how old should i leave my child at home?

Answer 1

Well, we started leaving our son home for less than an hour when he was 10. He is now 11. Last week I left him alone for under 1/2 an hour but it was night. He freaked out when some guy walked down the sidewalk because he did not know who it was. The thing is, it will be different for each kid. Legally you can leave them alone when they are 10 or 11 but you have to be prepared to adjust that depending on your child. They need to be comfortable enough for you to do that. Believe me the guilt that a parent feels when they get home & find their child that upset, is absolutely unbelievable. You also need to have a safety talk with your child & make sure that they have your cell phone number. Our problem that night was that my cell phone battery died & he couldn't reach me. Start with a short daytime trip & go from there.

Answer 2

It all depends on for how long, what your neighbourhood is like and their maturity level.My 8 yr old I would never leave, not even for 5 minutes to go to the shop. My 13 year old I'm comfortable leaving for no more than 2 hours, or 1 if he is watching the 8 year old.My other 2 boys are 15 and 18 and have watched the younger 2 overnight with the neighbours keeping an eye over the fence.When I had to go out of town for the weekend my younger 2 went to stay at my Mum's but the older 2 didn't think it was 'cool' to stay at Nan's. They stayed at home with friends doing drive pasts to check on them as well as the neighbours keeping an eye out.We live in a good neighbourhood and my boys are fairly mature and responsible, but even so I wouldn't
change to leaving them at home at an earlier age as still too much can go wrong and they are not worth the risk.It doesn't take much to get someone to keep an eye on them, they are irreplaceable and not worth risking.

Answer 3

12

Answer 4

Maturity level is the determining factor.
I was staying home alone at about age 8 with my 6 year old sister. My mother had a job, and she didn't get home until about an hour after we got home from school. We lived in the country, but with a next-door neighbor, knew to lock the doors, knew all the pertinent phone numbers, not to cook on the stove, etc.
When I hit middle school, I was allowed to stay home for longer periods of time. I don't think I stayed home at night until Iwas about 13 or so, and overnight wasn't until about 16, but that was more a chance of circumstance.
I've known 15 year olds you can't trust to stay home alone, and 6 year olds who can be alone for a half hour or so. You have to judge each child (even in your own family) differently.

Answer 5

Check with the local authorities. In my area the Department of Family and Children's Services states that if a child is 12 years of age they can be left alone at home. That seems a little young to me - but it is the law here. In addition to the law think about the maturity of the child.
My daughter isn't very mature - gets frightened easily and panics. She is not ready at 12 to be left at home without supervision. Ask you child about it - and ask them appropriate questions. My daughter said she would be "nervous". I quizzed her on various issues - what to do if someone knocks on the door, what to do if there is an emergency,whether or not she can use the stove when alone at home, what to say if the phone rings, etc. If your child can answer with safety in mind, doesn't express fear about it, is mature - then you might gradually try leaving them at home alone for an hour - then a few hours - and so on. Check again with regulations in your area (that way if you leave your kid alone you won't get arrested for child neglect or abandonment).

Answer 6

Well counselors suggest that the child for one be 10 years of age, and two... responsible. And when you leave your child at home, never leave for long periods of time. I'd say no more than an hour. Make sure he/she has access to phone, and emergency numbers, and that they never say they are home alone when answering the phone. Never allow your child to answer the door when they are home alone as well. Hope that helped!

Answer 7

About 10-11 years of age.

Answer 8

If you were only going down the street to the store....10 or 11. If you were going out for a few hours 12 or 13. Really, it depends on how mature your child is, and if you can trust them with the priviledge of being home by themselves.
Also it depends on the laws where you live...check that info out and go from there!

Answer 9

A child of 10 can usually be left home alone for periods of less than an hour, as long as there is someone availible that they can call if anything should happen or if they get scared. After that, it depends on how they do.

Answer 10

Most places have a legal age set that a child can be left alone for abit. (not all day..not all night..a few hours at the most) Ours is 12 here. Call family services and ask them what yours is. And then you have to take your child's personality and responsibility into account also..assuring that the child is ready to be left alone for a small amount of time.