I have a christmas party that I need to to attend this Saturday and wil be out of the house for 4 hours. I normally drop my kids off once per month at my parents house when I have to work on a saturday for about 8 hours. I have gotten to the point that they are ok if I need to run down the street for a half an hour to an hour, but I have never left them alone for 4 hours. My daughter is very responsible and in 7th grade. I am thinking of leaving her to babysit them as a first test to see how they do.
I am not ready to leave them home alone for the 8 hours once a month (it also gives them time to spend with their grandparents anyway)
I live in a 2nd floor apartment building so it is not like they can go wandering outside or anything.
2007-12-07 12:58:37 · 51 answers · asked by bjmarchini 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Adolescent
if they are good kids leave them. make sure they have a phone and you have a phone.. also make an emergency contact number that way they will be safe. make sure they know they can not leave for anything. .. i think they will be fine. i was alone when i was 12. and try askin your kids if they would be comfortable with the idea
2007-12-07 13:02:34 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
That would depend on how mature she is. There are some 11 year olds that are very mature for their age, and some that are not. Only you can make that decision. You should also keep in mind the laws of where you live. In CT a child has to be at least 12 before legally they can stay home alone, 13 to be alone with younger siblings. It's not like the cops are going to be stopping in to check, but god forbid something happens you could get into trouble for leaving her. When you decide that you think she is ready to stay alone, I recommend doing some short trial runs first. See how she handles a half hour home alone. Next time you have to run out to the store, take the other kids and let her stay home. Next time extend it a bit longer. Once both of you are comfortable with it, then let her stay for the 2 hours that you are at work. You also may want to "test" her to give yourself some piece of mind. Enlist a friend to stop by the house while you are gone and knock on the door, just so you can see how she responds. Is she going to open it, check to see who it is first, or pretend she is not home?
2016-05-22 02:19:20 · answer #2 · answered by kaley 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, first off the people here that are saying that they were home alone or babysitting at 8 or whatever, that is not even relevant to this question.
I think you should first find out in your city what the legal age and how long they can be left first so you know that you are not breaking the law.
Second do they fight alot? How responsible is your daughter ? and I would just make sure there was a way I could check in with them or they could get ahold of me and a friend or relative that they could also call in case of emergency.
2007-12-07 13:30:31 · answer #3 · answered by Lucy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do it, but make sure they know that they can't argue or get into mischeif. Call once an hour to make sure everything is all right.
Kids at that age are fine staying home alone as long as they are responsible. They will appreciate the independence, and will probably try to do everything they can not to lose it.
DON'T clearly say that one is in charge over the other. This could cause arguments if the eldest starts abusing the power. They're at a similar age, so leave them both to do their own thing around the house while you're gone, instead of one babysitting the other.
2007-12-07 13:03:41 · answer #4 · answered by Rob 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
LOL At these answers.
"is your 12.5 year old daughter old enough to raise a baby, then no."
"Make sure the neighbors don't call you about abandoning your children!"
I was babysitting when I was 10 years old! With no adults around. A 5 year old, 6 years old and a 7 year old. And I was 10! If you feel she is responsible enough, I say go ahead. Make sure your son know that your daughter will be in charge, and not to get rowdy. At 14 I was baby sitting toddlers.
2007-12-07 13:08:57 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, I'm in 8th and I babysit my 3 younger siblings all the time (10, 4, and 3). I can handle them with a snap because they know that at that time, I'm boss. But since their ages are back to back, I'm not so sure. If you think she's pretty responsible, I would trust her. But for four hours, I'm not so sure. My answer would be no honestly. For a test, you should probably try a 2 hour time span.
Hope I helped!
2007-12-07 13:05:41 · answer #6 · answered by ♥ 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I began staying home alone at 11. At the time, I would say I was about in 6th grade. I'm now 14, in 8th grade. Trust me. Most kids are far beyond your comprehension of responsibility for children. :) just trust them. Set out emergency numbers, tell them to lock everything, and if anybody pulls up to the apartment that they do not recognize, and they look suspicious, grab the nearest phone and sit in a room until they are sure that the person is gone. My mother did this with me and everything went fine.
But, if you're too worried, DON'T let them stay home alone. if you're sure about it, do it! :) just make sure they are in a safe neighborhood and won't wonder outside.
2007-12-07 13:05:58 · answer #7 · answered by Ashley 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, I babysit my 11 and 10 year old sisters; and they are just fine. Me and my friend babysit kids all the time, from 4-8 hours all the time. I think that if you trust her, then she is ready. It's a win-learn situation. Test it out; and then go for the 8 hours. Or even the 4 hours.
2007-12-07 13:04:34 · answer #8 · answered by cnhasty21 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You should not present it to them as her babysitting him, as they are too close in age and I would not imagine she would be able to exert authority over him. If they are both responsible enough that you would leave them alone individually (i.e. the 11 year old is responsible enough to be left alone, too), then you could do it. Otherwise, it is not appropriate to have a 12 year old babysit an 11 year old. It just doesn't make sense.
2007-12-07 13:05:54 · answer #9 · answered by dominique 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
She is responsible you say so I would do it. Make sure that they know the rules and what to do in an emergency. They are old enough to stay by themselves for four hours. Also leave a number to call you or someone else should they have any problems.
2007-12-07 16:38:08 · answer #10 · answered by kim h 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As a parent this is the one of the hardest decisions to make. You say she is responsible so maybe now is the time to see how responsible she is. As long as she has emergency phone numbers to call and you check in on her every so often I think this will be a great test and it can be a big esteem builder for her. Trust is never given only earned
2007-12-07 13:05:08 · answer #11 · answered by Keith W 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