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Is this legal?
[url= http://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/leaving-child-home-alone/ ]Apparently not. Or maybe, depending on the circumstances. [/url]
The law doesn’t say an age when you can leave a child on their own, but it’s an offence to leave a child alone if it places them at risk.
[url= https://www.gov.uk/law-on-leaving-your-child-home-alone ][/url]
Is it a problem?
https://www.gov.uk/law-on-leaving-your-child-home-alone
no legal age to leave your kids home alone but it is illegal to leave an under 18 year old in charge of another child .
I'm sure their parents have a good idea of whether they think the kids can cope. I'm not sure if do it but they're not my kids.
I think the overnight aspect changes stuff?
Apparently OK if you're off to a Tapas Bar with a few friends.
[quote=cchris2lou ]no legal age to leave your kids home alone but it is illegal to leave an under 18 year old in charge of another child .
Sources?
https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/q455.htm
Q455: Is there a legal age for a babysitter?
No there is no legal age for babysitting. It is the responsibility of the parents using common sense to make the decision. It is worth bearing in mind though that a child under 16 years old cannot be prosecuted for neglect or ill treatment of children in their care. The parents/carers/guardians would be charged in that situation. However, any person who is 16 or over and who has responsibility for a person under that age could be prosecuted.
I can't be arsed to walk upstairs and ask the wife. Social worker. She should know. 🙂
For two nights meaning: left one evening, all the next day and all the next night? I'd be concerned enough to consider calling it in as a problem. Two nights meaning mum has left at ten to do a night shift and been back at breakfast time: much less concern.
children under 16 shouldn’t be left alone overnight
How times have changed!
Chillax, Loads of people have youngsters in charge of siblings. Some are just lucky to have responsible kids.
I was left to run a B&B at a similar age occasionally over weekends.
Go and speak to them if you are concerned. Bet you find someone will have been assigned to keep an eye on them. You are on singletrack so I doubt you're in a socially deprived area.
I'd suggest phoning her would solve this crisis.toppers3933 - Member
I can't be arsed to walk upstairs and ask the wife. Social worker. She should know.
I would be fairly confident leaving my daughter home alone at 11, still wouldn't trust my son at 21.
I did consider it. Decided to watch family guy instead. 😀
Is this legal?
I'm sure you've done this, you're a nice chap. But if you're worried about whether it's legal, it's because you're worried about whether they're safe. In which case, checking up on them and making sure they know they can ask you for help if they need is a better bet than researching whether the parents can be prosecuted.
🙂
I'm sure you've done this, you're a nice chap. But if you're worried about whether it's legal, it's because you're worried about whether they're safe. In which case, checking up on them and making sure they know they can ask you for help if they need is a better bet than researching whether the parents can be prosecuted.
Aaand....this is how the parents will see him checking in on them..
Aaand...
True, true. So the only option is to involve the police and social services really. 😉
when i worked nights in the supermarket a fair few women left thier kids at home to work through the night 10 till 7 shifts. only way they could work a full shift pattern and drop kids at school and pick em up make breakfast and tea for them put them to bed.
sensible solution in many respects.
If your kids are not able to look after themselves overnight, in the family home, by the time the oldest one has reached 14 you have failed as a parent.
my kids are 3 and 5 and could probably just about manage for that long I reckon
Stop twitching your curtains you pesky nosey interfering annoyance.
I think we need an update, was there death and destruction, fights, wild parties or angry honey badgers?
OP - How do you know this?
Parents returned at 23:00. So the kids were alone for 52 hours.
They were very well behaved. Better then when their "parents" are home.
I wanna see your notebook of the events please Derek...
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Are they nice middle class parents? If so, then its all fine, and there will be an entirely reasonable explanation for all this. Tapas being the prime example.
If they're frightful working class types, then they're clearly ****less layabouts, and are probably down the pub, or out clubbing in town. And social services need to be round there taking their kids into care, sharpish!!
What are you doing asking on here? Get on to the Daily Mail already - they love a bit of moral outrage
****less weed smokers I have mentioned before.
Now, if you'll excuse me....
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cchris2lou - Member
no legal age to leave your kids home alone but it is illegal to leave an under 18 year old in charge of another child .
