Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

13.5 and 7.5 at home for 1.5-2 hours

8 replies

Cornishbelle · 09/12/2025 10:28

Please let me know your thoughts on two kids these ages left at home together. They say they will be fine but I'm not sure if it's too much. It's so DH and I cam attend parents evening without having to drag the younger one around all the teachers. They get on well and only seem to squabble when wanting to fight for our attention. Older is boy younger is girl.

OP posts:
HoneyParsnipSoup · 09/12/2025 10:30

Yes, absolutely. These small steps are what build up a more independent child. It has to start somewhere.

NuffSaidSam · 09/12/2025 10:45

I think it's fine as long as the older one is sensible and knows what to do in an emergency. And the younger one is sensible and won't do anything mad.

I used to babysit at that age for multiple kids/babies/toddler etc.

QforCucumber · 09/12/2025 11:06

I'd say its fine as long as they know how to contact you, tbf though mine come to parents evening and they just sit in the main hall or corridor with a book or a switch they don't really get dragged around all the teachers.

Justploddingonandon · 09/12/2025 11:14

I'd say it's fine if they're happy with it, can contact you and you can get back quickly, but if it's the older one's parents evening isn't he meant to go with you? May not be an option for you, but I solve this issue by booking the earliest possible appointments and putting my youngest in after school club for the day. For her parents evening it only takes 10 minutes and she just sits outside the classroom with a book.

TheNightingalesStarling · 09/12/2025 11:31

Do you trust the elder one to look after younger one, and trust the younger one not to play up?

Ghostsghoulsteenagers · 09/12/2025 11:35

Very dependent on their characters - is the 13.5 switched on and sensible and the 7 year old compliant . How far away is school and do you have neighbours who could help in a crisis ? I’d have left my DS1 in charge , but not DS2 or DSD . Probably best if there’s a plan - so a movie to watch or something

Original poster
Cornishbelle · 09/12/2025 18:17

The older one is sensible and could probably do with a bit more responsibility. The younger one is prone to tantrums but only when we're looking! They get on really well when they're not playing to get our attention! School is five minutes away and older one could phone if any problems. We want to have unfiltered chats with the teachers as eldest is picking up a few behaviour points for low level disruption as they call it in class and wondering about possible adhd or what support they can give. Last time we brought youngest we had no choice for her to sit with us as it's in a big hall and you rotate around the different desks to see the teachers, it was very chaotic and younger one does struggle with large crowds

OP posts:
Original poster
Cornishbelle · 09/12/2025 18:26

They're making a Christmas present for dh and planning to watch man vs baby in Netflix so sounds like they have a plan

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page