Reply to Would you leave a 6-7yo home alone for 10-30 min?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]When my husband used to travel a lot for work, I would often leave my four and six-year-olds at home while I went for a 40 minute run. If if they hadn’t been exceptionally well-behaved children, and there hadn’t been good neighbours in our street, I wouldn’t have done it.  If they were kids who broke rules or pushed boundaries, I wouldn’t have done it.

If your kid is going to look for matches, climb out the window, go outside into the street, etc,  
don’t do it, even if they are 8 years old. Eight years is not a magic figure. You need to use judgement based on your child’s maturity and development. [/quote]

It’s not all about physical safety, it’s also about emotional security. I’ll bet the younger child was just fine, but you almost certainly put too much of a burden on your older child. Six is too young to be left at home alone babysitting. I don’t care how you sugarcoat it, you caused your child to have unnecessary anxiety. I wouldn’t be surprised if the effects don’t rear their ugly head in years to come. It could be depression or anxiety or other forms of insecurity. It could develop at any point. And all because you wanted a run?

Why not get a treadmill? Shame on you![/quote]

She mentioned the neighbors -- it's likely her kid was told "if you have any problem at all, Carol is in her garden right next door and she knows I'm out -- you can go to her for anything."

If a neighbor was around and knew the kids were home alone, the kids were not really home alone and the older one wasn't "babysitting." They were just being given a slightly more advanced level of independence than, say, playing in the yard on their own, or playing upstairs on their own while parents entertain in the kitchen.[/quote]

You’re making excuses, because none of us want to mommy shame. It’s fine to tell a ten year old that you’re going to step out for a run and to contact Mrs. Smith next door if there are any issues, but it’s not okay for a six year old with a younger sibling.

Do you remember being that age? I was afraid to go to my basement or garage alone, even with everyone in the house.  It’s cruel to leave such a young child in charge of a sibling, even with nice neighbors.

Why not just ask the neighbors to babysit? You could get a high schooler or college kid to come every day for an hour while you run.

This is way too much strain for such a young child. [b]Twenty years from now, mom is going to wonder why older kid failed to launch or why he/she has so much anxiety, etc. We’ll, I know why[/b].[/quote]

You think if PP’s child has anxiety / fails to launch in 20 years, it will all be because her mother left her alone with a sibling for 20 minutes to go pick up milk?!?!  Wtf. My kids love watching their cartoons and could care less what I’m doing / where I am.

PP get your kid in therapy now, those 20 minutes apparently just ruined her life. [/quote]

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