Not a question for my own children but in defining childcare policies at our church... at what age did you begin leaving your children at home alone for quick trips out? Thanks!
I have a friend who asked DHS that question and she was told age 13 is when you can legally leave a kid home alone.
12 In the right situations, and they have proven the maturity is there.
I think it all depends on the child's maturity..i just recently started leaving my son age 13 at home with his 6 yr old sister for just a couple hours at most....i was leaving him alone with her for just quick trips when they were younger, just depends on the kid and can u trust them.
Well, I don't exactly leave mine at home for long periods of time, but often I'll leave them at home to make quick runs close by. You just have to teach them to keep the door locked at all times and do not leave the house for any reason. The age really depends on how responsible the child is. My oldest is ten years old. I have never had any problems because I reinforce the rules each time. Just try not to make it a habit because someone in the neighborhood may be watching.
I agree with the others, I would say 12 is a good age. Too many freaks in the world to leave a child any younger than that home alone.
My daughter is 11yo and I have left her alone for a quick trip to the store, but I don't leave her in charge of her 4yo sister yet. I was also babysitting at 12yo, but that was a while ago! I am considering next school year (at 12yo and 5yo) letting them be home alone until I get home from work (about 1 1/2hrs). Really depends on if you can trust them to follow the rules and they know what to do in an emergency.
This is a great question. I believe the law does say 12 year olds may babysit; therefore, I would assume they are able to stay by themselves, as well. But be VERY careful. The decision is yours based on your parental judgment so long as the child does not in some manner come in contact with any department of government that is supposed to "help" them. A couple of Christmases ago, my husband and I left our 3 girls-then ages 13, 11, & 8-for 20 to 30 minutes so we could drive to our nearby church and pray. The kids were decorating the tree and my 11 year old broke an ornament. She cut her foot - needed a band-aid but no stitches - Unfortunately, she panicked and called 911. When we arrived home, a Southside policeman stuck his face literally in mine and screamed and ranted and threatened me for a good thirty minutes. He sneered at our desire for prayer, criticized our Christian faith, threatened to have the children taken away from us....it was incredible. So tell your kids NOT to call 911 unless there is a fire - and even then, I would try to come up with an alternate plan involving a neighbor, etc., because you could end up with an officer just like I did. Tell your children what to do in an emergency so that your parental judgment does not become a matter of public scrutiny. BTW, the bully apparently just enjoys screaming at women. Nothing ever came of it, thanks be to God!
Things are so scary now-a-days. I was babysitting other peoples children by myself at 12- but that was a long time ago. A child is probably mature enough by 10-12 to be left while you run to the store but what is scary isnt what the child might do but the nuts that are out there. I am a stay at home Mom and both of my neighbors work. One day their 10 year old daughter came home sick from school and they asked if it would be OK for her to call me if she needed anything- she was home alone. I didnt think anything of that, it didnt seem inappropriate to me but she is a good kid and we live in a safe place.
Gosh, I sure wish TX had the same rule. My granddaughter who just recently turned 12 has been left in charge of her 3 younger siblings for 8-10 hours a day on and off for the last couple of years.
If I'm not mistaken, I believe the state law for age is 12. I know that a child is not allowed to play in the yard without an adult present unless they are at least 7 years old, but that's with an adult inside the house while the child is in the yard of the same property.
I agree with Jana M. I think it all depends on the maturity. I asked my coworkers about this, and most of them said their kids were between 11 and 12 when they left them home alone, but it was for no more than 3 hours in the daytime (like until the parent got off from work). It depends on the maturity level also. I would tell my child no cooking, no answering the door, and keep the phone by you at all times. Hope this helps!
well there is no wrong or right answer to that. My daughter is almost 11 and I wouldn't dream of leavingher alone. I feel that it depends on the maturity of each child. she has 11 and 12 yr old friends who babysit, but she isnt ready for the responsibility of stay at home by herself. because she isn't responsible or mature enough to. in general i would say 12-13 yr old.
You should contact you're local child welfare office and ask them. My understanding (from the Oklahoma DHS) is that older elementary-aged children can be left at home during the day for a couple of hours. This is just a guideline and the child's maturity level should be taken into consideration. For children to be left alone, one should be at least 13 and even then it shouldn't be for very many hours.
Again, though, I would recommend contacting child welfare. The rules may be different where you are.
B.