Considering you can have a child of your own at 16, I think not.
my kids are 3 and 5 and could probably just about manage for that long I reckon
Ditto, Our five year old just seems sort her and her sister's breakfast out most mornings now without being asked, sod waiting for Mummy; Both Weetabix and sometimes upwards of 70% of the milk actually make it into the bowl...
Not sure I'd trust her with cooking tea, or evacuating if a fire broke out just yet though...
I wouldnt leave my kids at that age for 52 hours. No way.
I wouldnt leave my kids at that age for 52 hours. No way.
I would.
Leave your kids alone for 52 hours I mean.
What a lit of people seem to think is "my kids could cope fine" - in the case of nothing going wrong. Before leaving them, I guess one needs to ask oneself whether they'd cope if something went wrong or unexpected events occur...leaking pipe, boiler breaks down, fire, intruders, stranger at the door (not implying paedo at the door here). Still the parents' call I suppose, but the "risk assessment" should account for not-so-best-case-scenario.
I was certainly be left overnight by age 14 but not for two nights that I can recall . by 14 I would have been able to rationalise a way to deal with the following :-
leaking pipe; get a neighbour/ call parents.
boiler breaks down; wear a jumper
fire: get out, call 999 (hide evidence of cause)
intruders: get out geological hammer and sheaf knife from under bed and /or run away shouting help, dial 999
stranger at the door: don't open door interrogate through letter box, , tell to go away using swear words call 999.
From experience many adults are stumped by some of these scenarios and I worry about my 86 year old mum on a daily basis throwing dodgy roofers and internet / telephone scams in on top.
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We used to be home alone for a few hours around that age, IIRC.
Only broke one window, got one electric shock and ruined one record player pretending to be DJs - no worries.
How does camping work with the law? I started camping with my friends at about 11, and my son was about 12.
Indeed, so it's up to the parents to decide whether their kids are as awesome as you were at 14 crankboy. Also, are there trusted neighbours to call upon (given our attitude towards "neighbourhood" has changed a lot in a generation)?
I reckon a fair few 14 year olds have no clue where a stopcock is these days, let alone what one is. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is it's the parents' call, but fairly questionable behaviour, depending on mitigating circumstances of course. I'm taking the OP's description of them at face value.
Personally I wouldn't be happy with this at all. A 14yr left alone for a couple of hours in the evening- fine. Overnight? Not a chance.
Yes there are some mature-heads on early teen children however who is making this judgement and is there a national set standard?
I'd avoid talking to the parents (why? They'll make sure its not obvious the next time they need to do it) and I'd speak hypothetically to social services. Sorry my gf/bro/sister were often put in this situation and it affected my gf as she felt stressed and worried.
My 12-year-olds can't be trusted to stay alive while I pop out to post a letter.
It only takes a few seconds unsupervised for one to kill and eat the other.
Can't see them being capable of being left for two nights at 14, somehow. Or 16, or 18.
#sickofhalftermalready
"I reckon a fair few 14 year olds have no clue where a stopcock is these days" neither did I at 14 see my answer. but I guess a fair few adults don't now .
camping and the law would be the same I had certainly been unsupervised camping for a weekend by 14 though it did all get a bit lord of the flies.
it's the timings that give the clue, returning at 10:30 is coming back after the pubs have closed so the kids have basically been ignored all weekend. I'm sure they could fend for themselves but it's not a great experience, will they have eaten healthily and done stimulating things? sleep? excercise? homework? also are the parents of their mates having to pick up the slack ??
14 and 11, they aren't little kids but they aren't adults either - they still need encouragement and advice
A 14 year old should be able to manage to exists for a few days. You do not help you kids by doing absolutely everything for them. My 3 year old already helps with the cooking and loads the dishwasher.
I will teach him about the stopcock on his 4th Birthday.
I don't think it's right that a 14 year old is left with the responsability of supervising an 11 year old.
Sure, some 14 year olds are pretty clued up and have natural maternal instincts, but if anything were to go wrong, that's a lot for a child to carry on their shoulders. IMHO
but if anything were to go wrong
nicecupoftea has it IMO.
Many (most?) 14 year olds could survive just fine for a night or two. It's not difficult.
