WWYD - Home alone?

[Twoboos]

DDs are 11.5 and 9.5. It's school vacation week. I want to go out to lunch (~10 min away) with friends. DH is balking at DDs staying home alone. My plan is to put them in front of a movie. Judging by the other 1,437 movies they've watched, they literally will not move while it's on. Babysitters are away/ busy. Our state has no age limit for kids home alone.

DH admits he is uber-paranoid about this. What if what if what if, he can list off a million things that could go wrong. DD1 has been begging to stay home alone more. DD2 would be OK although she's usually a little more anxious about things. They have been home alone before for short periods, this would be about 90min.

DH says I can do it if I want. I want to respect DH's position, but I want to go to lunch with adults and give my kids an opportunity to be more independent. DH would feel more comfortable if DD1 was certified through the babysitter course (can take at age 12). I think he doesn't understand what's covered in the course, I'm not sure how diapering helps DD1 in this scenario but... ok then.

UGH. WDYT?

[Indianamom2]

Well I know for sure that I was 12 when my parents let me stay home alone for the first time. And anywhere they would have gone was at least 10 min. away. I would be comfortable with it personally, so long as your kids know how to contact you and 911 (and what constitutes a 911 call!) and agree to never open the door to anyone.

As to convincing your DH, well...that's a different story. Personally, I'd wait until he was more comfortable, but you know your DH better so that's your call.

[cvanbrunt]

Go to lunch. If your husband is that paranoid he can come home from work and sit there while nothing bad happens.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Edited to add- OMG I'm an idiot!! I misread the whole thing (well, skimmed). I saw vacation week and thought you meant the whole week. Well, I'd absolutely be fine leaving the kids for 90 minutes (or longer!). Im sorry!!

I was going to the say the same thing as your husband and suggest a babysitting course. But I see that is not an option. I think a week of sitting around watching movies is not going to be successful. I could see that working for 1 to 3 days but not the whole week. I think you need to come up with a backup plan.

[Twoboos]

Go to lunch. If your husband is that paranoid he can come home from work and sit there while nothing bad happens.

This made me LOL!!

I was going to the say the same thing as your husband and suggest a babysitting course. But I see that is not an option. I think a week of sitting around watching movies is not going to be successful. I could see that working for 1 to 3 days but not the whole week. I think you need to come up with a backup plan.

It's a 90 minute lunch with friends. Not a week alone.

[sarahsthreads]

I've left my 9 year old home alone for about an hour, last summer. She was sick, DD2 had a swimming lesson, the pool was 5 minutes from our house and she had taken a "home alone safety" class, so DH and I felt reasonably OK with it. We've left her home for brief periods of time since then to go run in-town errands that she's just not jazzed about riding along for. I would be comfortable with leaving just my oldest home alone and going to lunch 10 minutes away. When DD2 is 9 and DD1 is 12, I don't know...they can be TERRIBLE together. I'd leave them each home alone separately, but I'm not sure when I'll ever feel OK leaving them home alone together, kwim?

So in my case, the hesitation would be less leaving kids of those ages home alone, and more leaving sisters of those ages home alone together. YMMV.

Sarah

[gatorsmom]

Well I don't know your girls or how they get along but I know in my house the safety of all my kids is only as strong as the weakest link, and that would be my twins. I have no problem leaving my oldest at home alone but the youngest ones will not listen to him and they get into all kinds of trouble. Nope, he couldn't handle the youngest ones so until they are old enough and smart enough to be left alone, I wouldn't do it.

[cvanbrunt]

Seriously, just go. It's 90 minutes. Kids aren't stupid. Your older daughter wants some independence so she's not going to screw this up. You are right; they are going to stare at the tv and not even notice you are gone. I leave my 9yo for about 90 minutes when her little sister is at gymnastics. DH was freaked out by the idea but I just did it anyway. Seeing that nothing horrible happened was all he needed. We leave the girls in the evening for 20 minutes to drop a car off at the mechanic, etc pretty regularly. It's gotta happen sometime.

[Kindra178]

Go to lunch. If your husband is that paranoid he can come home from work and sit there while nothing bad happens.

Going to post the same exact thing.

[Kindra178]

Well I don't know your girls or how they get along but I know in my house the safety of all my kids is only as strong as the weakest link, and that would be my twins. I have no problem leaving my oldest at home alone but the youngest ones will not listen to him and they get into all kinds of trouble. Nope, he couldn't handle the youngest ones so until they are old enough and smart enough to be left alone, I wouldn't do it.

I get what you are saying here!