What age would you leave your older and younger DC's?

[ilovechocolate80]

Interested in what the perception is out there...

1. Do any of you leave children 12 or under unsupervised at home for quick trips to the corner shop (a few minutes walk around the corner).

1. What instructions do you give?

1. Do you leave older ones with younger ones and if so how long?

I leave my nearly 9 year old occasionally, never for more than half an hour. The main time I've done it is if he is off school poorly as it saves me dragging him out on the school run with his brother.

He has his mobile and knows to phone me if there is a problem. I tell him not to answer the door, not to answer the phone to anyone he doesn't know, and I get him a drink etc before I go so he doesn't destroy the kitchen. He know which neighbours he can go to if there is a problem.

He's very sensible and trustworthy, and he loves the independence, although he what's apps me nonsense the whole time I'm gone.

I wouldn't leave him in charge of ds2 (6) yet, he's not old enough to be responsible for anyone else (plus ds2 can be a bit of a loon )

I'd leave my 12 year old no problem. But wouldn't leave the 2 of them (DD2 is 6) for more than 5 minutes - they'd kill each other.

1. yes
2. Do answer the phone and the door for sure. Or not really anything. Everyone is responsible for each other.
3. yes... er, dunno how old, depends what combo, how far I am, etc!

Eldest is 9 now, started leaving her just after she turned 8 for 20 mins or so whilst I did the nursery run.

She is not to answer the door or phone, I leave the front door unlocked so she can get out if she had to. She knows 2 neighbours to go to if there's a problem. I have taught her to use the phone but I'm not sure she's confident to do it alone so neighbours to go to works better.
Her sister is 2 yrs younger but she always comes with me. She's too young to be left alone and not fair to put that responsibility on the eldest. Maybe when they are 8 and 10 I might leave them together for short trips if I think they could be sensible together.

Youngest is 4 and completely different personality, suspect he will be older than 8 when left home alone!

That's my daughters age. I haven't left her yet. I've just started leaving my 11 when he begs not to go to the shop with me. I had an incident today when my friends grandparents droppef their daughters off at my house when I'd popped to the shop and left my 11 year old. They were early and I stupidly assumed that they would stay and wait for me as the kids are 9 and 6. As it was I was horrified to get home and find that they had just left them with my 11 year old - see other thred - . My friend says there was nothing wrong with it so I'm wondering what other mums think is right.

Don't want to repeat the other thred by the way, just interested in what is the 'safe norm' these days.

I started leaving mine alone at age 10 for up to half an hour, with a key and mobile phone and strict instructions not to answer calls from anybody except family, and not to open the door. When they got to senior school age, they had their own key and would be in the house for up to 2 hours before I or DH arrived home.

However when leaving more than one child my rule has always been that the eldest needs to be at least 14/15 (baby sitting age, responsible, with a phone, confidence, etc) or all the children need to be at least 10. Even then personalities come into play - my friend wouldn't leave her 2 youngest together because they were constantly fighting, but she'd leave any other combination.