Leaving child home alone.

Lots of children walk home from school alone, catch buses home, get shopping and are home alone from a younger age and based on circumstances. Young carers are often cooking and caring for their parents and going to and from school alone from @ 8 to my knowledge.

It depends on the child and the situation. You know you own child and what they can be trusted with.

You know your child. There is no legal age for them to be left alone. My son at 10 would have been absolutely fine and started walking to school alone or with friends in Year 6. That was the most common age for kids to start in our area.

My nephew at 10 would have been a disaster and I wouldn’t have trusted him on his own even at 15/16 as he probably would have burnt the house down. It’s all down to the individual child, whether you trust them and whether they are comfortable at being left.

Is not like you’re leaving them for hours, it’s only to pop to the shops.

I would absolutely do the same as you.

Mine are a wee bit older now, 12 and 13, but it was about 9/10 I started popping out, they've been walking to school alone for years.

Trust your instincts.

I think parents these days fail to teach their kids independence and self-reliance. There's nothing more dangerous than an 18 year old who hasn't been taught to do things for themselves because then they have complete freedom but with none of the skills to match.

Independence takes years to teach.

Yes, I worry about my kids, but I put my worry aside to allow them to develop the skills they will need when they're older.

There is no legal age from which you can leave your child home alone, despite what people think. It's up to you as the parent to assess the child's maturity and if they would know how to react if there was an emergency. From what you have said, it sounds like she is very mature so I wouldn't worry about social services.

Absolutely right. Some people seem to be perfectly happy for their kids to be useless, clingy snowflakes who have to live with mummy their whole lives. You know your kid. It's no one else's business.

For a short period of time it's fine. I remember being left at that age and I was fine but only for a couple of hours. I think we must have had the news on too much because if they left me for longer I used to carry the bread knife around just incase we got a burglar!

No sorry, I def wouldn't recommend it. My friends mum left her older sister (12) at home when just nipping to the shop, she came back to the house and it was up in flames and the child die.

I leave my 10year at home, same reasons as you, to pop to the local shop or if shes unwell i leave her to do the school run for my 6yr old.

I do remind her of the rules, she is only allowed to be in her bedroom and only to leave for the bathroom, she not allowed anywhere near the kitchen or the front door, no matter who it is. Me and her dad have keys, so anyone else can wait. I also leave her the house phone and have my number written down in case she has any questions or worries or needs to go to the kitchen etc.

You know your child & if you think she is mature enough to stay home for short periods of time then you do that.

The only thing you can’t do is leave an under 16yr old alone overnight. There is actually no law stating what age you cannot can’t leave a child home alone outside of the over night rule but said child should be able to keep themselves safe so under 8 is probably a no.

No law in England and Wales that says you can't leave under 16s overnight without adults.

I'm a Scout Leader, and we regularly leave Scouts (aged 10.5-14) on campsites overnight without adults as part of our programme.

OK.

I was walking to school, alone, well before age ten.

It was about a fifteen minute walk, with several roads to cross and part of it via a housing estate...

I would also spend all day out with friends during the Summer, only returning for tea...

I was undertaking paid babysitting for other children's kids at 12/13.

That said, my daughter is slightly older than yours, and I wouldn't leave her alone in the house, unless I was in the garden, for instance, because I know that she would worry.

My 10 year dislikes going to the supermarkets so I sometimes go shopping by myself and leave him home alone with no problems. He also goes to local shops - chip shop, dessert shops etc by himself.

If a child is mature enough, and not afraid of being at home/ walking alone, that's okay to let the child do it.

Hi Stephanie,

Just checking in to see how you are getting on?