I have friends who work whose children of eleven have no adult supervision when they get home from school. I also work so can appreciate the difficulty. My son is weeks away from being eleven. If he is sick and I can't take the time off work, can I get in trouble for leaving him at home alone.
2007-03-05 02:29:30 · 24 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Other - Pregnancy & Parenting
I think the more important question is how does your son feel about being home alone. Does he still feel kind of scared when you are not there? Also, is he trustworthy or is he likely to get into trouble? Though.... even a trustworthy kid might get into trouble left to his own devices. It is probably still best to leave him in the care of a friend or sitter until he is a bit older.
2007-03-05 03:31:01 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the law. There might not be one in your state. Leaving an 11 year old for a few hours is fine if the child is responsible. I actually know a 8 1/2 year old who is home alone after school and the single mom has no choice but to do it.
2007-03-05 02:59:06 · answer #2 · answered by KathyS 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no legal age when a child can be left home alone and it is down to the parent/guardian/carer to make that decision. Common sense would suggest that the child would have to be of an age where they could look after themselves and that it would not be appropriate to leave a young child for long periods of time or during the night.
It depends how mature and sensible they are to await the return of their parents, I never left mine and if they were sick I could never leave them, its called being a good parent. Some children are made to grow up quicker than others, do what you think is right.
2007-03-05 02:46:06 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
How do you decide if you can safely leave a child alone?
There are many important things to consider before you decide to leave a child alone. These include:
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the age of the child
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the child's level of maturity and understanding
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the place where child will be left
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how long the child will be left alone, and how often
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whether or not there are any other children in the household.
2007-03-05 02:45:56 · answer #4 · answered by jizzumonkey 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It depends on your local laws. Where I live, its up to the parents discretion, within reason of course. I have a 10 yr old daughter who is very mature that I would trust to stay home for an hour or so, but I have a son who is 8 who I probably won't trust until he's 18...
2007-03-05 02:38:18 · answer #5 · answered by chelelab 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
technically yes how mature is he? some eleven year olds can function alright for a few hours w/out adult supervision but honestly if a child predator was to realize your child was home alone he could be at risk not to mention if an emergency happened and police was called you could go to jail or lose your child. my hubby works for dpss and has told all kinds of stories find a friend or neighbor to watch him if he must stay home or just stay home.
2007-03-05 02:37:40 · answer #6 · answered by marie 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In CT., an eleven year old can take the Red Cross babysitting course and start working as a babysitter. Check with your local Red Cross for the legal age in your area.
2007-03-05 02:41:56 · answer #7 · answered by ankle biter tamer 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i wouldn't want to leave a child that age alone for more than an hour or two to be honest.
even if he is responsible and mature, could he handle a house fire? what if fell and broke a leg and couldnt get to phone?
what if someone broke in and he got attacked?
on less serious note, does he have numbers to call if needs to? would he know when to call if had to?
i've been a single mum, and if it was choice of go to work or stay with kid, i stayed with kid.
maybe make friends with a neighbour you trust? or join a babysitting circle, or start one yourself. what about his friends parents? do they all work?
i'd strongly advise finding out all other options 1st before leaving on his own for more than an hour.
good luck!
2007-03-09 02:15:34 · answer #8 · answered by hedgewitch 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Local laws may vary but the age when kids can be left alone is typically 12. Yes, you can get into trouble if where you live says 12 is the minimum age a child can be left alone.
2007-03-05 03:01:27 · answer #9 · answered by chicchick 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well i havent had mom stay home with me since i was like 8 so, i think 11 would be fine. as long as he knows the numbers to call if theres an emergency. i dont think its illegal. but like some people said, state laws might say different. and unfortunately i dont even know what the law is in my state. i didnt know they had laws about that for kids above 8 or 9. but i understand why they do of course.
2007-03-05 04:20:56 · answer #10 · answered by Lil mzz green eyez 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