Anonymous
Post 12/20/2019 17:59     Subject: Overprotective? Or good sense?
I’m extremely relaxed and this would be a no go for me. I’d get an adult over or I’d have her go to a friends
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2019 17:14     Subject: Overprotective? Or good sense?
Anonymous wrote:No way, I wouldn't even have my 16 yo DS stay home alone with contractors.


Agreed. I had my 16 yr old in the house alone with a painter briefly last week (when I went to pick up other child). I told the painter that my teen and her dad would be coming home (although it was just teen and I told her to go in her room and lock the door). No on an 11 year old.
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2019 17:01     Subject: Overprotective? Or good sense?
Yeah, we are Free-Range and this would be a hard no for us, too.
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2019 16:57     Subject: Overprotective? Or good sense?
I'm a pretty laid back parent and I wouldnt do this.
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2019 16:50     Subject: Overprotective? Or good sense?
Anonymous wrote:OP here, thanks. I would never buck a rare DCUM unanimous thread. Didn't think about the painters; that's a good point. There's not really anything worth stealing, so not concerned about that so much..
Well, even if you weren't worried about stealing, what if the painters needed to ask you a question about something that was unanticipated? That's what would worry me more than stealing.
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2019 16:45     Subject: Re:Overprotective? Or good sense?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Reschedule. There's the safety of the 11 yr old, but also it's not fair to the painters. I do some contract work and would be angry if parents set me up to be in a home with a child that age and no other adults. There are false accusations made all the time.


I wouldn't be worried about a stable child making random false accusations against a home contractor they don't know. But I just think the contractor would feel uncomfortable like they were suddenly in charge of the house/safety of the kid bc that's the adult/kid dynamic by nature.


I'm surprised that the contractor would agree. I've had friends call and ask if I could go over as the contractor refused to go in and they were running a few minutes late.
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2019 16:44     Subject: Overprotective? Or good sense?
No, parent needs to be home.
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2019 16:42     Subject: Overprotective? Or good sense?
Anonymous wrote:This is a hard no. Do not want to scare you but look up the Goff murders Potomac .

I’m not an overreacting parent either. This one is a no brainer. It's probably one in a million but no reason to risk.


I immediately thought of the Goff case when I read this question. 20+ years later and it still resonates.
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2019 16:29     Subject: Overprotective? Or good sense?
Anonymous wrote:No way, I wouldn't even have my 16 yo DS stay home alone with contractors.


This. I grew up with non-helicopter parents in an earlier era and they left us alone all the time, but never with service people in the house. Not even in high school did they ever do that. Child alone with strangers in the home? Nope.
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2019 16:17     Subject: Re:Overprotective? Or good sense?
Anonymous wrote:Reschedule. There's the safety of the 11 yr old, but also it's not fair to the painters. I do some contract work and would be angry if parents set me up to be in a home with a child that age and no other adults. There are false accusations made all the time.


I wouldn't be worried about a stable child making random false accusations against a home contractor they don't know. But I just think the contractor would feel uncomfortable like they were suddenly in charge of the house/safety of the kid bc that's the adult/kid dynamic by nature.
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2019 15:47     Subject: Re:Overprotective? Or good sense?
If you chose to do this, you may have the workers get there, charge a fee for coming out, but refuse to actually stay and do something. That would mean not only rescheduling, but have a company that would insist on an adult being present next time.
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2019 15:12     Subject: Re:Overprotective? Or good sense?
Absolutely not!

Leaving child home alone for a short time period with instructions not to open the door or burn the house down is fine. Leaving a tween home alone for strangers to come in is asking for an Amber Alert.
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2019 12:49     Subject: Overprotective? Or good sense?
No way, I wouldn't even have my 16 yo DS stay home alone with contractors.
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2019 12:47     Subject: Re:Overprotective? Or good sense?
No, I work with teens and we are not allowed to have one adult alone with one youth-that is a standard best practice. Many workers would not want to be put in a situation where they were alone in a home with a kid.
Anonymous
Post 12/20/2019 12:45     Subject: Overprotective? Or good sense?
No way.