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Parenting

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Original poster

10 year old left alone after school while mum works......

45 replies

DrNortherner · 10/06/2007 17:26

A neighbour is leaving her 10year old dd alone after school till 7.00pm when she returns from work.

Is this acceptable/right/wrong/illegal?

Discuss

OP posts:

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Ladymuck · 10/06/2007 17:28

Totally depends on the 10yo. For some this may amount to neglect, others would be fine.

MamaG · 10/06/2007 17:29

yy depends on the 10 year old.

BrothelSprouts · 10/06/2007 17:30

Does she have someone who can be there quickly if there is a problem eg: another neighbour or grandparent?

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Original poster

DrNortherner · 10/06/2007 17:32

This family have only just moved here from Slovakia. As far as I'm aware they know nobody.

Last week the girl locked herself out and I saw her wandering aimlessly outside, let her use my phone to call her mum.

OP posts:

islandofsodor · 10/06/2007 22:57

I was left until 6pm at around the age of 10/11 after school whilst my mum worked.

If I phoned her she or someone could be with me within about 10 minutes.

FluffyMummy123 · 10/06/2007 22:58

Message withdrawn

FluffyMummy123 · 10/06/2007 22:58

Message withdrawn

maisym · 10/06/2007 22:59

7pm is a long time? is there any form of after school childcare around you could tell her about? Could she go to a friends house until 7pm?

unknownrebelbang · 10/06/2007 23:04

I was left after school from that sort of age I think, although not for that long.

I'm not sure I'd leave my 10 year old, but then he's immature, and spontaneous. I could have trusted his older brother at that age.

I do feel it's a long time to be left, if I'm honest, but i don't know the full picture.

FluffyMummy123 · 10/06/2007 23:05

Message withdrawn

MaureenMLove · 10/06/2007 23:10

Since you say they have only recently moved in, why don't you introduce yourself and then suggest that you keep an eye on her?

Tortington · 10/06/2007 23:19

i think its a shame that the family are in this position and i would nt apportion blame.

how many people do YOU know who would gladly trot out a standard daily mail response involving 'those' people coming over here claiming benefits.

misdee · 10/06/2007 23:21

i dont think there is anything 'wrong/illegel/etc' in doing this.

however, i would let them know that you are there if the dd needs anything, maybe leave your phone number with them.

we used to get left about age 11/12 for short periods but had a friendly neighbour who was there if we needed anything.

Original poster

DrNortherner · 11/06/2007 13:19

Oh God I am not apportioning blame at all. Having not got a 10yr old just wondered what the score was.

OP posts:

mumeeee · 12/06/2007 23:40

It is not illegal but it is a long time to leave a 10 year old. I used to leave my children at that age but only for a short while. Perhaps for 30 minutes while I went to the shop.

cat64 · 12/06/2007 23:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

jampot · 13/06/2007 00:13

i wouldnt leave my 10 year old on his own. I would hwoever leave him with my dd for a short period of time if she was happy looking after him

mumof2monsters · 17/06/2007 09:07

I don't think that I would leave a child of 10 alone in the house.
There are many risks to this if for instance they had to get something to eat and burnt themselves or the house caught on fire. What if a stranger knocked on the door.
I do think it may depend on the 10 year old but I personally would not do it. I have a 10 year old SD and would not leave her home alone even though she is sensible because I also think it is not fair on her.
Final point to all this. Isn't it illegal to leave a child of that age alone in the house?

cornsilk · 17/06/2007 09:13

I was left alone age 10.
Is she year 5 or 6?
Year 6 chn will have to travel to high school by themselves anyway.

cornsilk · 17/06/2007 09:13

Also the law may be different in Slovakia. The child may be well used to being alone and can therefore cope.

quokka · 17/06/2007 09:17

I used to be left for that amount of time and at that age - but I was bought up in Oz and knew our neighbours really well.

littlemissbossy · 17/06/2007 09:18

I wouldn't/haven't left mine on their own at this age. I suppose it does all depend on the maturity of the child, however it does mean that they could be faced with dangerous situations and the one thing to come out of the Madeleine McCann abduction is that you never know who is watching.

edam · 17/06/2007 09:20

I was occasionally left at that age - think we still had someone who came in to look after us but I certainly knew what to do if a stranger knocked at the door or we burned ourselves or if there was a fire.

In fact I dealt with a toaster fire one morning when our au pair didn't turn up. Didn't have a fire blanket but used a damp tea towel and sent my little sister to the nice elderly lady who lived next door. Who threw the by then burning tea towel in the sink and turned the taps on.

I do remember we weren't allowed to use the chip pan, though. When I was about 15, my mother was very ill after a major op, and my 12yo sister tried to make chips. Furious row when I stopped her.

edam · 17/06/2007 09:21

(My mother was in bed upstairs during chip pan incident, btw, we weren't actually on our own.)

cornsilk · 17/06/2007 09:21

But a 10 year old that's used to independance is less likely to come to harm than a 10 year old that isn't.

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