What age to let a child stay at home alone?

awesome_inferno

I would say 11 if they are a mature, responsible kid.

itsmyvwbeetle

For my family, 12-13. Any younger and I am just not so sure they will react the best way in an emergency. Heck, I am not sure even at 13 they will react correctly but the chance is higher!

OspreyVista

A lot of that, IMO, depends on the child's maturity level. I've seen some kids, where I wouldn't leave them home alone at 18 or ever if I was their parent. However, I know a couple of cousins that would be fine by themselves at younger ages. It all depends on the kid, how they are raised, and what they are capable of. There is always a "legal" age where you can leave them home alone, In the state I live in it's 13, but again, I think it depends on the kids themselves and how responsible and mature they are.

Erienneb

In Illinois the LAW says a child must be 12 to be home alone, and 13 to babysit a younger child. I don't have kids yet, but my mom didn't leave me and my brother alone until we were older because it would never cross her mind to not obey a law.

jlapey

Legally I believe it's 12 or 13. I could be wrong. But even then, I think your child's maturity level should play a big part in that decision. And solid rules should apply in regards to answering the phone/door, spending time outside, use of the stove, etc...you know your child best.

mitch16

The law here is 12, too. My son turned 12 in August... He's an only child, and a wee bit immature. We now leave him for short periods (1-2 hours at a time), but we still make him go to the formal care program at the school with adults most days after school. We still hire a companion (sounds a little pedo, I know, but babysitter seems so baby-ish) for him on evenings when my husband is travelling and I have MBA classes for 5-6 hours at a time--makes me feel better about the whole dinner preparation situation since we have a commercial stove.

inksyrup

Just throwing in my two cents:
My parents would let my brother and I stay home alone when he was about 15. I was only six, he was old enough to watch me, and was responsible enough to know what to do in case of an emergency. However, they were overly-cautious and much more strict with him growing up than they were with me. I was allowed to stay by myself (for short periods of time, like an hour to two hours) when I was about eight. It wasn't until I was about 11 that I was fully allowed to be on my own.

To be honest, it's really up to what kind of kid(s) you have and how responsible they are. Trust plays a huge part in it, too. My parents knew that I was pretty easily entertained by the computer and drawing--they trusted me that I wouldn't invite people over, and drilled me over and over on what to do if someone knocks at the door, if someone calls, etc.

Heck, 17-18, they let me stay on my own for days at a time. Perks of being a wallflower, I guess.

wolfpack77

I started letting my boy stay home alone when he was 11 for short periods, but I took his younger sister with me. When he was about 12 1/2 I started letting him babysit her while I ran errands. But never for more than an hour or two, and not at night.

It also helps that my folks live up the street within walking distance.

rachelmorgan77

Like previous people, I think it all depends on the child. My son (8) told me that his guidance counselor at school told him he could stay home alone at eight. While this came up in random conversation, it made me start thinking. So I've allowed him to be home alone for short perids - like while I run to the grocery store. If he can handle it responsibly, then we'll take it from there. I was a latch key child and was home a lot by myself while my parents had to work full time jobs, so there are times I think we underestimate our kids. However, once again - it all depends on the child.

Molly_Maguire

8 seems a little young for me, but hey, in 7 years, if my 11 month old has proven himself to be a respectful, smart, responsible little boy with a good head on his shoulders, I might consider letting him be alone in our house for a few hours. It all depends on the child.

BlairCottier

I have seen a lot of responses that 8 years old is old enough to stay home alone. I am sorry, but I do not agree. I have 2 girls, one is almost 7 (in february) and one is 2. I could not imagine leaving my kids home alone at that age. My oldest is very well behaved and she knows how to dial 911 and our phone number and address, but I do not believe that kids should have to take on that responsibility, unless of course they have to. THEY ARE STILL KIDS!!! I work in the mental health and disabilities field, and I see so many horrible things in my line of work, that maybe I am just biased, but there are so many things that can go wrong in those situations. You can teach your children how to handle any and every situation, but you cannot prepare them for everything. There are some laws in place for a reason, and most are set at age 12 or older. I would stick with that.

vim_n_vigor

I have seen a lot of responses that 8 years old is old enough to stay home alone. I am sorry, but I do not agree. I have 2 girls, one is almost 7 (in february) and one is 2. I could not imagine leaving my kids home alone at that age. My oldest is very well behaved and she knows how to dial 911 and our phone number and address, but I do not believe that kids should have to take on that responsibility, unless of course they have to. THEY ARE STILL KIDS!!! I work in the mental health and disabilities field, and I see so many horrible things in my line of work, that maybe I am just biased, but there are so many things that can go wrong in those situations. You can teach your children how to handle any and every situation, but you cannot prepare them for everything. There are some laws in place for a reason, and most are set at age 12 or older. I would stick with that.

