Now that I’m able to run to the store for a few items without buckling all my babies into car seats and lugging them in and out of the car – I feel like I’ve been handed a lovely little gift. It’s really quite nice to be able to holler at my boys, “I’m running to the post office – Asa’s in charge!”
It’s really, really, really nice to have this lovely perk. After so many years of “kid lugging” – I still haven’t gotten over the joy of how nice and easy it is to simply grab my purse and run out the door for a few minutes. If you are still in the “take your kids everywhere you go” phase – take heart! Some day, you too will be able to run to the library to return books without buckling in anyone but yourself.
They look like they can hold their own – don’t you think?
It’s not that I don’t like being with my kids. I love taking them places. It’s just that when they were babies – hooking in car seats, bundling up babies, making sure everyone is pottied and fed – took longer than the actual trip to the store in the first place. Sometimes it’s nice just to be able to run in, run out and call it done.
It was with quite a bit of hesitation that we first began to leave our kids home alone for a few minutes. I did quite a bit of research to find out how old the “legal” age was to leave kids home alone. And how old should they be before they should be left in charge of other kids?
Turns out, there is no legal age – at least none that I could find. It’s really up to you.
I think the answer to this question is dependent on many factors:
- How responsible is your child?
- How old are the other kids that will be in his/her care?
- Will the other kids respect and listen to the authority of the child in charge?
- How large and safe is your town/city?
- How comfortable does your child feel being left alone?
- Have you prepared your kids to know how to handle phone calls and knocks on the door while you’re gone?
- How long will you be gone?
- How far are you going?
- Does your child have a way to get in touch with you while you’re gone?
We seem to be a little bit later than many people around here – waiting until our boys are around 11 to be left alone, and even then, it’s only for a very short time. I think they could probably handle it before age 11 – they just haven’t seemed comfortable with the idea, so we haven’t pushed it.
Please share! At what age do you feel like it’s okay for your kids to stay home by themselves? When do you think it’s okay for a child to babysit or be in charge of other kids?
Courtney says
I know some states have a legal age, ours is like yours and doesn’t specify one. We live on a farm and my husband is always somewhere around on the yard, so I am fine leaving my 7 & 10yr old home while I run to the post office, a 15min round trip. I have left the 10yr old for longer than that, but not with the 7yr old, I don’t trust them together for very long. ;) I do still take the younger ones with me, unless they are napping. If the toddler just went down and I know she won’t wake up while I’m gone, I’ll leave her in the care of the 10yr old. I do think that every child is different and if we lived in a city, it would be quite some time yet before I was ready.
christine says
I have started recently leaving my 8 year old home alone only for short trips as you said – 20 minutes max. He knows what to do for phone calls, doorbell ringing… and I always make sure he is doing something specific (reading a book, watching a show, doing a homework sheet, etc…) while I’m gone to make sure he doesn’t start looking for trouble to get into…
Laura says
I have 4 kids ranging from 19 months to 10 years. If my 19 month old is napping then I will leave my oldest (a very responsible girl) in charge while I run to the store for 15 minutes. Of course, the store is about a quarter of a mile from my house, so it isn’t very far. They know not to go near the door if someone knocks. In fact, I leave them upstairs – away from the door. We live in a big city, so I am more hesitant than if we lived in a small town or in the country.
Catherine says
We do have legal ages here: 12 for being left home alone, and 15 for being in charge of younger children. I still take the younger ones with me most of the time. It’s so much easier now that they can do up their own seatbelts and hold their bladder for a while if they have o.
Allyson @ A Heart for Home says
I think the buckling in and out and the potty trips are the hardest part of taking our young kiddos on errands. Yesterday we went to three stores and our son had to use the bathroom at each one, thankfully my husband was home and went with us :)
Becky@Organizing Made Fun says
I started leaving JUST my son at age ten for short periods. I won’t leave my seven year old alone with him when I go. He’s twelve now but I WILL leave them both home alone early in the morning {hubby leaves early for work} while I go walking from 6-7. By the time I get home, they are just waking up. Plus, I have told my son to call me on my cell phone and all the important stuff, if necessary. He’s very independent and responsible and LOVES to get left alone! Should I mention he has autism? He’s truly amazing!!
