13 and 9 home alone together - two hours away for about 7 hours? (All day time hours)

[Anonymous]

I do not leave my 13-year-old boy home to babysit his younger sibling. I've tried it for an hour here and there, and it's 50/50 - they play together, or he neglects her and himself. Plenty of other 13-year-olds would do great.

[Anonymous]

No.

7 hours is long.

2 hours away is far.

Can't you get a sitter or other responsible adult (or call in a favor with a friend for a one-time hangout?)

[Anonymous]

Yep, I’d do it and not think twice. I was 12 years old and babysitting an 8 year old, 4 year old, and 2 year old. No cell phones, no immediate way to reach parents. Lay the ground rules, let a neighbor or friend know what’s up, and go.

[Anonymous]

I think that puts a neighbor in an uncomfortable position like they have to be “available” for the 7 hours, a long time, in case something comes up.

I also babysat young kids when I was 11 but always knew I could call my own parents if things went south. Never needed to call but there was always that option for backup.

My kids are about the same age as OP and fight too much for me to leave them together for that long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No.

7 hours is long.

2 hours away is far.

Can't you get a sitter or other responsible adult (or call in a favor with a friend for a one-time hangout?)

This ^^

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yep, I’d do it and not think twice. I was 12 years old and babysitting an 8 year old, 4 year old, and 2 year old. No cell phones, no immediate way to reach parents. Lay the ground rules, let a neighbor or friend know what’s up, and go.

For 7 hours?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No.

7 hours is long.

2 hours away is far.

Can't you get a sitter or other responsible adult (or call in a favor with a friend for a one-time hangout?)

+1. Dh and I have gone to dinner nearby and left our kids that age home alone, but it was for 2 hours max, and we were literally a 5 minute drive away. I wouldn’t do that long or that far.

[Anonymous]

Two hours away. No.

[Anonymous]

I think of those 2 young brothers recently killed in a house fire in NoVa and think it is too long and too far to chance it, OP. Get a sitter. If something happened you will never forgive yourself.

[Anonymous]

Nope. I’d do it if we were going to be close by and it was for a shorter time period, but 2 hrs away for 7 hrs is too long and too far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think of those 2 young brothers recently killed in a house fire in NoVa and think it is too long and too far to chance it, OP. Get a sitter. If something happened you will never forgive yourself.

I can't see the connection you are making. The two brothers weren't close to this age. They weren't home alone.

[Anonymous]

Op here. To respond to a few questions, the siblings are G/B. Setting is a townhouse community. Various neighbors are out walking or walking their dogs 24/7 as you can imagine in close quarters. 13yo has a cell phone and 8yo is highly risk averse. This would be one occasion and the home does have an alarm system.

I recall being home alone as a teen too as some have shared. I was torn on a sitter or not. This would be approx 9am-3/4pm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. To respond to a few questions, the siblings are G/B. Setting is a townhouse community. Various neighbors are out walking or walking their dogs 24/7 as you can imagine in close quarters. 13yo has a cell phone and 8yo is highly risk averse. This would be one occasion and the home does have an alarm system.

I recall being home alone as a teen too as some have shared. I was torn on a sitter or not. This would be approx 9am-3/4pm.

Are the neighbors people who if they went to them or called them would help?

I think my kids would have been OK with that, but we live in a neighborhood where we've lived their whole lives, and they know a lot of people. In the unlikely even that something had happened where they needed an adult, one would have gotten to them quickly. As it was we were at the height of covid when they were that age, and so we didn't have anywhere to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No.

7 hours is long.

2 hours away is far.

Can't you get a sitter or other responsible adult (or call in a favor with a friend for a one-time hangout?)

+1. Dh and I have gone to dinner nearby and left our kids that age home alone, but it was for 2 hours max, and we were literally a 5 minute drive away. I wouldn’t do that long or that far.

Same and they always call during that time and ask when we are coming home.

[Anonymous]

When I was 13 I was doing this with an 11 and a 3yo (younger siblings both)…but that said, I don’t know your kids.