One parent arrested every day for leaving children home alone. Are you shocked?
HelenMFM
admin
Hello
We're wondering what your reaction is to the news that one parent is arrested every day in England and Wales on suspicion of leaving one or more of their children at home alone.
And, just in the last 3 months of 2014, at least 105 mothers and fathers faced criminal investigations for leaving children unsupervised.
According to the figures, provided by the police, cases involved children aged from just a few weeks old to 14 years old.
The thing is, though, the law does not specify the age at which we may leave a child 'home alone' – and charges in the recent cases have involved children of ages ranging from 3 months to 14 years.
Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming is calling on the Government to provide clarity, saying parents shouldn't be left feeling confused.
What do you think?
Do you think it should be up to a parent to judge whether a child is safe to be left home alone – even if that means you may risk arrest if the police or social workers think your judgement was wrong?
Or would you like to see the age at which a child can be left unsupervised defined in law, so there's no confusion about all this?
Do please let us know your views by adding a post to this discussion thread. We'd be really interested to hear what you have to say!
Replies
Seriously?! I couldn't imagine leaving any of my 3 LOs alone for even a moment! God, just nipping to the loo for 2 mins and anything can happen!! To me, there is never a valid enough excuse to leave a child alone (especially a baby or toddler!
I was never left alone until i was in Secondary School, and then I would come home from school, and get on with homework, chores, watch TV, etc, until my Mum got home from work. My younger sister (4 years younger than me), however went to a childminder until my Mum felt she was old enough to stay home with me. Whenever my mum popped out she always took my sister with her, even if it was for 5 mins.
I definitely think there should be a guideline age (somewhere in the early teen years) but then obviously as a parent you would gauge even then, if your child was sensible enough or could be trusted.