If you wouldn't leave your kids alone in the car does that mean you wouldn't ever leave them alone at home either?

[moono]

Following on from the leaving kids in cars thread.

I leave my kids alone for several hours at a time on occasions with my 14 year old dd in charge, but only when they are fast asleep in bed.

Would you?

DS1 is nearly 13 and we have recently started letting him babysit for DS2 (7) and DD (3). The last time we used our regular, very lovely, 18 year old babysitter DD woke up and wouldn't settle for her, DS1 had her back asleep in minutes. DS2 has also started asking if DS1 can babysit if we go out. It has mainly been on a Saturday afternoon if DH and I have things to do in town (5 minutes drive away), but we went for a meal - a 15 minute walk away - one night and were back at 10.30. It really does depend on the child, and I think more crucially the relationship they have with their siblings. Our next door neighbour keeps offering her 15 year old son as a babysitter for us - he ignores me if I say hello to him on the street, his mum cheerfully tells me he is horrible to his 12 year old brother and has no experience with young children. I would think if I left my three year old daughter with him I would be a seriously bad mother - leaving her with her biggest brother who adores her feels absolutely right.

An elderly relative of mine looked after 4 children aged between 18 months and 7 years when she was 14 - her mother died and father worked all hours.
Times have changed.

I babysat for a 6 year old and 3 year old when I was 14.

i will leave my 12 and 10 yo for short periods of time alone, and yes in a couple fo years would prefer DS1 babysat for the two youngest (currently 5 and 8) rather than someone none of them know. I do leave them, and nearly always have done in the car at the petrol station - I think it's really dangerous with cars pulling in and out all the time and they are more likley to be run over than there be a problem in the car. I try to go and fill up without them anyway to avoid the demand for sweeties

DD and I have been reading Peter and Jane Ladybird books and in the one we are on now, Jane's friend Pam looks after her younger sister Molly (3) when her mummmy is out.
Pam is clearly about 9 I would say. it's an oldish set of books from a jumble sale tho I believe they are still published.
Blimey times have changed!

I don't think i could do it with young children. Although a 14 yr old is very responsible, i wouldn't want to put that responsibility onto a 14 yr old, i'd never forgive myself if something went wrong.

Times really have changed, haven't they? I'm the eldest of 4 and I can remember babysitting from about 11 when my parents went for a drink on a Friday evening. Pub was 5 min walk away and they were always back at 10.30, but can I imagine leaving my two with an 11 year old? Not a chance in hell!

We always ask my sister (who's 27) to come over when we're going out, but DP leaves the kids in the car while he pays for petrol. I don't drive, so that's not something I deal with, but what do you do if they're sleeping? Wake them and take a grumpy child in with you? Something that worries me for when I will drive actually.

when I only had dd I actually got her out of the car to pay for petrol. Now that I also have ds I lock them in the car, spurt to the cashier whilst keeping an eye on them and run back much to dd's amusement.

Leave them home alone for about 2 minutes when taking the bins out - whoever asked the question earlier... we're in flats and the binshed is out back around the corner ;). DD (4.5) ususally askes 'where are you going mama' i say 'taking out the rubbish' she 'ah o.k. I look after ds then' she's so grown up

Would I use a 12 year old to babysit? really depends on the 12 year old :) e.g. my friends girl would most definitely be capable

We leave dss (14) at home alone if we are going out shopping or something but never for too long.dss's mum has been leaving him home alone for maybe an hour or two since he was about 9/10 so he's fine with it. Certainly wouldnt leave him in charge of dd (2) tho. He would start doing something and forget to look after her but thats him rather than 14 year olds in general.

How do those of you who wouldn't leave a 12 year old home alone cope after school? DS1 starts at the academy next August and so we have decided to stop the after-school childminding and he is to come home on his own and chill out/do homework until we get home. Do you continue to use after-school childminders while they are at secondary school?

Libra I would dd walk home from school and be on her own at age 12 (well at least I'm saying that now ) asuming that the school is close enough to home iykwim :)

Libra I would dd walk home from school and be on her own at age 12 (well at least I'm saying that now ) asuming that the school is close enough to home iykwim :) and I do look forward to the day because childcare costs are killing my bank account

i have helped looked after my cousins since they were newborns and i was 13 coming 14 at the time and although i could look after them fine i was never let look after them on my own though until i was 15 and in year 11. i was capable but i guess my cousin just wasn't comfortable with it. i didn't understand this at thetime but now a pregnant woman its just instinct isn't it!!i would be comfortable leaving my son (when he is born - obviously not straight away!!) with most 15/16 year olds .. but not everyone. there are some very irresponsible 15 and 16 year olds out there!!