12 year old answering door

[nickthedad]

I leave my 12 year old DD in the house alone for an hour on Saturday morning when I take my son to karate. We live in a safe village. I've told her not to answer the door. Should she open the door if I have a prearranged delivery from a courier firm. I'd rather she didn't. Am I being paranoid?

I leave my 13 year old daughter occasionally and tell her not to answer the door. It's not because I don't trust her, it's more of a safety thing as you don't know who will be on the other side. I have said in the past if she sees someone leaving she knows and can trust, that's fine, ie relative, good neighbour.

Having said that if you're expecting something you could allow her to open the door if she's sure it's the courier company. It not, could you leave a message on your front door, asking courier to leave it with a neighbour.

I have told DD1 (11.5) that it's fine to answer the door (likely to be neighbours all of whom we know anyway) but that it's absolutely fine to shut it right in someone's face if anything makes her feel uncomfortable. I think that pre-teens/teens can often be to worried of causing offence to listen to their sixth sense if something is not what it seems.

When I leave my DS age 11 I tell him not to answer the door mainly because I have 2 German Shepherds and 1 needs to be shut away if the front door is opened.

I tell my girls to have a sneaky look through the upstairs window, and only open the door to someone they know.

darlingfascistbullyboy What is a soffit? I'm just wondering whether we need a new one....

Tell her to open the first floor window and shout down that she's not allowed to open the door to strangers but he can leave the parcel

Or can she open the first floor window to see who it is, then if she needs to sign for a parcel phone you as she's signing.

Several years ago I left my two then aged 8 and 10 alone while I nipped out for 20 mins. They were given strict instructions not to answer the door.

When I came back there was a huge parcel sitting on the kitchen table. They had peeped through the window when the doorbell rang, and were so overcome with excitement when they saw the huge parcel they just felt they had to answer the door.

Sadly the parcel was something totally un-exciting like a new lampshade.

I was not allowed to answer the front door alone until I was a teenager. I think my mum's main worry was theft (especially distraction theft); this was in London. (Although I remember thinking that I could have been educated about this risk more, rather than simply being told "never answer the door").

(My mum made a habit of keeping her handbag by the front door, to the disapproval of everyone else.)

And as far as offending callers is concerned... many children are trained to be polite and helpful to adults, so the front door can be very full of "mixed messages" for them!

We have had a number of bogus cold callers recently. I have told ds not to answer the door when he is on his own.