The problem is what would happen if they or their sibling took a tumble down the stairs, took ill or somehow managed to lock themselves out etc. Fairly minor stuff that an adult would be able to deal with, but assuming that a kid would make the right decision in those circumstances, without the benefit of advice or experience to guide them, is risky.
If a neighbour or nearby relative is on hand, then not so much of an issue I suppose.
I should note that I accidentally set my garage on fire at 15 after my mum nipped round to my papa's for an hour.
somehow managed to lock themselves out etc
That was the most common issue for me.
Once managed to lock myself in the porch whilst answering the door. That was a fun conversation with the poor lady who was actually at the door 🙂 Used to break in via the catflap often. Also figured out how to break into the garage when other people had taken all the keys with them.
Should add though there was usually an adult back in the evenings. I think the first time we were left at home alone for an extended period my sister was 17, I was 15.
I once locked myself in a porch - I went out of the inside door, locked it then pushed the key through the letterbox before realising that I hadn't unlocked the outer door. I ended up climbing out of the window, ripping my school trousers in the process then had to spend the whole of a day-long school trip with those ripped trousers on.
🙂
"I reckon a fair few 14 year olds have no clue where a stopcock is these days" neither did I at 14 see my answer. but I guess a fair few adults don't now .
I'm reasonably sure that at the age of 14 I'd have been the one showing my folks where the stopcock was.
If there were a modern caste system in the UK, Cougar, you'd be born into the 'tech support' one.
Seems too young to be solo for multiple nights imo. But then again I taught a 16 year old kid a few years ago who sailed solo across the atlantic and at the time applauded the parents for giving him (an amazing kid and now an amazing adult) the trust and opportunity, so what do I know. Two siblings left together at that age are most likely to get it wrong by having the mother of all arguments without an adult to act as moderator; and are potentially capable of endangering themselves by stomping off - that would be my biggest worry.
I once locked myself in a porch
In our case it was just begging to happen. The inside door had a Yale style lock that locked when you shut it. The outside door had a mortice lock requiring a key. Terrible combination when you think about it. I was in the house on my own, someone knocked at the door, so you can tell what happened. Fortunately the back door was open which it rarely was, so I had to tell the lady to come in via the back door and let me into my own house.
it's the timings that give the clue, returning at 10:30 is coming back after the pubs have closed so the kids have basically been ignored all weekend. I'm sure they could fend for themselves but it's not a great experience, will they have eaten healthily and done stimulating things? sleep? excercise? homework?
Pretty sure at 14 its was me that ignored my parents for the whole weekends and did none of the things you seem to think a teenager needs to do... despite my parents protests.
Most of the misshaps listed here (being locked out, falling down stairs, etc) happen to me in my 40s when I'm left alone overnight.
Also washing things 'wrong', breaking stuff, eating food past it's use by date, answering the door to strangers, etc.
I've tried to report my other half to the cops but they're not interested.
I am pretty sure I was left at 14. No big dramas.
To the op, did they have a adult phone in/call by at regular intervals etc.
14 y/o's can actually possess some common sense so depending on the food in question can't see the issue.
hmmmm... I wouldn't do it either because I'm over protective and I thought it was totally against the law..
I was left alone at 14.. my Baby sister thought I was her dad cos I always cooked and cleared up after them and bathed them, changed her nappies and put them to bed and whatnot, got 'em up for school and took them to and fro etc.. and my younger brother would always turn to me for advice before he'd turn to his dad even up until late 20s (when he realised that I wasn't good at advice)
My mum and Dad worked very hard to provide bigger houses or whatever it is people get it into their moronic minds that they 'need' but didn't quite earn enough to afford a childminder 😉
worrying about stopcocks and being locked out and fires and falls sounds like the worries of dad's that have never spent any real time with their kids to me
Most of the misshaps listed here (being locked out, falling down stairs, etc) happen to me in my 40s when I'm left alone overnight.Also washing things 'wrong', breaking stuff, eating food past it's use by date, answering the door to strangers, etc.
