500 people arrested for leaving their child home alone

[francypants 441]

I started work 10 days after my 15th birthday !!

[andyofborg 11]

I started work 10 days after my 15th birthday !!

 

presumably that was in the good old days when you were expected to be able to hunt, kill and butcher a mammoth by the age of 4

 

---------- Post added 15-03-2016 at 19:22 ----------

 

Except the McCanns of course. They got outpourings of public sympathy and money.

 

and had a daughter taken which kinda explains why you shouldn't leave them at home

[teeny 10]

at 14 I worked as a mothers help part time and mainly evenings , for a dr and midwife, I had been walking to school without an adult since 7/8 . My mum used to leave me for a few hours while going in to town , when I was 12 , both neighbours where at home and my auntie lived down the road. I don't remember being left much before my teens without a baby sitter but certainly by 14, I think a child should be left for a short while , possibly with a few rules and regulations. Children have to learn to be responsible how else can we teach them independence, as they grow up that's what you need to be.

[Leah-Lacie 10]

I'm only 30 now and when I was 12/13 I regularly used to babysit for my mums friends children while they went out, from what I could tell by the amount of my friends that did similar jobs, it was quite 'the norm' at that time. Now I have my own children, my eldest being 11, very nearly 12, I don't think I'd be willing to leave her to look after the younger ones any time soon!

[Anna B 1,401]

I bet they hate me.

 

This weekend I'm dumping 20 plus Scouts in a wood to fend for themselves as part of the survival badge... no tents... overnight..... equipped with knives etc... catch yer own food..

 

I bet they all come out a little weary and very muddy and perfectly OK.

 

Ever read 'Lord of the Flies'...?

[teeny 10]

I bet they hate me.

 

This weekend I'm dumping 20 plus Scouts in a wood to fend for themselves as part of the survival badge... no tents... overnight..... equipped with knives etc... catch yer own food..

 

I bet they all come out a little weary and very muddy and perfectly OK.

 

I am of the era when we all did this kind of thing , never did us any harm !!

[Zamo 10]

I am of the era when we all did this kind of thing , never did us any harm !!

 

Arguably it did you the world of good.

 

All this sort of over the top, cotton wool wrapping, nannying does it create fearfully, over-dependent and over-entitled pip-squeak adults who then expect the State to continue nursing them. Sad.

[Obelix 11]

Ever read 'Lord of the Flies'...?

 

I'm sure you have a point to make Anna I'm just not sure what it is

[Mister M 1,609]

I think the MaCann's have been punished enough.

[Stoned 10]

I think the MaCann's have been punished enough.

 

Ha. I love the smell of sarcasm in the morning.

[whiteowl 54]

I think the difficulty is that people mature at differing rates. There are some 10 year olds that are perfectly capable of looking after themselves, and there are some 18 year olds I wouldn't trust with anything sharper than a spoon.

[Powerage 10]

I think it depends on each child I used to be left at home all day during the school holidays to look after my younger sister from about the age of 11 and many of my school friends were left at that age as well. Not surprisingly we all survived into adult hood!

Edited March 17, 2016 by Powerage