Leaving child home alone

[Rocknrolla]

I can’t remember what age/time my parents first left me home alone, so it obviously hasn’t done me any damage, going off my parents they weren’t the type to wrap us in cotton wool so it would of been sooner rather than later (definitely not aged 7)
It was the boys mum who phoned the police ie hotel gate, they do say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned

 

[Homebird44]

Which is wrong. Why would a young child of 9/10/11 be streetwise? Why would a child of that age be in a position where they would already be “streetwise” if not because they were being left alone and had no choice?

Street wise just means that they can walk to school by themselves and have a bit of common sense. Wrapping them in cotton wool and panicking if they're on their own won't help them when they need to be independent.

 

[holliebollie]

I agree it depends on the child and there are no hard and fast rules. I moved out at 16 to live with a boyfriend and had a part time job while I was at college. Did housework and cooking (although I clearly remember ringing my mum to ask how to boil eggs). My 15 year old is no where near what I was like at that age and just seems really young. She says she would like to stay here on her own one night but I just couldn’t do it yet!

 

[Kim Mild]

It does seem more acceptable for children to walk to/ from school themselves from about age 9-ish , ready for going into year 5/ starting middle school than it is to leave a child of that age alone in the house.

Most of the children that age where I live walk to school without supervision. Perhaps nor all of them are left alone on the house.

Although, it is slightly frowned upon to drive children of that age to school when they live in walking distance but I suppose that's another discussion.

 

[Snippysnips]

Although, it is slightly frowned upon to drive children of that age to school when they live in walking distance but I suppose that's another discussion.

They actually starting banning people from driving their kid to/from school if it was under a certain distance, most schools here are in the middle of housing estates or have little to no parking an cars were becoming a complete hazard being left parked wherever they could get to drop off/pick up their kid, so now regardless of age if it's under a mile(ish) I believe then they cannot be seen with a car at the school so that the room is left for those outside that, so now I'll see large walking groups of kids where one or two adults are watching them as not every parent can walk the kid in the morning if they need to get to work so parents rota an take kids in groups

 

[Homebird44]

They actually starting banning people from driving their kid to/from school if it was under a certain distance, most schools here are in the middle of housing estates or have little to no parking an cars were becoming a complete hazard being left parked wherever they could get to drop off/pick up their kid, so now regardless of age if it's under a mile(ish) I believe then they cannot be seen with a car at the school so that the room is left for those outside that, so now I'll see large walking groups of kids where one or two adults are watching them as not every parent can walk the kid in the morning if they need to get to work so parents rota an take kids in groups

That's a great idea. I had to go straight to work from the school run but my employers were incredibly relaxed, they would have been happy for me to start later

 

[Snippysnips]

That's a great idea. I had to go straight to work from the school run but my employers were incredibly relaxed, they would have been happy for me to start later

A lot weren't happy about it when it started but to be fair I can see the point in the schools doing this, our town has 1 Catholic high school in it so it takes in the entire area an some areas of the town are a good 15 to 20 min drive to the school, it isn't fair for those that need to drop off their kid an have to drive around for a while cause they can't get parked safely to let them out while others who are literally a 3 minute walk around the corner are taking up those spaces, most schools are right at main roads, my school was surrounded by main roads an 0 parking, an not many work places will allow you to be late so parents who could do the school walk would tell others they would take the kids an it's a win win, people can get to work on time an kids have a adult or two walking them with their friends to get there on time

 

[Kim Mild]

They actually starting banning people from driving their kid to/from school if it was under a certain distance, most schools here are in the middle of housing estates or have little to no pan cars were becoming a complete hazard being left parked wherever they could get to drop off/pick up their kid, so now regardless of age if it's under a mile(ish) I believe then they cannot be seen with a car at the school so that the room is left for those outside that, so now I'll see large walking groups of kids where one or two adults are watching them as not every parent can walk the kid in the morning if they need to get to work so parents rota an take kids in groups

How do they enforce it?

I've heard of schools having a 'walking bus' , is that like one of those?

 

[Snippysnips]

How do they enforce it?

I've heard of schools having a 'walking bus' , is that like one of those?

To park at the school now the car must display a badge in the window that the school sends out as they know which kids need it with where they stay an if you don't have the badge then you get ticketed since the school has people making sure only those with the badge are there parking

I am assuming a "walking bus" is like a organised thing where parents will take the kids yeah? It's not really official here, it's more the parents just agree with other parents to have them take the kid, most kids all stay close to each others homes so they go to the houses an then walk to school, some parents will even just allow the older ones to walk alone an tell them to stay within the groups or close to the groups that's walking, it's like a trail of kids before an after school here so the older ones sort of just mix in an the really young ones are the ones that parents have agreed with others to take them

 

[lastdis]

If you have to ask if it’s ok, then no.
ifyou thought it would’ve ok you wouldn’t need to ask anyone .