🙂
worrying about stopcocks and being locked out and fires and falls sounds like the worries of dad's that have never spent any real time with their kids to me
sanctimonious-stay-at-home-dad to the rescue again 🙂
jumping from worrying about fire to dads not spending enough time with their kids is genius 🙂
I am pretty sure I was left at 14. No big dramas.To the op, did they have a adult phone in/call by at regular intervals etc.
14 y/o's can actually possess some common sense so depending on the food in question can't see the issue.
Its not just the safety aspect- theres the insecurity/feeling alone/having to grow up alittle quicker than you should aspect.
Thats far more damaging than 'someone knocking at the door/ok I've ignored it'- that easy.
Its the subtle psychological damage.
stay-at-home-dad to the rescue again
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I reckon a fair few 14 year olds have no clue where a stopcock is these days
The wifes 40 and has no idea where the stopcock is, or how to change a wheel on the car.
Her argument is that "She would ring me, thats what I'm there for?!"
The dangers of using a throwaway example on STW. 🙂
I should know better, really. 🙄
subtle psychological damage
🙄
I used to love it when my folks went away and left me at home. I felt trusted and could watch whatever I wanted on TV. By 14, if you can't be trusted not to throw a party, okay, that's understandable. If you can't be trusted to survive without emotional scarring.. well.. kids today eh?
Surely this was commonplace and seen as normal 20 years ago?
Hence all these psychologically damaged adults...
Like I said my gf worried a lot and often didn't sleep properly until she heard them come home.
It was not normal 20yrs ago. My friends parents were normal. Its odd that we justify our parents as 'norm of the time'. When really they were ****less with their children to a degree.
It still happens today but we can't equate our parents to the folkcthat do it today.
Where's Derek? Hiding in the basement flogging himself?
In less than 2 years the 14 year old can join the forces and will be trained to kill. Put 2 nights home alone into perspective. Depends on the kids but generally to be encouraged in my opinion
I was left alone at 9-10ish, used to drink the spirits and smoke stogies out of the ash tray. Never did me any harm.
Derek,
Are you going to actually have a conversation with your neighbours about your increasing issues with their life choices or are you going to continue to post passive aggressive threads about it on a mountain biking forum?
Either call social services or offer to babysit.
XXX - Member
Ok, you have [b]THE[/b] best username ever.
twinw4ll - Member
I was left alone at 9-10ish, used to drink the spirits and smoke stogies out of the ash tray. Never did me any harm.
Quite. Now tell me again about physically ripped you are 😀
Bear, are you angling for a pic? 😯
fin25 +1. Whats going to happen is hes gotten worked up about it, got it out of his system and is now going to forget about it/not his problem/they'll probably be alright if he doesn't bother with the hassle.
Proper LOL'd at the Quagmire post. Reminded me when he knocked and Meg answered and his questions were angling 'so youre still at school (yes) sooo when do you graduate'? 😆
The clue's in the name.... He can't cope without large hairy men sending pics*.
*may not be true
How hard would it be to gain access to a house without adults?
DONT answer the door?
What if someone said through the letter box 'hi, its the Police love. We need to speak to you about your Father' (etc).
I'm a grown man and even so if someone knocks I'm slightly apprehensive about what it is etc.
I imagine a young girl- even if they don't answer it'd frighten them. Thats enough to affect them/insecurity etc as they develop.
Anyway- the OP wont do owt.
I imagine a young girl- even if they don't answer it'd frighten them. Thats enough to affect them/insecurity etc as they develop.
Poor choice of words...
People don't give kids enough credit some days, they also have vivid imaginations about weirdos roaming the streets picking off internet posts about young girls left alone and then goelocating the poster and then heading over there. Apart from the fact that the biggest danger to most kids is their own family.
So you've never jumped or felt slightly apprehensive when you hear a knock late? (as an adult).
Someones picked up on your constant curtain twitching OP- http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/is-my-neighbor-a-judgmental-misanthrope
Oh dear 😆
When I was 11 and my sister was 14, not only would we be left all night but we'd be forced to look after my nan all night too!
So you've never jumped or felt slightly apprehensive when you hear a knock late? (as an adult).
Yeah but I had just watched Dog Soldiers or Blair Witch and was staying in the middle of no where, there are a lot of people in the world. Sometimes people are not all bad and some can look after themselves. I'm more worried about Derek spying on his neighbours really.