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15th Mar 2024

My 7-year-old went to play at his friend’s house and they were left home alone

Kat O'Connor

Letting your children go on a playdate is a big step for many parents.

You’re letting someone else care for them and look after them, but it’s usually perfectly fine.

It gives us a break from parenting and also helps them develop friendships.

However, one mum was left furious when she found out her seven-year-old child was left alone with his friend.

She told Reddit: “My 7-year-old went to a friend’s NYC apartment for a playdate and the friend’s dad, the only adult present, left them alone in the apartment while he went out for a run.

“Two 7-year-olds, if they wanted to, could easily exit the apartment and run amok in the building or even exit the building itself and then be out on the streets.

“I can’t really believe he even did this, it seems really irresponsible,” she shared.

Fellow parents agreed that it was incredibly careless of the child’s dad to leave them alone.

One mum wrote: “It’s not the age, it’s the kid. Many 7 year olds would be fine for 20 min indoors. Many wouldn’t be. But somebody else’s kid? Nope. Not your call; supervision is the default expectation at that age.”

Another added: “I would NEVER leave someone else’s kid alone for any amount of time.”

A third mum said: “I have a 7-year-old and she is way too immature to be alone by herself. I’m surprised to hear others have kids the same age and they’re being left alone.”

Others said that even though there’s a low risk of something bad happening, there is still a chance and the dad never should’ve taken that risk.

A fourth added: “There’s a low chance something would happen in his absence, but the things that could happen are the sort you don’t come back from. Clearly, I’d never trust my child over there again…”

What do you think?

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