There really aren't many laws. Recommendations, yes, laws, no.

notyourkimmy

I grew up in a pretty safe neighborhood, and I was allowed to be home alone for a few hours after school when I was 11

SenshiV

Not a dad, but techie guy so I will never leave any of my children alone without some kind of camera pointing at the doors or some kind of voice recorder, this times are no joke. Teens are so god-demd influenced no matter what kind of values you dedicate your life to give them :S.

That was kind of a joke just in case, but I would really.

Sweetsugar0424

My son was allowed to stay home before and after school when he was almost 11 and I received a lot of flack about that, but I felt comfortable with his abilities and figured he needed to learn to look after himself before trying to figure out how to babysit at 12. He is now 14 and while I will leave him home alone for long periods, I'm still not comfortable with over night and I'm not sure I ever will be as teenagers left unattended can get in to heaps of trouble.

I will agree with the person that said that they are guidelines and not laws. They can not make these ages a law for the reasons that many have posted about some kids being ready at a certain age and others not being ready for many years later. To make it a hard and fast law would make it easy for a parent to say "they're 12 so it's ok" even if they're developmentally challenged.

iLoveMyPitbull1225

there are legal age limits state by state. check your state laws.

BlairCottier

In Illinois the LAW says a child must be 12 to be home alone, and 13 to babysit a younger child. I don't have kids yet, but my mom didn't leave me and my brother alone until we were older because it would never cross her mind to not obey a law.

This!!^^ Regardless of maturity level, you should not be leaving your child home alone if the law states otherwise! The OP's circumstance was a bit different, in which I may be able to understand. But to just leave your child alone because you have other things to do is not good parenting in my opinion. I may get blasted for this, but I see way too many horrible things due to these circumstances to keep quite on this one. And yes, I do understand that once your child hits a certain maturity level, you should be giving them more freedoms, but 7 or 8 years old?? I don't get it.

wolfehound22

I was a 11 or 12, but I also think it depends on the length, 8 seems to young to me though.

pawnstarNate

we have one boy that will be 15 next week and has been staying at home since he was 13 but, there are times we are very skeptical if it's the right decision...then we have a 10 yr old girl who is more responsible than most adults......our 6 yr old girl...that's still some time before we see how her responsibilities develop. so, really it all depends on the child.

goody2shews

I was a pretty spunky teenager and so were my 3 sisters. We got into every type of trouble you could possibly think of. My mom worked and was a single mom. She left us alone quite a bit since she was a real estate agent with her own business. We were a hot mess. We were all the nightmare kid everyone has warned you about. lol

Maybe it is because of that, maybe it is because I've seen the worse side of things as being a foster parent. I believe they shouldn't be left alone at all period. It is your house and you are responsible for what goes on there as well as for your child. It is not up for your neighbors to know where your kid is or the coach etc. There are times it can not be avoided but I believe as a parent you should of thought of that before the incident and have 3-5 different family members, friends, babysitters what ever you want to call it on call at all times for those special occasions. There may be a few that slip through the cracks here in there but I have found 98% of the time it can avoided and should be.

Case in point....16 year old drops his ring down the SINK that his girlfriend gets him. His solution, go get the vaccum cleaner and suck it back up....and all the water that is in the pipes that will electricute him.

Case in point....17 year old young lady at home when three 17 year old girls come knocking on the door to teach her a lesson by beating her up until she spends the night in the hospital.

Case in point...three 15 year olds home with a 7 year old and decide it will be funny to have the 7 year old strip down naked and they paint crosses on her upside down and lock her in the bathroom telling her if she washes them off she is going to hell because they're crosses if she keeps them on she is going to hell because they're upside down crosses. She spent the evening crying and passing out from hyperventilating over and over for 6 hours until the adults came home from their date.

I know not all kids are like this but I could go on and fill up this entire day of me giving examples of kids that have never been in trouble that have done unspeakable things to other children, pets, and to themselves because of a scheduling issue.

WickedGarden

I was 6 when I started staying home alone, latchkey kid.

Safe neighborhood, lock the door, don't answer it unless you know who is at the door. Easy Peasy.

goody2shews

I have seen a lot of responses that 8 years old is old enough to stay home alone. I am sorry, but I do not agree. I have 2 girls, one is almost 7 (in february) and one is 2. I could not imagine leaving my kids home alone at that age. My oldest is very well behaved and she knows how to dial 911 and our phone number and address, but I do not believe that kids should have to take on that responsibility, unless of course they have to. THEY ARE STILL KIDS!!! I work in the mental health and disabilities field, and I see so many horrible things in my line of work, that maybe I am just biased, but there are so many things that can go wrong in those situations. You can teach your children how to handle any and every situation, but you cannot prepare them for everything. There are some laws in place for a reason, and most are set at age 12 or older. I would stick with that.

There really aren't many laws. Recommendations, yes, laws, no.

Yes....they're laws Ask anyone that has had their kids taken away for neglect they will tell you it is not a Recommendation.

