Leaving child home alone

[Rippedjeanmaybe]

My oldest is 15 and I’ve just this week left her for the evening to babysit my youngest. She stays home for a few hours if I have to work and she’s ill but no longer than 2/3 hours at a time. Not to be a pearl clutcher but there’s no way I would be leaving anyone under maybe 12/13 alone unless it was like a 5 minute walk to the car and back?? Maybe I’m just too much of a worrier.

I think it depends on the child, but I do think anything from 11 upwards is fine to leave for a few hours at a time. They have to learn independence at some point and I think if you don’t let them gain that by a certain age, they might end up a little dependent and a little naive maybe because they’ve been mollycoddled.

I started being left alone for hours at a time when I was 11 when I started high school (2007). My mum would be out at half 7 for work and she wouldn’t be back until around 7pm, sometimes later. I got myself up, got my lunch etc and cooked my own tea after school, plus I did some jobs like washing etc.

I was also hanging around with my mates from being around 11. I would go out for a few hours at a time in the evening with my mates (obviously without adult supervision).

I think it taught me some valuable life lessons and I’ve always been able to look after myself.

 

[Kim Mild]

It's probably safer for kids to be in the house themselves that it isfor them to be roaming round the street and their parents don't know know where they are.

 

[Rocknrolla]

Has anyone read the news article about the Middlesbrough fan who left his 11 year old alone in the hotel while he went out celebrating the win in Manchester? He’s been arrested for neglect

 

[Homebird44]

Has anyone read the news article about the Middlesbrough fan who left his 11 year old alone in the hotel while he went out celebrating the win in Manchester? He’s been arrested for neglect

My parents would never have been out of the police station. They used to leave us in hotels and pop out for a drink when we went on holiday.

 

[BettyCrockerr]

My parents would never have been out of the police station. They used to leave us in hotels and pop out for a drink when we went on holiday.

Sorry but this is terrible.

 

[Rocknrolla]

Twitter has blown up with some funny comments

 

[Snippysnips]

Has anyone read the news article about the Middlesbrough fan who left his 11 year old alone in the hotel while he went out celebrating the win in Manchester? He’s been arrested for neglect

I should think he's been arrested, while leaving that age at home can be good to introduce some independence if the parent thinks they are mature enough, there's a strong difference between your own home that you know with locked doors, neighbours that can watch out or the kid can go to than a hotel in the middle of a city especially if you aren't totally familiar with, countless kids go missing/are snatched from places like these, if we were on holiday my parents would bring some drinks back to the hotel an sit on the balcony as they would never have left us in a hotel in a strange place, it's also totally unfair on the hotel itself, should anything go wrong it can seriously damage the hotels reputation

 

[BettyCrockerr]

Anyone who prioritises going out on the piss over caring for a young child is an hole. Leaving a kid of 11 in a hotel, alone, is neglect. Absolute scumbag.

 

[Homebird44]

Sorry but this is terrible.

It was the 80s. We didn't even have car seats once I was out of the carry cot in the back.

 

[Justreading]

I should think he's been arrested, while leaving that age at home can be good to introduce some independence if the parent thinks they are mature enough, there's a strong difference between your own home that you know with locked doors, neighbours that can watch out or the kid can go to than a hotel in the middle of a city especially if you aren't totally familiar with, countless kids go missing/are snatched from places like these, if we were on holiday my parents would bring some drinks back to the hotel an sit on the balcony as they would never have left us in a hotel in a strange place, it's also totally unfair on the hotel itself, should anything go wrong it can seriously damage the hotels reputation

Absolutely. There's also a massive difference in.the reasoning! In my situation it was due to my son isolating. It's sometimes necessary for others due to work/popping out for some shopping or posting a parcel.

Going out to celebrate a football win is a different matter entirely!!

 

[BettyCrockerr]

It was the 80s. We didn't even have car seats once I was out of the carry cot in the back.

Really doesn’t make it any more acceptable! I was a kid in the 80s, I know what it was like but my parents would never have done this.

 

[Homebird44]

Anyone who prioritises going out on the piss over caring for a young child is an hole. Leaving a kid of 11 in a hotel, alone, is neglect. Absolute scumbag.

I wouldn't do it but my kids at 11 were pretty street wise. But I agree its a crappy thing to do. I had no choice to leave mine when I went back to work but they were 14 and 12.

 

[Rocknrolla]

I think neglect is extreme, an 11 year old boy will more than likely be in his element gaming all night. It was the mum who phoned the police, the kid was probably complaining that the hotel WiFi was lagging. Wrong or right it’s an interesting article

 

[BettyCrockerr]

I wouldn't do it but my kids at 11 were pretty street wise. But I agree its a crappy thing to do. I had no choice to leave mine when I went back to work but they were 14 and 12.

An 11 year old is not streetwise.

 

[Snippysnips]

Absolutely. There's also a massive difference in.the reasoning! In my situation it was due to my son isolating. It's sometimes necessary for others due to work/popping out for some shopping or posting a parcel.

Going out to celebrate a football win is a different matter entirely!!

Exactly, I understand that in some situations it's a need for a parent to leave a child, I was left young occasionally as a parent had to go to a appointment that I couldn't attend to an couldn't wait in a waiting room, or would need to pick somthing up, once I was older it was because they had to work full time an it was either childcare or food so therefore being left in the house was a need but I was mature enough to be fine plus I had neighbours I could go to, to intentionally leave a child just because you want a piss in town is unacceptable, especially when it's having to be in a hotel, if you want a night out or a piss around town then make sure you can have someone watch the child

 

[Homebird44]

Really doesn’t make it any more acceptable! I was a kid in the 80s, I know what it was like but my parents would never have done this.

Well i'm still alive. I was very independent from a young age, knew how to pay bills, clean and cook. I wouldn't have done it when mine were that age but people parent their own way.

An 11 year old is not streetwise.

Why are you arguing? My children were. They walked to school and went out with their friends. My youngest is away at uni and went on holiday with her friends abroad at 17.

 

[Kim Mild]

An 11 year old is not streetwise.

Some kids are extremely streetwise from a young age.

 

[Dot_Cotton]

I have a 10 year old and haven’t left her alone in the house. I’m sometimes tempted if I can’t be bothered trying to bribe her to walk the dog with me but I just don’t feel I can yet. But in this scenario, if the child was ill/isolating and it was just a quick school run then you should be fine if you feel it will be

 

[BettyCrockerr]

Some kids are extremely streetwise from a young age.

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?

 

[Snippysnips]

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?

I don't understand what your problem is, why is it wrong for a young child to be "streetwise" at a young age, I was streetwise from a incredible young age an it was nothing to do with being left alone at that time, it was to do with my parents being responsible enough to teach me everything and to make me streetwise so that when the time come that I was being left or had to walk home from school that I was more than ready because I had been taught these things and knew all the dangers, there's absolutely nothing wrong with teaching them to be like that at incredible young age, you are aware things like school trips exist yes? It is better for them to be wise as soon as they start school than not teach them a thing, while teachers do look out for kids on school trips its still better if the child knows the dangers, jeezz at 4 I could give my entire address, phone number, close contacts, allergies etc knew all about road dangers an stranger danger, how to exit a house on fire, an more but I certainly wasn't being left at 4