On a scale of 1 to 10, wherein 1 = meh, I do that all the time and 10 = I AM CALLING THE POLICE RIGHT NOW, how bad would it be to...
Drop off a hypothetical 10-year-old who doesn't feel well enough to go to school at the neighborhood coffee shop with a book to read and cash for cocoa and leave her there while you go to work for a couple of hours because even though she's stayed home alone many times in the past, for some reason she's now AFRAID OF EVERYTHING and doesn't want to be home alone?
Remember...
1 = meh, I do that all the time and
10 = I AM CALLING THE POLICE RIGHT NOW.
Hypothetically speaking, of course.
UPDATE: Okay, lest any of you *uptight* moms feel compelled to notify the authorities, hypothetically speaking, if I WERE to have a SICK 10-year-old child today, I WON'T be dropping her off at the coffee shop because a lovely friend has offered to come by, pick up said imaginary child and take her over to her house, where there will be cable TV (squeeeee!) and hovering. Frankly, it sets a poor example and creates unrealistic expectations for the next time she is ill and has to be here with me, but at this point I will hypothetically take what I can get.
xoxo
PS to the UPDATE: I'm posting this as an update and in the comments because I could not decide which one was more appropriate and decided this was not a matter worth being late to work over. But all this double posting has now made me late for work. Damnit!
12 comments:
Okay, not fair to answer until my kids are ten. Now, if you ask if it is okay to leave your kid in the car sleeping in the garage while you run in the house or in the car while you run into the post office, or so many other situations dealing with 2 and younger, I can answer. For this though, I will just tell you I judge a lot and I don't judge you on this.
how much money for cocoa?
also? may i guest post here about how my 7 year old ended up being the ONLY PERSON HOME when the pizza i ordered for the little people before i left for my midterm was delivered and how he had to call me from the PIZZA GUY'S phone because he was the ONLY PERSON HOME? and the only thing i asked him when he called me from the PIIZA GUY'S cell phone is whether the front door was closed because jesus christ we can't lose the sailor's cat!
hypothetically.
I'm gonna go with 9. But I'm a little neurotic. Plus I've seen way too many Law and Order Special Victim's Unit episodes. So 9.
Will you be anywhere near said cocoa stand? And how will cocoa stand baristas react?
Personally I'm 5-ish, more because I am afraid one of the employees will call someone.
Paranoid much, Mrs. Milton?
(Lexi can babysit her cousins, but be home alone lately? Scares her too. :/)
I'm going to say 1, and what a clever idea!! Free babysitting!
UPDATED: Okay, lest any of you *uptight* moms feel compelled to notify the authorities, hypothetically speaking, if I WERE to have a SICK 10-year-old child today, I WON'T be dropping her off at the coffee shop because a lovely friend has offered to come by, pick up said imaginary child and take her over to her house, where there will be cable TV (squeeeee!) and hovering. Frankly, it sets a poor example and creates unrealistic expectations for the next time she is ill and has to be here with me, but at this point I will hypothetically take what I can get. xoxo (posting this as an update and in the comments because I could not decide which one was more appropriate and decided this was not a matter worth being late to work over. but all this double posting has now made me late for work. damnit!)
My parents let me stay at home by myself after school when I was about 9. I'd been lobbying hard for it since first grade. So this is in the one's for me.
My own daughter is now suddenly afraid of being alone upstairs in the house. When we are right downstairs.
This despite a willingness to be in the house alone. And a willingness to go upstairs when she is in the house alone. Following that?
Daughters are weirdos.
I don't give advice or rate things on scales unless there's something in it for me. Like a free guacamole at Baja Fresh or a chance to win one of five $1000 shopping sprees at Walmart. So you're on your own, babe.
I dare you to do it...considering both of the owners at "said shop" are not fond of children.
I'm going to go with an 8 +
I don't know these coffee shop people. How about the library? She can just tell people you are in the bathroom.
In Israel, 10 year olds pick up their 5 yo sibs at preschool at 1:30, walk them home and are responsible for them (and any kids in between) for a few hours until a parent gets home. (Baby siblings are in day care, with adults.) No lie.
So don't ask me.
BUT. Putting a kid in a public place with lots of other adults around sounds pretty safe to me. One mom at a La Leche meeting once told the story of flying alone--raised her voice among about 40 people at the gate and said, "Who's going to watch my baby so I can go to the bathroom?" She got like 10 volunteers and 30 witnesses...
(I'd be much more likely to leave my 10 yo with coffee money--AM has a coffee "problem" :)--and a book than with a group of strangers in an airport, but same idea.)
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