Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Leave 6 year old at home with 13 year old

94 replies

PrettyPleaseXo · 26/12/2024 21:10

AIBU
I really want to start the gym
I'm a single parent with no childcare who works full time so the only time I could feasibly go is early in the mornings when the kids are in bed. Would it be unreasonable to leave the kids sleeping with a 13 year old and 6 year old?
I would be gone for roughly 1.5hrs

OP posts:
biscuitsandbooks · 27/12/2024 15:58

Gogogo12345 · 27/12/2024 15:56

How is that different to a 6 year old waking while parent is asleep

Because it's normal for a 6yo to go and wake up mum/dad at 6am - it's not okay for a thirteen year old to be expected to be in full supervision mode at that time of the day.

ThisCosyPoster · 27/12/2024 16:00

Just do joe wicks at home and then you don't need to worry. The app is really good and cheap.

visitbreakfast · 27/12/2024 16:00

FatFiatMultiplaWhopper · 27/12/2024 15:56

Yeah I would drop off on the sofa sometimes - the parents had no issue with it! It was fine

You realise that's not the same thing as being left asleep at 5:30am?

Gogogo12345 · 27/12/2024 16:04

biscuitsandbooks · 27/12/2024 15:58

Because it's normal for a 6yo to go and wake up mum/dad at 6am - it's not okay for a thirteen year old to be expected to be in full supervision mode at that time of the day.

Really? None of mine woke me at 6 years old and definitely not at bloody 6am . And the statement was about 6 year old getting up and wrecking house/ causing fire etc

So again if a 6 year old was planning to do that they they would hardly wake parents. So they creep around house . In that scenario what difference is it WHO is sleeping

ItOnlyTakesTwoMinutes · 27/12/2024 16:09

PrettyPleaseXo · 26/12/2024 21:17

I work from 9-6 and have to leave home at 8.10am and don't get home till 7pm x

Do some at home workouts.

biscuitsandbooks · 27/12/2024 16:09

Gogogo12345 · 27/12/2024 16:04

Really? None of mine woke me at 6 years old and definitely not at bloody 6am . And the statement was about 6 year old getting up and wrecking house/ causing fire etc

So again if a 6 year old was planning to do that they they would hardly wake parents. So they creep around house . In that scenario what difference is it WHO is sleeping

Obviously I wasn't clear, but what I meant was that it's normal for a 6yo to wake their parents when they get up - and if OP isn't home, putting the 13yo in charge by default at that six in the morning isn't okay IMO.

The fact that your kids don't get you up at 6am isn't really relevant.

And it matters that it's a 13yo asleep and not a parent because a 13yo isn't necessarily going to hear noise and think "shit, I'd better get up and see what they're up to" whereas a parent is more attuned to that kind of thing.

I have no issues with a 13yo doing childcare but I don't think they should be left alone and asleep with a younger sibling while their parent is at the gym.

biscuitsandbooks · 27/12/2024 16:10

FatFiatMultiplaWhopper · 27/12/2024 15:56

Yeah I would drop off on the sofa sometimes - the parents had no issue with it! It was fine

There's a bit of a difference between dropping off on the sofa and being left in sole charge of a 6yo while you're fast asleep at 5.30am.

Snorlaxo · 27/12/2024 16:11

I would put 6yo to bed then go to the gym rather than go in the morning. There would be a high chance of my 6yo waking before I got back and it’s not fair on the 13yo to have to get up earlier

xyz111 · 27/12/2024 16:15

I would wait a couple of years. There's plenty of good workouts you can do at home with just dumbbells. Like this for example. she has loads of workouts.

Onlyvisiting · 27/12/2024 17:59

Gogogo12345 · 27/12/2024 15:56

How is that different to a 6 year old waking while parent is asleep

Because parents are generally better at sleeping with one ear open and waking easily than teenagers, but mainly that it's just not fair to put that responsibility on a 13 year old.

Thatcastlethere · 27/12/2024 18:03

I think the 13 yo would really need to be awake for this to be OK. What if the 6yo woke up and panicked and didn't wake the 13 yo up??
I think it's fine to leave a 13yo in charge of a 6yo for an hour or so during the day, as long as both children are reasonably behaved in general and are NT no additional needs or anything. But at 5.30am when they are both asleep.. I think that could go wrong. It's not really safe. It's still dark, the 6yo could get confused and upset if they wake.. the 13yo might not wake up etc...

writingsonthewall · 27/12/2024 19:30

grimupnorthnot · 26/12/2024 21:22

its perfectly safe and normal.

Another post showing how fucked up British parenting is.

Agreed

StSwithinsDay · 27/12/2024 19:35

I work from 9-6 and have to leave home at 8.10am and don't get home till 7pm

Is your 13 year old responsible for getting the 6 year old to school or do you do school drop off on the way to work? Who is caring for them until you get home at 7pm?
Edited to say that I have just read your op and you have no childcare. So the 13 year old is responsible for the 6 year old after school every day?

PrettyPleaseXo · 27/12/2024 19:36

StSwithinsDay · 27/12/2024 19:35

I work from 9-6 and have to leave home at 8.10am and don't get home till 7pm

Is your 13 year old responsible for getting the 6 year old to school or do you do school drop off on the way to work? Who is caring for them until you get home at 7pm?
Edited to say that I have just read your op and you have no childcare. So the 13 year old is responsible for the 6 year old after school every day?

Edited

My DD does to breakfast club and after school club

OP posts:
MumChp · 27/12/2024 19:36

It would be normal in my EU home country.

I babysat children at 13.

StSwithinsDay · 27/12/2024 19:37

@MumChp
So did I. Many times. But not at 5.30am.

Zanatdy · 27/12/2024 19:40

Some great workout videos online you could do whilst they sleep. I like one called team body project

gamerchick · 27/12/2024 19:42

It depends on the kid. If he helps out the younger sibling in general and has a mobile,.I don't see the harm if you keep your phone handy. You'll be back before they're up anyway.

I'm sure you'll get the what if the house catches fire stuff posters who you can guarantee charge their mobiles/run washing machines/run dishwashers etc over night posting like.

But I was babysitting at 10. People.wipe their kids arses long into adulthood on here. That's why they can't cope with adulting.

jerepe · 27/12/2024 19:50

I think they'd probably be fine, but tbh I don't think it's necessary for exercise. I'm a single mum and I lost 3 stone doing free exercise videos at home, the only equipment I have is a mat, dumbells and a pull up bar which are fairly cheap. Getting into a routine at home means I can exercise every day, whereas I wouldn't want to be out at the gym every night, so it can be more effective.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page