Becky B
http://www.organizingmadefun.com
Organizing Made Fun
Sue says
This is so timely. I have been leaving my 13 year old home alone by himself for a while, but I still don’t feel comfortable leaving him in charge of the others (7 and 11). I could probably leave each of them home alone independently, but not with each other. I don’t think the respect is there. We live out in the country with neighbors far enough away that I can’t depend on them in an emergency.
Jackie says
My oldest was 12 when I started leaving them home alone for a short time. Now He’s 14 and my youngest is 10 and I’ll leave them home alone for 4 hrs max(with me calling or texting every 30 minutes and their dad calls at least once). They love it, but I still get nervous leaving them for more then 10 minutes. They know all the rules; don’t answer the phone unless it’s me or their dad, don’t answer the door, don’t go outside, don’t use the stove, and please get along.
Sue says
This is an interesting post! My husband and I just decided we could leave our 10 year old son home alone for a short time. We discussed it for a while, got small son’s enthusiastic approval, and gave it a try. He has the cell phone, knows our neighbors very well on our small road, and our small city is very safe. We discussed all the safety stuff, doorbell rules, etc. The first time I left him, I barely made it to the store 1 mile away before he called. Too cute. I think he was testing the system. I make sure I always give him a time frame that I’ll be gone, and never ever take longer than that without a call to him first. He loves the new trust and independence he has, and I love the easy and beauty of running to the store for some milk without having to drag him along (usually unwillingly!) and buy a treat – he loves fruits/ melons and I love to buy them, but sometimes Mr. Budget only has the milk in it!!
Kadee says
My 8 year old (my oldest) is afraid to go to the basement alone or into a dark room alone. He is afraid to stay in the children’s section of our small library while I run to grab a book in the adult section. I’m thinking he may be 18 before he will let me leave him home alone! :)
Pam says
Too funny – because I can relate!
Tiffani says
I think it definitely depends on the child. When my oldest was 10 he was very responsible. I would leave him only if my dad, who lived 1/4 mile up the road on our family farm, was home. Now we live in a large city and I wouldn’t leave my 3rd son, who’s 10, home alone. We live in a very safe neighborhood, but he doesn’t feel comfortable.
It seemed like I would never get anything done when I was hauling 4 boys around, but now I can hardly remember those days. My oldest is 16 and my 2nd one is 14. Where does the time go??
Allyson @ A Heart for Home says
I know that different states have different laws. I’m not sure what our current home state allows (not that ours are any where close), but I know Maryland has age requirements. I believe they are around 12 years if being left in charge of younger siblings (but they may have changed).
Alison says
Maryland is 8 to be left alone and 13 to watch other children.
Amanda says
In our area there is no set age for staying home alone but they must be 12 before looking after other children (I don’t recall if it’s a little earlier if it’s their siblings or not). My son is turning 11 this week and only now are we starting to let him stay home alone for SHORT stretches, honestly I find it nerve wracking! I don’t know when we’ll let him babysit his sisters as my 7 and 4 yo’s can fight like cats and dogs and I doubt they would mind him if he tried, though I think he’d be ok with ONE of them. Oh well, we’ll reevaluate that when he’s at the legal babysitting age.
Jody says
My kids are 17, 13, 12, 10, 8, and 2. I will leave the older 4 home alone, the older 3 home alone in charge of the 10 and 8 year old, and the oldest 2 home alone in charge of all the younger siblings. So I guess my ages for home alone/in charge of school aged siblings is 11-12, and in charge of the baby/toddler and other siblings is 13+.
Jody says
I should add that that’s just for short periods of time, long periods of time (a few hours) require the oldest to be home.
