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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

what age can you leave your kids alone?

12 replies

loveheart77 · 05/10/2007 13:55

i am a cm and just found out today one of the parents wants to let her 10 year old walk home alone from school for 2 hours while she is at work.this is to save paying out on childcare but she also wants to let her 10 year old watch her 7 year old aswell can anyone help? is this allowed!!

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chel86 · 05/10/2007 14:00

I'm not sure there is any law on this. There didn't used to be but I don't know now. I would say that a 10 year old on their own - no way, but also looking after their 7 year old sibling - absolutely not!!! I don't believe some people. How much does your own child's safety and welfare cost these days?! Obviously too much for some people!

chel86 · 05/10/2007 14:03

Just seen this on the net if it helps.

Original poster

loveheart77 · 05/10/2007 14:03

the problem here is to keep claiming tax credit so if she leaves them on their own she still thinks she can get the money not relizing i will ring tax credit to tell over her!

OP posts:

chel86 · 05/10/2007 14:05

Then she's in it for the money - to make a few quick extra pounds rather than thinking of her kids - even though she's not entitled to get that money!

Marne · 05/10/2007 14:06

My friend let her son do this and she was told at 11 he can stay by himself but not adviced to look after his sister.

I would'nt be happy to leeve a 10 year old on his own and look after a 7 year old

Original poster

loveheart77 · 05/10/2007 14:10

the kids live next door but one to my parents and they are always telling me that the amount of times they see both kids running across the road and not looking their surprised they have not been run over

OP posts:

chel86 · 05/10/2007 14:27

Me and DH recently found out that my DSD mum was leaving DSD (9) with her twins sisters (14) while she went out. We found out about this ages ago when it was just when she had to quickly pop down the shop, and weren't too happy about it then. But after speaking with DSD and sisters we've found out that her mum was going out when DSD was going to bed and staying out til early hours of the morning, and this would be most nights!! We have DSD at weekends so whats stopping her from going out then!! Spoke to DSD about it and it wasn't just the fact that she was being left, but DSD felt scared and alone and felt her mum wasn't around anymore. Spoke to twins and they felt the same. Needless to say we were fuming, horrified by this and had a chat with her. Not so much of a chat as "we know what you've been doing and you WILL stop it now" kind of thing! I just don't get some people sometimes!

mogs0 · 05/10/2007 14:42

At the age of 10, I used to walk home from school alone or with school friends going in the same direction. Certainly from age 11 I was walking home and Mum not home til about 6 ish. However, I wasn't in charge of a 7 yr old.

chel86 - If dsd has 14yr old twin siblings babysitting I don't think I'd be too worried. I'd be more worried that she was going out every night rather than her choice of babysitter. How did she react to you and dh telling her to stop going out?

Original poster

loveheart77 · 05/10/2007 14:57

just rung social sevices and their is no law for ages of children being left alone so looks like they will be staying on their own.whatever next a 4 year old comming home from school on their own?

OP posts:

chel86 · 05/10/2007 15:36

We weren't too worried about DSD being babysat by 14 yo, but were concerned when she wasn't getting back til 2-3am and that it was happening 3-4 times during the week.

We told her that, yes she can go out, we would never stop her, but she wasn't to leave the girls on their own until early hours of the morning and it's completely unfair to leave them without a mother most nights of the week. We said that, whatever night it is, we will have the girls and we will take them to school the next morning if she feels so desperate to go out. At first she was denying it all, then she admitted it and then she sat quiet and listened and agreed with what we had to say.

bloodsuckinglooney · 05/10/2007 16:14

God, I was walking home alone around that age too when I was younger HOWEVER I will not (I don't think - I must be careful as may change my mind when he's older) be letting ds! It's just not as safe as it was when I was younger. Gosh, I sound old .

I think it's really wrong but if there's no law, what can you do

And yes.....wouldn't surprise me if some 4 yr olds walk home on their own, some people have no idea! Like the sisters I cm.....parents came to collect, toddler went near dad and I said 'oh sweetheart, make sure you stay with daddy' as I put her baby sister in her car seat as parents just watched and then the next thing I'm screaming at them because their dd (2.2) was running towards the road (dad was by the door and not only did he not keep an eye out after my comment but had left the front door open that he was by). His words 'well, your ds is out there and could stop her' - he's 4 FFS!!! (having said that he's very good and probably would try and stop her but then he could have ended up in the road trying to save her (just want to add that ds was right outside the window and never runs off, very very trustworthy with that and I'd never let him near the road)

Sorry....ranted a bit there....just wanted to show you why NOTHING would surprise me these days

mrspnut · 05/10/2007 16:57

There is no law about leaving your children but if they are not in the care of an adult then you are still responsible for them and you can be prosecuted if something happens to them.

It really depends on the child as well - I know some 15 year olds that I wouldn't be happy about leaving alone and some 9 year olds that I think would be fine.

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