Is there a legal age limit to leave children home alone?

[strawberry]

That's it really. What is the minimum age a child can be left on their own, say for an evening or after school while parents work? And what about older children looking after younger siblings?

yes id like to know too. i used to babysit for a neighbour when i was 14, but i guess things have changed !!!!

14

Really 14. And could a 14 year old look after younger siblings?

When I was at secondary school, both parents worked, so I was home alone for 2 hours after school from age 11 (although many years ago!!)

I used to babysit for a 6 year old boy and his 18 month old sister when I was 12!

No there is no legal limit. The law states that a child must not be put at risk - but is quite woolly on what that constitutes. I guess maturity is more of a determining factor than age in itself. I was quite surprised that there isn't a specified age (I had to look into it for a child protection issue at work) - I suppose you're ok unless something happens. I always understood 14 to be the age for babysitting other children but don't know about siblings.

14 for all children
13 for siblings
don't know about home alone, presume it would be about the same time as letting them walk about on their own?

NSPCC webpage - states no legal age

I bought a book a while ago called 'Talking to Tweenies' about children aged 8-12, and was amazed to read that 'this is the age when children will start being left on their own for periods of time while you go to the supermarket etc'. Until I read that it hadn't occur to me to let DD (10) off the misery of accompanying me to Sainsbury's.

But it also said that the average pocket money for a 10 year old was £6 a week, and my DD gats £1.50, so maybe I was just never going to see eye to eye with those people...

Hausfrau - I have heard this before. Friend of a friend in Germany pops out to shops while baby sleeps in cot. not sure what would happen if there was a fire!!!

I was left alone from age 9, yet my younger brother wasn't left until he was 15!

All to do with maturity, I think.

Thanks tortoiseshell! Exactly what was needed

mmm it's all a bit woolly isn't it?. I would sorta like my son to be able to be fairly streetwise and go somewhere by himself at around 11/12 ish ...but yet i couldn't by law leave him in the house alone for a few hours??
Playing out too.....i presume there is no age mimimum?.

NSPCC website

Hausfrau - I'm surprised they didn't suggest you let your ds walk home alone, because that's often done in Germany as well - very young children walking to/from kindergarten/school totally alone.

I think the lack of legal guidance here is really difficult, I'd love to see it updated and improved.

Absolutely bonkers in my view that a parent could still be prosecuted for letting their 17 year old be on their own but that it's equally possible for the young person to be married, driving, working, in receipt of benefits etc.

I was a latch-key kid from the age of 12ish I think. Never worried me, was the eldest and fairly mature IMO

I used to have a babysitter who was 14 but her mum was a childminder, good friend and neighbour so when we went out, the 14 yo would babysit but her mum would look in on her. We never went far.

I leave my nine year old for a few minutes, eg to post a letter but if I go anywhere (however near it is and no matter how short a time I will be away) I take him with me. I do feel though that he is getting near to the age when he could be left eg while I went to pick up a sibling or went to the shops - or is that just because he is such a pain to take with me?!

BTW, I had a key and let myself into the house when I was about nine, although my older brother or sister usually arrived home minutes later. I let ds1 take the key and walk home in front of me if he wants to (so that I would arrive home a few minutes after him). I think it is good to build up their independence in little ways such as this.

go anywhere in the car, that should say.

going to secondary school seems to be a turning point for me my brother had to cycle 3 miles to his secondary school aged just 11, I had to take a school bus the 5 miles to mine but if I stayed for after school activities I had to walk about half a mile to catch a public bus home.

So if we were out and about in the daytime alone, surely we could be in the house alone for a while?

what do parents of children at seconday school do these days?

My dd1 is 10 and walks 2 short roads (1 small road to cross) to school and back but I am still worried about her the whole time and so relieved when she is home at 3.30pm.

I knw she is getting older and she is a really mature 10 but I just couldn't leave her in the house alone not even to pop to the shops. Maybe I will become a bit more likely when she is older but to be hones I have to take the 3 younger ones with me so theres no point leaving her alone!