Home alone at 7?

[inseperationhell]

Thank you for the responses...yes I was pissed and worried last night and no, I have not said anything to him - I know he got a big scare yesterday. I have backup plans for the kids if something happens, I have a schedule and write down any changes so that I can adjust. The email sent with arrangements about I would keep D11 until 5pm was 3 short lines and he replied back to me. I just wish that he could get his act together to be responsible when the kids are with him. He cannot even keep track of when homework is due or PD days are and I get many phone calls/emails asking to bail him out. On top of that incident - the school called me yesterday trying to track him down to no avail because S7 had a bloody nose that would not stop - the school did not even have his cell or home phone numbers. So a bad day all around.

The kids wound up doing the right thing and did not panic. Went to a neighbors house who was home and they had met, explaining their Dad was not home. The neighbor had no contact info for him and the kids did not know his cell phone number, so the neighbor kept them at their house until he showed up at home. The neighbor had just tracked down my numbers to call me when he came home. I have praised them today for keeping cool heads and doing the right thing.

Tayken - I agree with you - my D11 should not be babysitting my D7 and S7 - there is cheap after care available at the school which I have offered to pay for - he refuses. My D11 complains bitterly that the 2 little ones don't listen to her and she doesn't feel comfortable babysitting them. Although the CAS does not set a specific age - they do state it depends and a parent is ultimately responsible if something happens. General literature states 12 is the golden age and even then, it is iffy with siblings. I worry about what the impact would be on my D11 if something happened. Another issue that I am silently grappling with.

[MommaMouse]

Well not everyone is on the ball with all the homework/school trips/PA Days/Pizza Days. You can't control him, or make him more organized. You can help your kids be prepared. Teach them to memorize his cell, your cell, your work. My kids have these things in their school planner for Just in cases like this. If your D11 does not feel comfortable babysitting, help her with it instead of sympathising sometimes are own fears can be relected by our children, send her to a babysitting course. Give her a reward (pay her) for the time she babysits. Help her with ways to deal with her siblings. 45 minutes is not all that long and its doubtful anything will happen that will scar her for life. I do sympathis with you but part of divorce is accepting that you can not make all the decisions for your children when they are in ex's care, if he has made this decision the only thing you can do is help your child deal with it.

[Tayken]

Originally Posted by blinkandimgone

Not so:

OACAS: Child Welfare: FAQs

Peel CAS just told me age 12 for 4 hours with a baby sitting certificate at max. If they got a call otherwise they would investigate. Not sure what other jurisdiction rules are.

They pointed me to this article:

http://www.peelcas.org/documents/1p_...ting%20web.pdf

The Child and Family Services Act says that children under 10 should not be left alone. Parents have a legal responsibility to ensure that their children under 10 years of age are safe. Young babies and small children must be looked after at all times. Even children who are eight and
nine years old cannot be left alone for any extended length of time.

Parents are always expected to prepare their children for emergencies and to think about the maturity and reliability of their child in all situations when children are alone. Even after the age of 10, parents are legally required to make good arrangements for their children’s supervision until they are 16. This expectation is meant to help parents make important decisions about their children’s safety and well being. Parents should remember that a child’s age does not always match his or her level of maturity or responsibility. Some 10 year old children are capable of caring for themselves for a few hours. Others of the same age are not. Parents must decide when a child is ready to be left alone and for how long.

The information is mixed.

[blinkandimgone]

It's not mixed at all. It clearly says 'Guidelines' and 'should not', nowhere does it say illegal or against the law. It also says babysitting courses are available for kids as young as 11.