Should a 12 year-old in the 7th grade be left alone after school?

Question

...usually for about 2 hours.

Answer 1

Depends on the maturity level of your child, as well as what the age is allowed according to the laws of your state. Be careful, most states do not legally allow children to be left alone in the home unless they are at least 14 yrs old. Mine are in thier pre- teens to early teens and they are allowed to stay at home alone, they ride the bus home, call me as they come in, and do their work. I am usually home within about 2 hrs. I have no family here so I have no choice than to allow this.

Answer 2

I've been left at home alone since I was in 6th grade, and I had no problems. I really like to be alone. Just as long as you don't hurt yourself, and you have somewhere to go for an emergency, you'll be fine. If you have Caller ID, that's great, but if not, then there's no need to ignore your phone. Stalking over the phone got old after Myspace came out, so no one cares if you're home alone or not on the phone. If you don't answer, you could miss an important call. Maybe your parents are in the hospital. You need to answer the phone. You shouldn't tie up the line, though. It's okay to talk, but not for 3 hours. Answering the door isn't a biggie either. Just look and see who it is. If it's someone you know (or the police) then answer it. I mean, that's obvious anyway, right? However, overnight is not good. If you know you'll be left home alone overnight, then arrange something. Go to a friend's house or have someone watch you. You really need to get on your parents about that.

Answer 3

I think that it really depends on the 12 year old. Some are ready at that age and some aren't. Two hours isn't that long and if you trust him/her then it shouldn't be a problem. Although, it is important that they are in a safe place and not wandering the streets. You could also look in to some kind of afterschool program like sports or clubs. See if they can go home with a friend and that way he or she wouldn't be alone. Just make sure you are comfortable with the decision so you aren't constantly worrying.

Answer 4

That depends largely on the 12 year old. If you check the NSPCC site you will see that in the UK there is no minimum age advocated but it very much depends on how responsible the child is. Obviously if you are not in the UK you need to check your country's legislation. If you are sure that they will be safe, have a neighbour you trust who is prepared to hold spare keys for when your child loses theirs, and are sure that they will not act in a way that will put them at risk then it's ok. However you do need to bear in mind that not all 12 year olds have the maturity to deal with peer pressure, and not all 12 year olds will follow your normal guidelines for behaviour if you aren't there. At the very least, for your own peace of mind it may be worth getting them a cell phone so you can check on them and they can contact you if they are worried about anything.

Answer 5

I started babysitting other kids at 12. Usually for no more than 2 hours. I think anything more than 2 hours may depend on the child's maturity level.

Answer 6

It would depend on the emotional maturity level of the 12 year old. For example, my oldest was fine with being left alone after school at that age....but my youngest was a completely different story.

Answer 7

It depends on the maturity of the child. Some 12 year olds have been taught responsibility as well as phone safety and answering the door, etc. My children were mature enough and a couple of times this had to happen. But I wouldn't recommend it on a steady basis for any child at this age.

Answer 8

At that age, I was left alone most of the time. I don't seem to have suffered from it. Honestly, what does a kid that age need a parent to do for him? Cook? A 12-year-old is quite capable of that. Maybe insanely huge portions of unsupervised time (like I had) aren't the best idea in parenting, but a young person also needs some private time. Mom and Dad don't have to be there every second of the day.

Answer 9

The answer to your question depends totally on you. Do you trust your child? Do you think that your child will be able to handle him/herself for two hours alone? Do you think they can keep from doing something stupid? If you can answer yes to all these, then I don't see a problem. Also, it depends on what kind of neighborhood you live in. If it's a good neighborhood, fine. If it's a bad neighborhood, I would try to find somewhere safe for your child to go for those two hours, like to an aunt's house or something.

Answer 10

It definately depends on the maturity level. I have a 12 and a 13 year old and they're both fine alone afterschool and sometimes they even babysit. Is there a redcross office near you? Contact them about the free babysitting course. Even if your young one will only be tending him or herself - it helps with confidence and responsibility. If something were to go wrong - they'd have the resources at their fingertips and wouldn't lose their head :)