A dad who is gearing up for a summer getaway with pals has sparked furious debate as he plans to leave his young son home alone in the middle of the night
A dad has sparked a fierce debate after insisting it’s no big deal to leave his 10-year-old home alone while he sleeps.
Parenting is full of endless time pinches and juggling never-ending to-do lists, and sometimes you’re caught in a conundrum on who is going to look after the kids while you’re out and about.
One couple are in a heated argument over this man’s situation, however, as they can’t agree on whether it’s acceptable to leave their young son at home unattended while they head to the airport.
The exasperated mum took to Mumsnet to share her frustration at her husband, explaining: “Me and hubby are have a little disagreement about leaving our child home alone for an airport run.
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“For context, child is 10 and an overall sensible child, very well behaved and a great sleeper in general. DH [darling husband] and friends are off on a short trip next weekend and need to leave for the airport at 4am.
“He says leave [our son] in bed because I’ll be back in 45mins (1hr max). I’d planned on getting him up and putting him in the car in his dressing gown, but everyone thinks that’s silly.”
The mum added that her little lad “doesn’t care” about being left alone in the house but will “ultimately do as told”. She then asked whether she was being “unreasonable” by waking him up and bringing him along for the car journey.
Other parents were quick to wade in on the debate, with most in agreement that the boy shouldn’t be left home alone. One commenter bluntly wrote: “I wouldn’t be leaving my 10 year old alone at 4am nor would I be getting him up out of bed. Tell him to book a taxi.”
Meanwhile, another said: “Well, obviously you can’t give your husband a lift, and any sensible person wouldn’t even ask at that time. Just tell him to book a cab – it’s clearly not a long trip to the airport anyway.”
Other mums were more sympathetic on the issue, with one stating: “I think this is OK actually although I can see I’m in a minority.”
Some pointed out that while the journey seems quick, the mum could face delays driving back. One parent commented: “I wouldn’t leave him home alone…what if something happens to you or you’re delayed? Or he wakes up and is confused? Dressing gown in the back of the car for a one off early morning is fine…”
And another added: “No. And the danger probably isn’t that something would happen to your child. It’s that something could happen to you to prevent you coming back within that timeframe.”
The online debate comes as many parents have been left wondering what the legal age is for children to be left home alone as the summer holidays come up. Helen Westerman, the NSPCC’s head of local campaigns, explained: “A child who doesn’t feel comfortable shouldn’t be left alone.”
She said this is why making a universal legal age is impractical, as some children, albeit the same age, have different levels of maturity.
Ms Westerman emphasises the important point that babies and very young children should never be left unattended, not even for short periods, regardless of whether they are asleep or awake. She added: “Children under the age of 12 are rarely mature enough to cope in an emergency and should not be left at home alone for a long period.”
The charity also warns against leaving children under 16 alone overnight and reminds parents to consider any additional needs a child may have when deciding whether to leave them at home alone or with an older sibling.