Stephanie says
I just left my oldest daughter home for 30 minutes yesterday while I lugged the other 5 children to the post office 8 miles down the road. I was apprehensive about it and was afraid that I might be leaving her too young, but she is mature and although I wouldn’t as of yet leave any of the younger ones to her care, I think that getting her used that that for short periods of time is good. I did leave her a phone and my sister down the road knew she was there.
Sheila Gregoire says
We have a legal age–10 for being home alone, 11 for looking after siblings, and 12 for baby-sitting others.
We started leaving our oldest home alone at ten for short periods, and it was very freeing! By 11 she was watching her sister. It is a little nerve wracking at first, but they’re very responsible, and after a few gos I really didn’t find it that hard anymore!
And it is so, so nice to be able to go out for dinner with your husband and not have to get a baby-sitter! It cuts the price of date night in half.
Sheila from To Love, Honor and Vacuum.
Michelle says
We waited until our oldest was 12 almost 13 and he is a very responsible young man -CPR an 1st aid certified, Scout etc.. We have left our 10 year old for 5-10 minutes but I would never feel comfortable leaving a child that young for long. I usually take our youngest child (age 6) with me.
Please make sure to give your children scenarios of “what if’s” before you leave them. My friend’s young teens were placed in a situation this year where flowers were delivered and not even thinking they accepted the flowers and signed for them. Nothing happened but their Mom was appalled that they would let a stranger, even one bringing flowers, into their home. I know we have to teach about the goodness of others but there are so many crazy people in this world!
Cindy says
When our boys were 10 and 6 I would let them stay home for up to 10 minutes while I ran up to the store. I would let them stay home 2o minutes while I was outside at a neighbor’s house. Now they are 13 and 9 1/2 and we live in a very rural area. Now I can leave them home for a full day if needed once in a while. (For instance I had to go out of town for a class meeting earlier this week.)When we leave them for most of a day both dh and I call them every chance we get to see how things are going. We also have 2 golden retrievers (not fierce dogs, but their barks have scared away repair men!), security cameras, and a storm/panic room with the monitor to the cameras so the boys can see who is outside or at the door without going upstairs. (It’s in the basement where they usually play.)
I am just starting to leave the 9 1/2 year old for really short periods of time this summer. His brother is volunteering at the horse stables 1 mile down the road, so I let the youngest stay home while I drop the older one off. It’s literally 5 minutes, but helps him get used to it. He wants to stay home alone anyway.
We have NOT left the children home alone at night yet except for once when we lived in the neighborhood and were at a dinner next door.
Phoebe @ GettingFreedom says
What a timely post! My husband and I have been discussing this very thing the last few days. Apparently, we are the only ones out of our group of friends that doesn’t leave their kids home by themselves. Well, atleast for the older ones. Ours are almost 11, 9, 6, and 1. Obviously, I wouldn’t leave the one year old home with them–but amongst our friends, the other 3 should be fine. I’ve enjoyed reading through the comments. :)
Anitra says
Mine are still babies, so I haven’t thought about this yet… but I know my mother was leaving me home alone for short errands when I was 6 – and I started “babysitting myself” for my parents’ date nights when I was about 8 or 9! My parents definitely drilled me in what not to do, though – don’t answer the door, don’t let anyone in (not even my best friend), IF you answer the phone, say that mom or dad is “not available”.
I don’t think I would start quite that young with my own kids, but time will tell. It’s different when it’s multiple kids of different ages at home, rather than a well-behaved only child.
Tara says
Once in a very great while I would get home a few minutes after the kindergarten bus. The kid knew that he was to come in, put away his shoes and backpack and watch TV and that I would be home soon (within 5-10 minutes).
I’ll start leaving them home alone intentionally around age 8, our county’s guideline. I’ll start with half hours or so to test the waters a bit. Second born is looking forward to that as he turns 8 in September!
