How Old Is Old Enough to Stay Home Alone All Day

Really depends on the child. Some kids are fine younger, still others I would wonder if they are ready at 18.

You know your kid.

I answered a very similar question a few days ago. This might help. The bottom line is that it depends upon the maturity of your child and the work you've put into their independence.

http://www.mamapedia.com/questions/5938027043391537153

The only thing I would worry about in this particular situation is what if the weather got so bad that you could not make it home from work, or what if he lost power at home? On a normal nice day with good weather 12 sounds fine, if he is a mature kid. I would think twice with the nasty weather you are supposed to be getting! Do you have reliable neighbors he could turn to?

I could rely on my 9 year old to stay home alone before my 11 year old. It has to do with maturity and confidence, not age.

If he is mature, yes. But I would check up on him a couple of times a day, even if it's only a phone call.

It depends upon the child. Is he responsible? does he know the rules of the house and abide by them? Will he be in charge of any other siblings?

Right now with my oldest being 14, I wouldn't leave him home alone all day. Maybe 6 months ago I would have, but now with some things he's done. No.

If your 12 year old is capable of knowing what to do in an emergency, knows NOT to leave the house or let anyone in? I would say he's fine. He should have your contact information memorized.

I'd normally say 12 (providing he's generally a responsible kid, and doesn't have any troublemaker friends nearby) is a fine age to stay home alone.

But the big question here is: Has he ever been on his own for a shorter time period? If he's flown solo for, say, 3 or 4 hours before, he's probably fine. If not, if this is your first time leaving him on his own, then honestly it's too long of a time period for a "maiden voyage." I'd recommend looking at SitterCity ASAP.

It really depends on the individual kid. This question (or one similar) is asked here regularly if you want to check out the archives. Also, each state, and usually each county, has their own guidelines about this. I would check out your county's guidelines. Can he get himself something to eat? Will he get scared? Will he get bored? Does he have someone he can call in an emergency? How will he be if the power goes out? My biggest concern in this particular situation is that if you or your husband are in a car accident, get stranded, etc. or can't get home.

I think 12 is ok with the following provisions:
a) child can either safely heat food without adult supervision or is willing to eat cold meals.
b) discuss how to handle many minor issues that may crop up
c) a trusted neighbor is available for non-911 type emergencies and to provide backup in case the parent can't make it home by the appointed time (important because of the weather)
d) parent and child will check by phone in every 3 hours

In a non-routine situation like this crazy storm 12 is probably fine - although he may begin to get a little nervous somewhere along the way. You know your child best. Do you have a nieghbor who could come to his rescue if needed or whose house he could walk to if you got delayed on your way home? Do you have microwave friendly meals or non-cook meals? You don't want him making soup on the stove or turning on the oven...

Ask your son how he would feel about being home alone all day? Ask him what would he do all day? (Make sure your TV has parental controls set - kids get bored and begin checking other channels...)

My duaghter would have siad she'd be fine at that age but would start calling me at work around 1:30 asking when I was coming home. My son would have been playing video games all day and wouldn't have realized how much time had passed when we walked in the door at 5:30!

Always have a "Plan B", for him/you.
Like Michelle S. below mentions per certain scenarios that may happen.

And, does he or you have at least ONE reliable trustworthy neighbor?
That he can go to? Or that you can call.... to check on him, too?
Do you know..... your neighbor's phone number???? That is also good to know... and have. For him and you.

And do you and he have... a routine/plan or discussion about it all?
You both should sit down, and talk it out.
So that he knows... the expectations and your routine for checking in on him etc. and he with you.
And that NO friends, should be over when you are not there.

I think I started leaving my daughter alone during the work day when she was in 8th grade 13-14. By that time she was also comfortable with being home for that length of time.

By twelve I had already taken my babysitting course and first aid/cpr and I was babysitting younger children all day. Most kids should be able to spend a day at home alone by ten or eleven years old, and watch younger children by twelve. Of course it depends on the maturity of the child, how much training he has received and if he has some type of support in place (ie a friend or neighbour he can call in case of emergency).

I was babysitting other kids during the day by the age of 12, but I was very responsible. Make sure he knows how to handle emergencies, etc., and then maybe do a test run on a 1/2 day.

I would hope 12. You will notice there are no child care centers for 12 year olds..

Just make sure there is phone communication and people he can reach out to close by. A neighbor, a relative. In case something were to happen to you..

I ws the neighbor that a few of the kids knew they could call ofr come over if something happened. When I was not here our daughter knew who to contact in case something happened to me.

Yes, depends on the child and your level of comfort having him home alone ALL day. I wouldn't make a habit of it, but in this type of circumstance, if you feel comfortable with it, just make sure like others said, he has food and a neighbor or family-member close-by who he can call.
When I daughter was 13 she begged me to stay home all day during the summer while I went to work. I told her "NO WAY" She could be trusted to be home occasionally, but all that idle time will eventually present a problem. I wouldn't do it all the time.

If you think he's responsible enough then that's all you need to think about. Have a neighbor or two aware he's home alone so he can go to them if he needs something.

He's old enough to babysit kids on his own now. If he's old enough to do that then he should legally be old enough to take care of himself for a few hours.

I wouldn't like to leave a kid alone that many hours though. If you work a normal 8-5 job your child is likely to be home alone for over 10-11 hours per day.

In child care I had kids there every day over 10 hours. Some over 11 every single day. Most were dropped off by 7:15 so parent could be at work on time and have a few minutes to settle in before starting their jobs. Then they don't get off work until 5 or a few minutes after. By the time they got to the car and on the road it was 5:15, with driving time it was often 5:45 before they got their kids picked up. So from 7:15 until 5:45 was a regular day for most every kiddo in my center. 10.5 hours.

If you and hubby work the same hours then it's going to be after dark when you get home every day. Is kiddo okay with that day after day? What if there is bad weather and you don't make it home until much later? I would say a kiddo this age can do it just fine. I'd be the one worrying all the time...lol.

If hubby works different hours, such as 6-3 or 7-4 then he'd be home before dark most days. That's what I'd find the best solution. Having mom there later in the morning and dad coming home early or vice versa.

I think it is totally dependent on the child. At the youngest, I would say 12 but I have a 12 year old that there is no way I'd leave him alone. Our older one has been staying by himself (for a few hours at a time) since he was 11 but he's VERY responsible.

I once called our local police and they would not give me an age but asked if I felt my child would know what to do when there is an emergency. Think of fire, injury, choking, heat goes out, someone at the door, etc. You can probably restrict possible emergencies by allowing only certain things, like drinks but no foods, do not answer the door, no running down the stairs, etc. And then it depends on the child. My oldest loved being alone, the youngest one disliked being alone. So there is no clear age but more a maturity level that has to be assessed. But at age 12 I did leave my kids for several hours as long as either I was close enough to come home quickly or they had a neighbor to contact incase of emergency.

different states have different laws, so you might check, but maturity, area where you live, safety have a lot to do with your decision. Is there a safe person they can call who lives close? Do they feel safe? Do they have a fire plan? etc. You can practice being home alone with short stays.

Here is a link you might check about state rules.
www.imom.com/parenting/tikes/parenting/safety/home-alone