When is it OK to leave your kid home alone?
BY MARIA CROCE PARENTS are divided on when it is acceptable to leave their children at home alone or to babysit their siblings.
In a survey, two thirds of the mums and dads questioned said they were happy to leave their 12-year-old babysitting younger siblings for an evening.
And 81 per cent said they were comfortable about leaving a 15-year-old in charge of an overnight stay.
The findings come from Childcare.co.uk, the UK’s largest online platform for childcare providers, parents, schools and tutors.
In Scotland, there is no law about what age your child can be left alone. But you can be fined or sent to prison if you put your child at risk by doing so.
The NSPCC says: “Children under 12 are rarely mature enough to be left alone for a long period of time, children under 16 shouldn’t be left alone overnight and babies, toddlers and very young children should never be left alone.”
Parenting expert Liat Hughes Joshi, whose latest book 5-Minute Parenting Fixes is published by Summersdale, said: “There is no ‘right’ age to leave a child home alone or, indeed, in charge of younger siblings.”
She said it depends on various factors including the nature and ages of the children involved, whether there are helpful, familiar neighbours around, how far away you will be and for how long and how comfortable the children are with the arrangements.
Gill Burns, 50, and husband Garry, 56, from Troon, Ayrshire, run a holiday letting business (arranchillout.com) and are parents to 15-year-old twins Bill and Gregor.
Gill said: “Our boys are sensible and I don’t mind leaving them for an evening if we go out for dinner locally.
“Leaving them overnight, I don’t feel comfortable with it right now. It’s not that I don’t feel they’re responsible – I think when they turn 16, I would feel more comfortable doing it.”
Advocacy worker Arlene Gordon, 44, is mum to Millie, 12, and Ethan, seven.
Arlene, also from Troon, said: “My view has always been quite strong that I don’t think at the age of 12 a child should be responsible for a sibling left at home.
“It wouldn’t even cross my mind to leave Ethan with Millie while I go out, even when I am taking the dog for a walk. I will always take Ethan with me as he is my responsibility and not one that should be left to anyone under 17, sibling or not.
“I think maybe 16/17 might be the earliest I would ever consider it OK and even then, Ethan is my responsibility, not Millie’s.”
Nadia Gardiner is mum to Lucy, 12, and Matthew, nine. She would only leave them at home for a short period if she was walking the dog.
Nadia, 43, from Troon, who is a WW coach (the new Weight Watchers), said: “Both know what to do in an emergency as they’ve had it drummed into them both at home and at Cubs/Scouts.
“I wouldn’t be happy leaving my daughter to babysit for any length of time until she was at least 14.”
Tracy Gilmour, 41, from Kilwinning, Ayrshire, is mum to Ella, four, and Niamh,11.
The mum, who runs social enterprise The Warrior Mum Project, said: “My 11-year-old is sensible and I’m more than comfortable leaving them at home for an hour or so together. But any longer would feel like far too much.
“Children should be children and giving her that amount of responsibility seems unfair.”
It wouldn’t even cross my mind to leave my 7-year-old with his big sister