Leaving 6-year-old home alone

[Tailfeather]

Would you leave your sensible 6-year-old home alone for 10 minutes with strict instructions of watching tv and not eating or going into the kitchen?

Where are you? I have done to get a parcel off the neighbour ( and stop for a chat) but could still see the house, DC knew where I was and it's probably closer than the end of the garden. I wouldn't go further.

No way

My daughter is almost ) and barely lets me leave her while I nip to the toilet so I doubt she'll be letting me leave her alone any time soon.
I did leave her in the car while I picked my prescription up the other day. I was gone for less than 2 minutes and could see her/the car from the window no more than 15 feet away and she still acted like I'd abandoned her for hours

No. I have 6 year old twins and one is very mature for her age whilst her brother is less so but I wouldn't leave either one, or both, in the house on their own. I might leave them with a film and snack whilst I'm in the garden or garage where they can call for me but I'd never leave the premises. I was a 70s baby and in the 80s would walk to and from school alone from year 5. It involved main roads and was a 3 mile round journey. Felt entirely normal back then!

Almost 6

I’m 41 so was a kid in the 80s and I was not left home alone until I was 9 and db (Year 6 age 11) was allowed to walk home with me in the summer term. Dm got home 15 minutes after us.

No way! Even if I tried she would just follow me 😆

No. And I wasn't left home alone as a 6 year old child in the 70s either .

No I wouldn't its not just the risk to the child but what if something happened to you when you where out the house like a car crash

How are people saying they "might" go in the garden. How have you not been out in the garden for 6 years without dragging your kid with you at all times?! Maybe you all have bigger gardens than me.

I wouldn’t but saying that my not yet 6 year old is incredibly sensible and I know she would be fine. She has the memory of an elephant and amazing common sense. It’s funny when she was a baby I was horrified when older generations spoke about kids walking to school along age 5 and going out all day with friends in the summer hols but honestly if that was the culture here I wouldn’t think twice about letting her and I know she would be fine.
I wouldn’t because it’s frowned upon and I’d fret over the tiny worry the house would combust or something. Child 2 however…they can be left alone when they’re 18 and move out the way things are going now…

Yes

I wouldnt leave my 6yo even with his 10yo brother and I'm pretty relaxed at times

Never

As it may not be 10m

Leaving alone in a house and you away from property is totally different from in the garden and you in the house

6? No, absolutely not. 9 I think is OK to start leaving them for 15-20 min at a time. Possibly also during the last couple of months of being 8. But 6 is a world away from that.

And I never get the argument that a child is 'sensible'. Part of the condition of childhood is not always being sensible.

6 - no way.

I am aghast at the posters who won't leave a 10 year old alone for short periods of time though. DS is 10.5 and he walks home alone from school which is half a mile away and I leave him to pop to the supermarket. I wouldn't drive to the next town or leave him alone in the evening but he's absolutely fine to be left for half an hour when we've run out of milk! It's good practice for them to get a little bit of independence, especially when secondary school is around the corner.

No!
I left mine at around 10 and 8 but 6 is too young.

Absolutely no. If you're going somewhere for 10 min take the 6 year old or don't go.

I left my nearly 8 year old for 10 minutes recently to walk to the end of the road and collect my other DD... I felt panicked the whole time and won't be doing it again any time soon even though she was absolutely fine and followed my instructions not to move off the sofa!

Yes- 10 minutes? I spend longer in the shower.

You would get arrested here if you left a child in a car.

OP absolutely not, under no circumstances. As others have said if you are in the garden fine. Going to the shops no way!

I’m one of the most laid back parents you will ever meet, I let my 9 year old stay home for up to an hour on his own, never been a problem. But I wouldn’t even leave a 6 year old. I’m trying to think of a way that I would feel ok about it and I can’t.

No

Of course not.

No. I wouldn't leave my sensible 9 year old home alone.