Leaving kids home alone

[weluvu]

Would you leave 2 children aged 8 and 6 home alone for one hour once a week?

I think that unless you could call in a favour from a kind friend, and I would happily do it for a friend, you will have to take her. If she has been asleep since 11 she is quite likely to wake up either before 3 or while you are out. Sorry.

I agree with bozza. If she had zonked out half an hour beforehand, I'd have risked it, possibly. But I think you are going to have to take the poor little thing

Difficult ripe. Tempting to leave her as the chances are she'd sleep through BUT if she did wake, or needed to be sick again, she might be scared if you weren't around. I'd reluctantly wrap her up and take her in the buggy.
It's times like this we should be able to ask the nice lady next door to keep an ear out.

Message withdrawn

I think you're going to have to take her with you, tempting though it is to leave her sleeping. What if she woke up when you were out, or you got held up? I'd get everything ready to go and leave it to the very last miute to get her up.

no absolutly not

Is it at all feasible to transfer her from cot to buggy without waking her? Or is there anyone who would get DD1 for you?

Something I've been wondering for a while...last summer, when my dds were 6 and 9, I let them go to the local park alone for the first time. They stayed out for 1/2 hour the first time, and I gradually let them go for longer, each time warning them that they needed to be back at the specified time, or they wouldn't be trusted again. I had one issue where they split up, and I didn't let them go again for a while, but apart from that, no problems.

That first time, I came on mumsnet and asked whether people thought I was mad to do this. IIRC, the overwhelming response was "no - let them have a bit of independence".

So if it's fine for them to go to the park together, where they are theoretically in much more "danger", why is it not OK for me to leave them at home alone together where they have access to a phone, and no outside dangers...?

Ripeberry,no I wouldn't leave her asleep alone.Too long a time and she could be sick,wake up whatever.
I would wake up or get someone to sit with her.

Possibly, yes. Depends on the kids. I often leave my kids for 10 mins while I pop to the shops or take the dog out to pee. They are 11,9 and 5

Would definitely not leave a 2yr old alone, I doubt she'd come to any harm but if she woke she could get scared that you wern't there.
My dd is 6 well she's 6 on Monday, and I will leave her for small ammounts of time.
I agree with Spidermama and think it's good for them to learn a little responsbility.
At this age I'd only leave my dd for ten mins, while I run to shops around the corner etc.
She knows what she is and isn't allowed to do, and her being left alone was at her request. I know she will behave while I'm gone because she wants me to trust her iykwim. I'm never more than 2 mins walk away and she knows where she an find me if she needs me.
She makes a big song and dance when I get back about how she didn't do this, that or the other!
I would hope by age 8 or 9 I'd be comfortable leaving her for an hour.

should add that shop is about 300 mts away

People who feel confident leaving young children at home. Where do you live? Do you have neighbours and lots of people about. We live in a rural spot with no neighbours, do you think it makes a difference when you leave them knowing that there are other people about.

I suppose there are people around here, but none that we know and I doubt dd would talk to anyone. The don't talk to strangers thing definitely sank in!
I feel comfortable leaving my dd at the moment, because I know she can get to me in mins if she needs me, she also knows how to use the phone and my mobile and my mums number are programmed in.

I would say No I wouldn't leave them alone - but having said that my bf frequently goes for an aftrenoon nap of at least an hour and leaves her two of the same age playing !

I'm just wondering if going out for an hour is an awful lot worse? She sleeps like a log and shuts her bedroom door.

My other friend regularly leaves her 2 and 6 yr olds in bed and leaves the monitor with her next door neighbour !

I wouldn't rest myself - but is def not illegal !

Sorry but a big no here.

I personally wouldn't leave a 6/8yo on their own for that long unless it was an emergency!

Can you not take the children with you, sit them in the cafe with a colouring book?...Do you honestly have no Babysitters in your area?

I think this is a really interesting subject.

Kind of agree with spidermama, we certainly need to allow children some responsibility and it needs to be gradual. For me, tho, 8 & 6 is too young. No specific fears, just can't imagine them being OK without an adult to check with. DD is 5.5 and very sensible, but still I'd be nervous.
Also concerned that 8yo is responsible for 6yo.

But when ds1 is, say, 12, dd 10 and ds2 8, I think I'll be happy for them all to be at home after school for up to an hour until I get back from work. Am I being hopelessly hopeful?

BTW WRT the OP, 6.30-7.30 spans bedtime in this house, which would be a more serious issue.

Thank you for your kind replies. I think that yes i will have to take her with me but i've rung the school to say i'll be a little late as i would like to take her in the car and by then there should be parking spaces.
Usually i have to be there half and hour early just to get into the car park.
Thanks again.
AB

Going out & leaving the monitor with the neighbour!

You can't smell smoke through a monitor!

I honestly don't know how such a person could go out & not worry!

Maybe they are assuming they could hear a smoke detector via the monitor. If they are in a terraced house or a semi, I don't see that it is that different from being in another room.

I wouldn't because I was at home alone with my little brother when I was young - normal 70s latchkey kid, nothing extreme at all. And I found it very, very scary. And a couple of times I had obscene phone calls which I still can't recall without feeling upset. Looking back I know it must have been someone who knew our family, which is worse, and I was too freaked to tell my parents.

Smoke alarms can take several minutes to detect smoke.

What if the neighbour can't get in the house because the fires in the hallway?

It doesn't take long for a sleeping child to choke to death!

I personally wouldn't take the chance with any child, they're far too precious.

i would be worried aobut who could come to the door

its easy to see inside the house from the outside tho

(i have tried to hide from people like the window cleaner when i ve had no cash but he always spies dds through the door)

also, would a small child not be scared?

I found it terrifying to be on my own with someone at the door too.