BlairCottier

I have seen a lot of responses that 8 years old is old enough to stay home alone. I am sorry, but I do not agree. I have 2 girls, one is almost 7 (in february) and one is 2. I could not imagine leaving my kids home alone at that age. My oldest is very well behaved and she knows how to dial 911 and our phone number and address, but I do not believe that kids should have to take on that responsibility, unless of course they have to. THEY ARE STILL KIDS!!! I work in the mental health and disabilities field, and I see so many horrible things in my line of work, that maybe I am just biased, but there are so many things that can go wrong in those situations. You can teach your children how to handle any and every situation, but you cannot prepare them for everything. There are some laws in place for a reason, and most are set at age 12 or older. I would stick with that.

There really aren't many laws. Recommendations, yes, laws, no.

Legal Guidelines
Some parents look to the law for help in deciding when it is appropriate to leave a child home alone. According to the National Child Care Information Center, only Illinois and Maryland currently have laws regarding a minimum age for leaving a child home alone.1 Even in those States other factors, such as concern for a child's well-being and the amount of time the child is left alone, are considered. States that do not have laws may still offer guidelines for parents. For information on laws and guidelines in your State, contact your local CPS agency. If you need help contacting your local CPS agency, call Childhelp® at 800.422.4453.

There may not be many "laws", but CPS does consider things as neglect without it being a "law". Most authorities including "preventchildabuse.org" agree that 10-12 is the minimum age you should be leaving children alone, and this is for only short periods of time, and definitely not watching other children. These are good links below.
http://www.dshs.wa.gov/pdf/media/052912HomeAlone.pdf

http://www.preventchildabuse.org/publications/parents/downloads/home_alone.pdf

Have many children been left alone at age 7-8 and been ok?? Of course, as evidenced by all of the posts on here. However, have kids been left alone at this age and have been victimized and been left running the streets to fend for themselves yes. As a parent, why take the chance???

lacurandera1

Some adults shouldn't be left home alone.

What they said. It's all very situational. I was left home alone regularly when I was 9 or 10 because my parents both worked. I was very mature. I bet this girl is, too, if her brother is dealing with a serious illness like cancer.

sophasaurusxx

I was 12 when inwas left alone, that was only when my mum had to pop over to the shop for few things. Before she went to the shop, she out some fish fingers in the grill, and asked me look after them whilst she was out. Somehow they ended up catching fire =\ luckily my mum was just comeing through the door when it happend. She has never left me home alone since:laugh:

YoungDoc2B

It depends on the maturity level of the child, so to put an "age" on it is completely the wrong way to look at it. There are some 40 year old adults with the mindset of a 16 year old. Just because they're physically "mature", does that make them mature mentally? No.

Susanthecatwhisperer

Lots depends on the maturity and responsibility of the child. My nephew was 15 when he proved he STILL needs adult supervision! Growing up, I was fortunate enough to have my aunt living next door. So I never FELT alone. I had one overnight alone when I was 10 (actually a friend came over, even though it was a school night). I was often home alone as a pre-teen. I think now, there's laws or ordinances about a minimum age of 12 to be home alone.

sissiluv

I believe the law around here is 12 years old, which is also when you can start legally babysitting as well I think? (As in paid job for other people and courses taken) So it's not as situational child per child here, but I do agree that it also depends on the maturity levels of the child.
Of course that's not necessarily to say that one SHOULD. A kid needs consistency in their day to day lives in order to mature and grow in a healthy manner. Shift work for example can be a demon in disguise and can breed rebellion and emotional issues, especially if they're being left with a babysitter who doesn't care for them, or just alone outright. Not saying that leaving them alone is automatically a bad thing and again it can vary from kid to kid. So long as they're doing alright I would see no problem leaving them alone for, say, a half hour a day starting at eight or nine, maturity and laws allowing, and then maybe upping the time spent away by like fifteen minutes to a half hour as they grow older. It's a good way to grow independence.

Of course I know very little about child psychology, am speaking from a purely personal standpoint based on my own experience and those of my parents, and don't even have kids yet. So, grain of salt and all that.

megalin9

These days, I'm not sure it has as much to do with the maturity level of the child as it used to. While that should still be the case, I trust no one anymore. My 14-year-old step-daughter has always been extremely mature and responsible, and she probably would have been fine staying at home for short bursts of time when she was 9 or 10, but even now at 14, we are skeptical about leaving her for more than an hour or so. It has nothing to do with trusting her and everything to do with not trusting society. That's what it boils down to for my husband and me, anyhow. Sad to say. :ohwell:

JustJennie1

In my state I think 9 or 10 is "old enough" to leave a child at home alone.

It depends on the child, the parent, and the circumstances. In the case of the OP the circumstances prevented the father from being home when the daughter was brought back. I am sure that the father has instilled safety measures in his child.

ETA: Yes, times have changed however they were no more different or scary when I was growing up. My mother always told me to never open the door or answer the phone when I was home alone. If any one from the family called we had a code so that I knew it was a family member.