Does your MS child stay home by themselves after school or during school breaks?

[Anonymous]

This year I didn't line up the summer full of camps but I still need to go to work.

[Anonymous]

Yes. My 8th grader babysits also. He does not do full weeks, but will do a day here and there or the afternoon to give a mom a break.

[Anonymous]

Yes he does. He has a few things lined up, and we belong to a neighborhood pool, but other than that, he's on his own this summer.

The trial run last summer included the gently implied threat of going to weeks of crappy soccer camp that always has space if he didn't demonstrate appropriate maturity. It worked out really well, and he really appreciated the downtime.

[Anonymous]

I have an ultra-responsible 13 year old (going into 8th grade) that I let stay home for full days on occasion-- but not for days on end. I am not "afraid" to leave her alone for more than that but she has a lot of interests and I want her to explore those interests, have time with friends etc.

I have an average maturity 11 year old (going into 7th grade) who would think it was punishment if she was "forced" to stay home alone (or with her sister) for days on end.

[Anonymous]

I let my middle schooler come home after school and camp, and stay home alone for a few days at a time. For example, on Spring Break, I might take 2 days of leave to take him somewhere special with a friend, and have him stay home the other 3 days. He also played a sport that started daily practice in the afternoons on August 1st and I'd let him stay home in the morning and then get a ride to practice with a friend.

But for my kid, longer than that (e.g. a whole week at home with no afternoon practice, or multiple weeks in the summer) was too much. His sleep and eating would get kind of disorganized and he'd get grouch and off schedule. Now that he's in HS he's better able to regulate that, but I still prefer that he has something to do each week, this year it's a part time job, and working out with his team a few days a week.

[Anonymous]

DS is a rising 8th grader. This summer he gets to take the week before school starts "off." DH or I will be able to WAH most days, but he is one his own for entertainment (although he can walk to the neighborhood pool). The rest of the summer, he has something planned for at least part of everyday-- family vacation, sleep away camp, a half day TJ a prep class for two weeks, photography camp, etc. He got a lot of input into his summer activities. But I agree with PP that, if he was left to his own devices, he would spend the whole summer in his room playing mine craft and eating junk food.

[Anonymous]

6th grade DS comes home after school but at least half the time I'm working at home or DH is. I don't have a problem with him spending a few hours home alone or on a random day off school but he's a kid who would be inclined to spend all his time watching tv/playing video games and eating crap if left to himself so he's still in camps most of this summer (age 12). A mix of sports, general camps, field trips. He's got 4 weeks at his favorite camp and wants to be a volunteer there next summer (this is the last year he can attend as a 'camper') which I'm really hoping can work out since that could take care of a big chunk of summer while still leaving him with some afternoon chill out time after camp ends. It's close enough that he could bike there.