Another one I'm sorry, leaving children home alone and what's appropriate

[Arnoldparnoldpeanuthead]

Sorry!

I am just half fuming and half questioning myself here.

I have 4 children, 14, 12, 9 and 6 so am fairly laid back. My son is going into year 10 in September.

Today I went for a nail appointment, it was 5 minutes away, i was one hour. I took my 6 year old but left my over 3 at home. I got home and all was well, everyone basically in the same position when it comes down to it my children are very streetwise and sensible, and my judgement was to leave them.

However, later I the day, I was pegging the washing out and the neighbour next door who has a 3 year old was chatting away and I was showing her my nails etc and she questioned the fact I left the children at home, she said it was illegal and I should be carefulð??ª she said you had to be 16 to babysit?
I was just enjoying not having to trail my kids on errands! Now I'm questioning myself.

They were sake I their own home! They had mobile phones, keys, and my 14 year old is very responsible, my DH would also leave them. We both work shifts in jobs that are respectable and jobs we could probably lose if we were doing anything "illegal"

Is my neighbour being naive or is it me?

I thought you had to be 14 to babysit.

However, I've just looked it up on a Police website and it says:

There is no legal age for babysitting. It is the responsibility of the parents using common sense to make the decision. It is worth bearing in mind though that a child under 16 years old cannot be prosecuted for neglect or ill treatment of children in their care. The parents/carers/guardians would be charged in that situation. However, any person who is 16 or over and who has responsibility for a person under that age could be prosecuted.
The law does not specify how old someone has to be to babysit. However, the NSPCC recommends that no one under 16 should be left alone to look after young children. If someone under 16 is looking after a child, the parent or guardian, and not the babysitter, remain legally responsible for the child's safety. Parents should still use judgement when choosing a babysitter, as some 16 year olds might not be mature enough to look after younger children. The same careful judgements apply if your child wants to babysit for others.

Given all that, I'd say you were fine doing what you did.

The main problem would be if the younger children fight with each other, leaving the older child struggling to control them.

When I was 11 I used to have to babysit my three younger sisters (youngest was 4) and cook a hot dinner every Saturday morning while my mum and dad went shopping. Try carrying a huge pot of potatoes over to the sink to drain (which meant going right across a good-sized kitchen) while sausages burn under the grill and your sisters are winding you up. It's a wonder any of us survived.

Thanks imperial.

So basically it's my judgement and my call. I genuinely know they were fine but it's the fact that if something did happen I could reflect and say what was I thinking?

I am aware that the eldest does have the responsibility and it's unfair . I was a younger sibling whose sister looked after U.S. And I hated it and it's damaged our adult relationship.

I was so

Your neighbour is nuts. Our ndn's 14 yo babysits for us, she's perfectly capable.

Keeping an eye on a 9 year old is not the same as babysitting. I leave my 14, 12 and 8 year olds alone for 30 mins twice a day while I walk the dog and, other than a squabble or two, they're fine.

www.gov.uk/law-on-leaving-your-child-home-alone - kinda says over 12's can be left for short periods but again to judge it by your own child

Yep, I'd be OK with that. 14 and 12 could be letting themselves back in from school. So long as one of them isn't liable to do something stupid, and isn't forever ending up in A&E, I don't see the problem.

www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/leaving-child-home-alone/ - definitely not illegal to leave them. I have left dd 11 and ds 8 in by themselves (together) on a couple of occasions but only for a very short period of time

Tell her to butt out, there is no legal lower age limit for a babysitter. Lots of 14 year olds are perfectly of looking after their younger siblings for an hour or two (or three or four).

Phew.

Feel better now. My 14 year old does let himself in and my 12 year old would, 9 year old would rather be left than dragged about.

I know for a fact they would be sensible when it came down to them being left. The only worry would be dvt from them being still for so long!