what age do you leave your kids by themself?

Answer 1

I feel that it depends on the child and their maturity level. My daughter has stayed home alone and watched her younger brother since she was 11 she is 13 now. She is very mature though. My son on the other hand...he cant be left alone!!!!

Answer 2

It depends on the child's age and maturity level, the time you plan to leave them alone and how well they know what to do in a case of emergency. I recently read a story about a 6yr old who stayed in his home for two days with his father who had a heart attack and died. The child didn't go get help because he was told to never leave the house without permission and he didn't know how to dial 911. I would say the age of 10 is ok for short periods of time (1/2hr or an hour) and during the day or early evening. Make sure you go over what they can and can't do while you are gone and make them understand the seriousness of the responsibility. Also, it's important to tell them when the phone rings to never tell anyone they are home alone, don't answer the door, etc. Tell callers things like Mom/Dad is in the shower, outside talking to the neighbor, etc. and will call you back. And.. absolutely teach them how to dial 911, and give them a list of contacts (aunts, uncles, close friends) to call in case they need something. With a little preparation and practice things should be fine.

Answer 3

At age 8 we started leaving our son for 30min-1 hour by himself, usually when he was busy doing something and didn't want to stop to run a quick errand with us. Now he is almost 10 and he can go for about 2 hours. He's done really great!

In MN the law says kids 7-10 can be alone for up to 2 hours, at age 11 they can babysit and at age 15 or 16 they can be home overnight. But it's different in every state.

Answer 4

At the maturity level of maybe 11. The actual age of the child doesnt really matter. If its an overnight thing alone then maybe more like 13. I know 25 year old men that should not be left home alone cause they are bound to accidently burn the house down! So its not the true age but mental age.

Answer 5

Well, in the state of Kentucky....the age that children can legally begin to be left alone is 12. However, I think it is best to go a little older unless the 12 year old is very mature and can really handle the responsibility. It would be best to do some research on your specific state. Good luck to you

Answer 6

My mom left me alone at the age of 12. She gave me a small list of jobs to do to keep me busy and I was to stay in the house and not answer the door. I was responsible so she knew she could trust me. I think it is really how mature your child is and if you have someone close that can check up on them for the first day and then see how it goes from there. You can always call once or twice a day too to keep tabs on them.

Answer 7

In the states I have lived in, the legal age is twelve. As a parent even at twelve you and your child both must be comfortable with it. Make sure there are no access to guns, drugs ( even prescribed ones you may have in your med. cabinet) and other potentially harm full or dangerous items.

The child and you should have a understanding about rules when your not their concerning friends being able to visit or not. strangers coming to the door, or answering the phone and what to say to whom. Most of all what to do in an emergency. Fire, illness, accident etc...

Answer 8

It depends on the kid.

My 14 year old son babysits his 11 and 8 year old brothers, but only when the neighbors are home in case of emergencies.

I doubt that at 14 my 11 year old would be able to handle taking care of himself. He's got severe ADHD and would probably burn the house down.

On the other hand, I was a latch key kid when I was nine and did just fine.

Like I said, depends on the kid.

Answer 9

Some kids can never be left alone at any age. If the child knows what to do in an emergency and can be trusted to keep out of trouble, start out with short daytime trials.

Answer 10

It all depends on state law, the maturity of your child, and the duration of time they'll be alone.

I can't imagine leaving my child home alone before he is 12.

But then on the other hand, my mother started leaving me home alone (For short periods of time) when I was 8 and it never effected me and I never got into anything bad.