I’ve also not found a “legal” age in our state for baby sitters. Guidelines say 11, but I let my 10 year old stay home with his sibs. There were LOTS of considerations in this. 1. The kids all get along great. Not a lot of bickering or fighting, so I knew things wouldn’t get out of hand. 2. 10 year old is very mature for his age (a 40 year old man trapped in a 10 year old body). I do know of lots of 10 year old boys who shouldn’t be trusted to be alone let alone take care of sibs! 3. I usually just tell them to watch a movie and we’re only gone for an hour or two so it’s not the biggest deal in the world that they’re home alone! I’m not leaving them for hours at a time every day, it’s a couple hours a time or two a week.
Pamela says
Our twins are 14….then we have a 9 year old and a 7 year old. We have just begun to leave them all home alone this year…just for 2 hours at the most. It really makes it nice to be able to run to the store together. We leave one of our cell phones home with them in case of emergency. We have very responsible boys (twins) so we have been very pleased with this “maturing” stage for them. It gives them a sense of responsibility.
Katey says
I’m in my early twenties now, but when I was eight my dad would leave me and my four-year-old brother alone for long enough to go to the post office or the grocery store for milk or something quick. My mom wasn’t thrilled, but third grade is also when we got a talk about staying home alone at school and most of the kids said they had stayed home then. I was babysitting for other families by the time I was ten or eleven.
Tracey says
I will leave my ten-year-old at home with my eight-year-old (both girls and very responsible) for 15-20 minutes just while my husband and I take a walk around the neighborhood in the evenings. I think I will wait until my oldest is at least 12 before I consider driving away from the house and leaving her alone – and my husband may want to wait even longer than that! ;)
Stacy Williams says
You are so right. I have four girls around the same age as your boys, and when the day come that I could run to the grocery store without them was more sweet that bittersweet to me. Just the convenience of it is wonderful.
Erin says
It was different from my oldest daughter then my oldest son. The daughter was probably 10 but oldest son 13. He just wasn’t very nurturing and would let someone cry and not comfort or find out why. Now I will leave him with younger brothers and a sleeping youngest sister, short trips and when I have a cell phone on me. But I have a 15 yo daughter now that can hold down the fort nearly as well as I do!! Wait till you get one of those!!! My 10 yo son will be awhile. He is special needs. I can now leave town if I have to with 15 yo in charge but I find a friend that I know is around that she can call and dad is 20 minutes away at work. I love teenagers!!! None of the stuff that all the naysayers warned me about!! Teens are great!
Charlotte Moore says
Thank goodness I don’t have to worry about those things any more. I don’t know what I would do in this day and hour we live in. So much to consider.
GOD BLESS all of you!!!
Kris Mays says
I always thought it was 12 here in Oregon.
And there are certain children I can leave with my 12 year old, and a few I cannot. But sometimes taking just 2 makes a big difference over 5 or 6.
Rachel says
I live 20 minutes from town. It’s too expensive to “run in” for milk or stamps, so when I go to town I make it worthwhile. Since my kids are 6 and 3, it’ll be some time before I leave them home alone while I get groceries. Several times I’ve gone shopping after supper (getting back home around midnight) since my husband is home by then.
Julie says
My husband worked overnights for 7+ years thus making it very easy for me to put the baby down for a nap and take the older ones to the library, or leave everyone home a bit and run to the store. I got very used to this arrangement, even though overnight shifts are hard on family life. It was a perk when carseats and bathroom stops were a part of our daily routine.
Some of our kids were responsible enough to be left at home as early as 2nd grade for short periods of time (visitations, car repair pickups, etc.) and others were not quite up to that task either because of fear or personality traits. They are currently 14, 11 8 and 7. They all stay at home (or various combinations of them) when we go on dates, teach classes at church, run errands, etc. They are not to answer the door, or the phone unless I tell them who will specifically be coming over or calling. (They have left their grandparents out on the porch before because I wasn’t here to open the door.) They call me for permission for things like eating, playing on the computer, calling their friends, etc.
All this to say, it takes awhile to get comfortable as parents with leaving our kids. But it is also so freeing to be able to not find a sitter for everything. My newest challenge is sometimes making sure the older two don’t have plans when my husband and I do, so that they are available to stay with their younger brother and sister.
