Was I wrong to leave my children

[Basilandparsleyandmint]

My dd wanted to join the summer library scheme and so we went along yesterday with my older ds yesterday. We realised before we went that we could not find my dd's library card but had mine . So in we went and I spoke to a librarian who confirmed I would need to purchase a new one. My children dd age 7 and ds age 10 and I went to children's section where I checked my purse and realised I had no cash to purchase new card . My children were looking at books at this point. I explained the problem of having no cash but knew a cash point was just next to library so asked were they going to come with my to get cash or staying to look at books . They wanted to stay so I nipped to cash machine next door to get cash . I was no more than 3 minutes. In that time a librarian had seen me leave go up to the children and asked where mummy was and how old they were. My ds spoke for both my children and confirmed I had nippedyo bank outside toget money. When I entered in I went to librarian who asked me was I aware that it was against the law to leave children under 12 alone and made me feel like a negligent parent giving me a lecture . The library is tiny and quite empty. Both librarians were aware that I had asked about a card and my children felt happy to stay at library whilst i popped outside. Was I being negligent? I was quite upset and left the library. I would never have left them if they had not felt comfortable and would happily taken them outside if they had wanted that too.
I understood that there was no set age limit and if it posed a risk etc but felt I had assessed the situation . Please tell me was a negligent mum ?

I'd do the same at that age. ask the librarian to tell you the name of the law. she's talking rubbish.

I think the librarian massively overreacted.

There's no age limit, you were fine don't worry about it

Are you in the UK?

It can't be illegal to leave children alone, how would they ever get home from school, or use library computers for homework etc.

No there is no law that specifies age, just your assessment. I think it was totally fine, as you say, you had assessed them as safe and you were going to be (and in fact were) a few minutes only.

There is no age limit in the UK.

It may be policy for that library but it's not against the law. Last public library I worked in said under 8s should be accompanied by an adult.
If it had been me I would have asked the staff if the children could stay while I went to the cash point. But no if your children are sensible enough to be left alone for a few minutes in a library, which it sounds like they are, then of course you aren't negligent.

Ridiculous, you were a few minutes and as said before there is no legal age.

Yes I am in the U.K. I was just really shocked and upset that she felt the need to tell me this especially when her facts are not correct. I wouldn't put my children in a situation they were not comfortable with and certainly not knowingly in a dangerous situation. I used to lug the around in car seats at petrol stations as babies rather than just nip in etc

That's stupid....

Surely 10 year olds walk to/from school alone? To be fair i live in a small yorkshire town and kids are out alone all the time so my view may be skewed. Obviously things would be different in big cities where they needed to cross major roads, etc.

Our library is 2 streets away from me and their front garden bit is always full of abandoned bikes as kids have gone alone to do the activities / reading challenge.

3 minutes?! She must have been bored or fresh from evangelical style safeguarding training. Or both.

Why do you have to pay for a library card? they are free.

There is no age limit and she was wrong.

Our local library is in a shopping centre and there were some parents who thought it would act as a crèche when they wanted to go shopping.

In the librarian's defence, perhaps they have had similar so she approached your kids when she noticed you leave.
Having verified you were only a few minutes she should have left you alone though, not started making up her own legislation!

Yes in hind sight I should have probably said and very true am sure there may have been others that were not so well behaved.. thank for positive comments as was really doubting myself.

They wanted me to pay for a replacement card as my dd has misplaced her original. My dd loves reading and wanted to sign up for the reading challenge. There were very few people in the library and even fewer children sadly. We are a rural market town and my children have been going on and off since babies.

Also think she was being ridiculous. 7 and 10! Not exactly babies and frequently seen alone in the library at that age round here.

Your were not wrong. Your eldest is 10! Quite old enough to walk to school, play out with friends, pop to the shop etc. Let alone sit in a library while you're outside! Jesus, what is the librarian talking about saying under 12s can't be alone?

She was talking bollocks and I'd have done the same as you.

She was put in a difficult position and felt the staff were made responsible for them in your absence. I too would have been pissed off if I thought a parent was assuming j would 'keep an eye' on them.

Our local library has a rule that children aged 10 and under have to be accompanied by an adult. They've got a big sign in their window about it. This is one of their internal library policies though, it isn't a national law.

Might your library have a similar rule?

There isn't a law about what age you can leave a child, such a thing would have to be so finely graduates to have any meaning, it would be ridiculous. (most parents start small and build up to letting the kid lock up / come home to.an empty house / come home and cook dinner - very specific decisions)
Library may have a policy, but 12 seems high. Usually 8.

She was obviously being ridiculous about it being "against the law" to leave children under 12 alone. Perhaps that library has a rule against it, but you'd expect a librarian to be able to express herself accurately if that's what she was trying to convey!

As others said the only reasonable reason would be that children frequently misbehave in that specific library. That may be the reason, or she maybe an officious jobsworth, it's impossible to tell :o

It's silly for people to jump to the conclusion you were expecting free childcare - a ten and a 7 year old can look after themselves in a library for 5 minutes!

What a pity that you have to pay for cards, our library issues replacements free, and if you've forgotten your card you can still check books out if you have other id or just tell them your dob, address and phone number (to check on the system).

That would have got my back up too OP.
I was in the library with my own 7 and 10 year old the other day. I'd have happily left them for 5 minutes but no longer as there was a painting session on and my 7 year old is very, um, expressive with paint
They are really lovely in our local library and I'd also mislaid my 7 year olds library card. No problem at all. Just took his book to the desk and used his name to check it out. They also helped him fill in his card for the book challenge, and suggested a few books to him.

you'd expect a librarian to be able to express herself accurately if that's what she was trying to convey!
Unlikely to be a librarian, probably a library assistant.
(Not saying that's why she was arsey, most library assistants I've worked with are fantastic at their jobs and lovely people!)