapdash but I have 2 7 year olds and no way round I leave either of them at home alone. We are camping at the moment and I left one of them playing football with some other boys and went back to the caravan about 5 mins walk away, I told him I’d be back in 20 mins (it was raining but he didn’t want to leave). By the time I got back he was sobbing, absolutely beside himself, his friends had left and he had no idea what to do, even though he knew I was coming back and was just across the camp site. At 7 they’re just babies really, if anything unexpected happens they’re totally clueless. I wouldn’t trust mine not to burn the house down.