Granted, my children are almost 6 and 4 and we don't plan on leaving them alone for even one minute anytime soon or even in the next several years ...

Anyway, we were asking each other this morning at what age is it acceptable to go out to the store for under an hour or so or perhaps when the wife can go back to work and they would be able to come home from school by themselves.

For me, I grew up in the country in Tennessee and I can remember coming home from school alone at around age 8. I usually had a couple of hours alone before my mom came home from work.

Just wondered what you guys gaged as the norm?

Where I live the legal age to allow children to stay home alone is 12. Of course that depends on their maturity level and if you can "trust" them with a key to the house etc.

my wife has left our 4yo alone for under an hour before ...

I think 12yo AT LEAST !!


you know ... I do hate her for that




kthxbai

I'd say 12 or 13. That was when my parents started letting me stay at home alone.

One4All4Ever said:

!!

I'd say 13 or so.


My mom worked a 3pm - 11pm shift when I was 8 and my brother was 6.
So when we came home from school, she was gone. We were basically latch key kids so...

JessieJ said:

maybe 14, if he's proven himself to be trustworthy.

Thats a tough one, I was left home alone since the age of 8 for a few hours becuase of my parents having to work. Luckily nothing ever happened to me and I live with family so fortunately my daughter has never really had to be home alone. But like Luv4u says it really does depend on their maturity level

alwayslate said:

I'd say around that age as well.

veronikka said:

Ow ... I get it ... my son is very mature ... he watches redtube video's when nickelodeon shows ads

I used to stay home alone when I was like 9

One4All4Ever said:

oh goodness

12 or 13

16 is the legal age in UK

theodore said:

I was a latch key kid...home alone at 8 years old.

My daughter started being home alone at 9 for about 2 hours until I got home from work. The neighbor downstairs would call and check on her.

Rhondab said:

Your neighbors were cool

I stayed home alone cause my mom had to work, and my dad was, well, getting drunk probably. And by the time I was 9 all of my siblings were way older so I had to stay there.

yamomma said:

Since I only have one child she is going ot be 13 in October. My plan is to leave her at home by herself at that age. My mother is across the hall(she lives in a apartment right across the hall no joke) so she KNOWS if she needs anything or has questions she can ask. Plus she a cell phone(on her dads plan) tha teither me or mom can call her on. Bu tnow i am letting her stay the night by herself, and she likes it(mom checks on her every hour or two).But I wanted her to get the feel of what its going to be like to be by herself when she does actually turn 13.

In my area its 12.

there is no way i would allow my child to be home alone before the age of 12/13 and that is only if they are at the appropriate level of maturity. the amount of time i'd be away is also a consideration obviously.

i stayed home alone much younger but it was a different world then.

One4All4Ever said:

theodore said:

Yeah...a bunch of old NOSY ladies, the best kid.

Me and the kid had all shorts of safety measures...like code words, she would use the instant messenger as she was doing her homework, etc so I could know where she was in the house.

Its a different world but you adapt. The code word really worked. Only a person with our special code could pick her up from school, etc.

She's touch for it now.

yamomma said:

I don't really know... but my sister still is leary about leaving my 14 and 16 year old nephews at home. She is way over protective but on the other hand, just wants to be sure they are monitored as much as possible. I can see why, with the internet craze/inappropriate material online and now being interested in girls. I know, I know... we have all been there at some point and time... but things are getting crazy scary, children here in our area being abducted, killed, etc. I preach to them all the time, I suppose one just cannot be too careful nowadays.

I can understand being more on the protective side, while at the same time giving some space, provided some or a lot of monitoring by a responsible adult is taking place. At 18, they will have plenty of time to make their own decisions, learn by their own mistakes for the rest of their lives.

I don't envy people with children, it's a hard day in time, for sure. My respect to all that truly attains raising children to the best of their abilities.

I will stick with working with children professionally and leave the rest to you all.

Hey yamomma, I do remember when your first was born. WOW!

Rhondab said:

FreeSpirit said:

Almost 6 years ago! Time sure shuffles by quickly doesn't it?

NEVER.

cuff them to you

You can never leave them alone. Ninjas might bust in the house, snatch them, and leave them with Michael Jackson or worse...Joe Jackson...or even worse Pee Wee Herman

I don't have kids but believe it or not I have thought about this before. I don't envy parents having to make decisions like this.

I was left alone during the day when I was 8. We did the whole code word, safety neighbour thing, so it wasn't a big deal. I was about 12 when I was started being left alone at night.

As far as I can tell, it's all situational. One kid might be ready to do the home thing when she's 8 and another might not be ready for it until she's 15.

I could run the store around the corner...15 minutes tops when my youngest was like 10, and if I was longer, she would really start to freak out. Over 15 minutes, somebody older had to be home.

REDFEATHERS said:

There is No Specific legal age that a child can be left home alone in the UK, although its recommended that a child should not be left alone overnight under the age of 16 and also if anything happens 2 a child alone under the age of 16 - parents can be done 4 neglect!!
Really its open for parents or carers to decide what age they should leave their child alone - I suppose when they think their child is sensible and mature enough - of course in some cases even 16 might not suit!!!

Rhondab said:

I have to stop watching tv when i type.

I have no idea what i meant

I would have to say 11 years old.My mother lives across the street.