Courtney says
Yikes, I hope I am misreading this. You left your sleeping baby home alone? That is a very dangerous risk to take!
Courtney says
Just re-read it and realized that you meant your husband was home while the baby was sleeping (I think?) If that’s the case, then never mind my above comment!
Julie says
exactly… he was sleeping all day and working all night.
Lana says
My 5 children are all grown, the youngest is 20. About 16 years ago when our oldest was 15 I left them all at home to go to a board meeting for our homeschool group. While I was there another mom told me how she liked my children and how wonderful and responsible my teens were. I came home glowing with pride about my great kids until I rounded the corner of the house and a firecracker flew out of the upstairs window and exploded on the back patio. I guess you know how much trouble our oldest son was in…..
Christina says
I have been wondering about this for a few years now, unfortunately my 9 year old is extremely immature, so I doubt I will be leaving him alone anytime soon. Here is what I found:
http://www.latchkey-kids.com/latchkey-kids-age-limits.htm
Anne says
Thanks for that link. Looks like my state (IL) has the highest age limit
at 14 years old! Guess it will be a while before I can leave my kids
home without a sitter!
Debbie says
I live in Illinois, too, and was curious about the age limit as 14 seems a little on the high end to me. Did a little more reading and learned that it depends on numerous factors. This link was helpful: http://www.illinoislegalaid.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.dsp_content&contentID=5701
Erin says
The actual Illinois law says this- Illinois law defines a neglected minor, in part, as “any minor under the age of 14 years
whose parent or other person responsible for the minor’s welfare leaves the minor
without supervision for an unreasonable period of time without regard for the mental or
physical health, safety or welfare of that minor.”
Juvenile Court Act, 705 ILCS 405/2-3(1)(d)
This document is a guideline to see if you r kids are ready. 14 is a suggested age for leaving a child at home for a long period but you can leave them at a younger age for shorter periods at your discretion
http://www.state.il.us/dcfs/docs/leave.pdf
MaryAnn says
We have been leaving our boys alone since they were 11 and 12, and they are now 13 and 14. My husband’s former wife, the boys’ biological mother, is something of a concern, as she is mentally ill and unstable, and has been known to show up at our house unannounced. I was convinced for years that the minute we left them home alone, she would be on our doorstep, so we waited until we believed the boys were old enough to understand that under no circumstances could they answer the door while we were gone. We have just started leaving our daughter, who is 6, with her brothers while we run errands for maybe an hour, and so far, so good. Our oldest is honest with us and has let us know that he is not ready for any more responsibility than that.
I love posts like this that reveal how the different choices we make as parents and the reasons why we make those choices. It is a wonderful reminder that everyone has different circumstances and that different choices can all be valid and wise. Thanks, Laura!
Kori Ireland says
Yuck. My daughter just turned 10 and I am not ready to consider this yet! She hasn’t asked so we’re good. But I grew up near Houston Texas and didn’t enjoy staying home alone even in high schoool! We live near Little Rock (which is on the list of top crime cities) though actually the “suburbs”. Just not able to go there yet. I have fully bought into the afraid to not have my kids with me mentality!
But I think another thing to consider when leaving kids alone is neighbors. If there is a fire, choking, or some other problem it would be nice for child in charge to call mom, 911 if needed, and then a neighbor that can come over instantly! We don’t have neighbors that are home during the day, so that wouldn’t be an option.
But I do look forward to the days of a 10 minute trip to the grocery store without having to wait until after Dad is home!
lcg says
Our daughters are 22 and 25 now so I’m reaching back into the memory banks on this one. We left our 2 home alone with a 12 year old babysitter while we went to dinner. The girls were ages 5 and 8. The babysitter was a lovely girl and terrific at supervising and game playing. Unfortunately, the 5 year old fell and broke her arm…and that’s when you really realize that young babysitters just don’t know what to do when things go wrong! It wasn’t a disaster, but after that experience we realized just how young 12 was. I would also really caution people about leaving children home alone while they are sleeping–it there was a fire or other problem in the house children would likely be too disoriented to know what to do.
