I have a 10-year-old daughter.I usually leave her alone when I go to the store or somewhere for less then half an hour but I already want to get back to work.Is it OK to leave a 10-year-old alone at home for 6 hours a day(she will go to school and after she gets back home she will be alone for 6 hours)?
2006-10-22 23:34:55 · 14 answers · asked by amanda g 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
it depends on where you live....do you have neighbors you trust? if so, i really do not see the problem with it...does she have friends? if you live in a dangerous neighborhood, i would say no, but i live in a small town, i have left my 12 year old at home alone while i worked...i have neighbors he could go to if there was a problem...just make sure your daughter has a phone nearby and a list of emergency numbers, plus lay down some ground rules like keep the door locked, don't answer the door, don't tell anyone over the phone or internet that mom or dad are not home, things like that, and i am sure it will be fine...
2006-10-22 23:39:18 · answer #1 · answered by Ice Princess 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, it's not okay. There is no place in the US or Canada where leaving a 10 year old home alone is even legal, let alone ethical. No 10 year old is responsible enough to know what to do if something happened, and you're going to be leaving her alone for 6 hours in which something can happen to her. You think she's going to make the right decisions, follow all your rules, and be responsible??
It's not going to happen. Leaving a kid home alone is never a good idea at that age. How would you feel if you went to work and she decided to go outside to play and got kidnapped?
2006-10-23 08:34:16 · answer #2 · answered by Imani 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can't leave a child at the age of 10 alone for any longer than 2 hours. And that's depending on her maturity level. My 11 year old gets left alone for 1.5 hours and I only did that after going to the police station and asking the questions about leaving a child unattended. Best thing for you to do if she's being left alone that long is find a babysitter, or don't go back to work until she's older, more mature and can defend herself.
2006-10-23 08:31:39 · answer #3 · answered by GirlinNB 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First check local ordnances to see what they say. That will determine the LEGAL age a child must be before they can be left alone.
If you have dependable friends and neighbors, it is easier. Better yet, if someone on your block does daycare, your daughter could be "hired" to help out.
It may be that your daughter has a friend she loves to hang out with. If this is the case and the parents of the friend is agreeable, she can go over there after school and get her homework done, etc.
If you really need to go back to work, you'll find a way to do it. If you don't, I suggest you give her a couple more years. Ten is very young to be left alone.
2006-10-23 06:48:35 · answer #4 · answered by loryntoo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i do know for a fact that faith is wrong..dead wrong!! the federal law is 12, and it differs from state to state..here in wisconsin it is 10. i have a 10 year old daughter and wouldnt ever leave her home alone for more than 10 minutes!! shes way to immature, but if you happen to have a very mature 10 year old, i say go for it, but dont do the 6 hrs all at once, work your way up to it, 1 hr here, 3 hours the next, etc. and leave alot of emergency numbers, however i also think it depends on the town/city you live in..if its a metro area like milwaukee or chicago, i wouldnt. trust your gut. also call your local CPS services and ask what the legal age is in ur area. have her take some babysitting course, thatll better advance him/her for emergencies. best of luck
2006-10-25 00:33:27 · answer #5 · answered by mommyof5 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I also have a ten year old daughter, there is no way that I would leave her home for six hours alone and My mom lives only three houses away. I do let her stay by her self for a half hour to forty-five minutes at a time, but even then I worry that something is going to happen. Please think this over for a while before you make any decisions.
2006-10-23 08:42:52 · answer #6 · answered by fdk30 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't do it!!!!! She is too young. Stalkers look for routine situations where the child is home alone. Also, that is much too long for her to not see you. She's spending all that time at school, then coming home to no one. Also, 6 hours is too long a time to leave her alone. Please don't even consider this. Maybe you could get a job where you work while she's in school.
2006-10-23 06:42:45 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No!! Do not do it. A 10 year old is to young to leave by them selfs. You are 100% responsible if anything happens. A 10 year old can not make logical choices. Higher a sitter!!!
2006-10-23 06:39:56 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. I was nine when I started staying home alone for longer periods of time. I think it's fine, and great. She'll learn a lot.
I have been staying home alone since I was eight years old. I'm twelve now. I feel bad for parents who won't let their children home alone for more than five minutes when they're above ten.
2006-10-23 06:48:29 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
no, it's not o.k.
she is at school all day long
and then comes home to an empty and lonely house
I don't think so
ten is too young anyway, to be "left" and I mean "left" along all of that time. you need to find an alternative plan. try to find a job while she is at school
2006-10-23 07:00:54 · answer #10 · answered by amber 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