NickFeb 25

Just read a 1989 Calvin and Hobbes strip about Calvin being deliberately left home alone, unwisely, for a couple of hours. Calvin is 6.

The NSPCC says there is no set legal age and “while every child is different, we wouldn't recommend leaving a child under 12 years old home alone, particularly for longer periods of time.”

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/advice-for-families/home-alone/

How old were you when your parents first let you be at home alone?

8 or under
39.4%
9-10
27.9%
11-12
16.3%
13 or older, or they still won’t
16.3%
Poll ended at .
Staying home alone

Explore the NSPCC's expert advice on when and how to safely leave your child home alone, including legal guidelines, readiness indicators, and safety tips.

NSPCC
Show threadEsther #antifaFeb 25
@Nickiquote
I was found on the street while looking for my mum or dad... I don't remember how old I was, but I think I was younger than 8.
Show threadNickFeb 25
@src_esther That sounds traumatic. I remember losing my Dad in a shopping centre around that age.
Show threadmozzriboFeb 26

@Nickiquote @src_esther

I vividly remember losing my granddad on the big city street & panicking. I was just walking, not paying attention and he - I guessed soon after & since - just went to the side street vendor for cigarettes. I called after him in panic after looking about me for a few minutes, confused by his unprecedented absence. He appeared very quickly. I remember he looked angry but said nothing. Then, I was glad he reappeared. Nowadays I assume he might have been angry with himself.

Show threadEsther #antifa

@illumniscate
My parents put me on a leash after I almost walked into the canal (in the Netherlands) as a toddler.

My little brother (10+ years younger) also loved going on adventures. As a toddler, he once proudly walked between two teenage girls who were looking for his mother. After that, he was also put on a leash when we went out.

@Nickiquote

Feb 26 at 5:58pmWeb
Show threadEsther #antifaFeb 26
@illumniscate @Nickiquote
My brother was _always_ looking for food. He is my little brother and I am his little (old) sister. 🫢
Show threadErikFeb 26

@src_esther @illumniscate @Nickiquote my youngest brother and i have been leashed too. It was wise, given our propensity to being curious little monkeys.

Re: leaving the kids alone, with our eldest being worse than my brother and me combined in the getting-into-trouble skillset and our youngest being a total pain in the ass, we still have to make sure there is always an adult present (and still then)

Intergenerational patterns I guess lol

Show threadmozzriboFeb 26

@src_esther @Nickiquote

I can understand it here, among the canals! 😂 How was the experience from your perspective, if I may ask?

Show threadEsther #antifaFeb 26

@illumniscate
Nothing traumatic. I only know about it from photographs and stories. I had a really nice harness, which many dogs or cats today would be envious of. 😉

@Nickiquote