Maura says
I think the key to get them used to being home alone is to let them be alone inside while you are outside doing yard work, walking around the block, or visiting with a neighbor. That way they are alone sorta and you can see how they behave.
All kids are different. Different personalities, hobbies, and each family’s home life and home values/morals can come into play as well. Kids learn from examples.
I definitely think the no oven rule is great. Even some teenages just are not responsible with cooking. Heck, some husbands for that matter! ;-)
I think overall, 12 is a good age to begin for a few hrs. Maybe 10 or 11 for the quick store trips and such.
Since Laura started this discussion – let’s continue!!!…. At what age can teenagers be left over night alone? Should they ever? Thoughts?
Courtney says
I’m not sure how I’ll feel when the time comes for my own children, but I babsat for a family that left their infant and toddler with me for an entire weekend while they went away. I don’t recall exactly how old I was, but I know I couldn’t drive yet. Thinking back, that seems crazy!
onemotherslove says
I am dreaming of the day when I can leave kids at home! I currently have 4 kids, the oldest being 7. It’s running 105* down here in TX, so often my trips get cut short when the temp rises. I’m in an older car with no tint on the windows. Boosters/carseats get so hot and they’re so cramped in the back seat, even the oldest still have to have help with the seat belts. One day at the grocery store, I know we spent more time in the bathroom – twice in one trip between them all – than we did actually shopping.
Courtney says
I haven’t tried leaving my 9 year old alone yet. I do, however, let him watch the 3 and 1 year old so I can get a shower. I probably would never get one if he didn’t help me out. Lol!
Jill Roper says
We started leaving our kids when they were around age 12. I would like to add a caution to ALL parents concerning getting babysitters. Dr. James Dobson first brought this up years ago. NEVER allow your teenage boys to babysit. I know it might seem crazy to you. I had 1 teenage girl and 6 boys. Everyone at church was thrilled with how my boys were turning out and really wanted them to babysit. It puts your teen boys in situations that could comprise them and the kids. Trust me on this. If you say no upfront you will never have to worry that your child will be forced into a situation that either tempts them or puts them in harms way. Controversial I am sure but well worth praying about.
lcg says
Is this to say that teenage boys are unable to control their sexual impulses? wow….
Danielle B says
If you’re going to put a stagma on boys… you might as well say the same about girls. Girls have sexual impulses as well. It’s not always the boys fault.
We all have the holy spirit within us to guide us. There are some girls I wouldn’t let sit my girls. Some of the best babysitters are boys. My girls are old enough and would say something to me. I’ve even had them call me when the babysitter was there.
Danielle B says
oops stigma
Mica says
I don’t hire boy babysitters. Of course I am quite selective on the girls that I have watch my girls as well. I would hope that if I had boys myself that I could trust them to babysit little sisters, but that is not my case. I just don’t hire boys. Call it discriminatory if you will, but I refuse to feel bad about it. I’m sure many boys would do just fine. I have 3 girls, 8, 6 and 4 and yes, they know to tell me if anything happens but why risk it? 90-however-many percent of sexual crimes are committed by males. It’s just good math. :)I just left my 8-year-old for the first time the other day for just 10 minutes only, with the cell phone/instructions, etc and NOT watching her sisters. It was fine, but she is not the absolutely most mature 8 year old I have ever known, so it won’t be a common occurrence yet (and I told her so.) She needs to gain independence but it won’t be at the rate that she craves. She begs me to walk/ride her bike to school alone and I’m not ready for that either.
Danielle B says
As for us. Our girls are getting older. They are 10 and 4. I would let the 10 y/o home alone for short periods of time. But I don’t think she’s old enough to watch the 4 y/o. Maybe in a couple of years.
Now when I was young, I was left home alone around 10. Not for long periods of time or anything. I babysat for other kids around 13/14 I’d say. I watched 4 or 5 kids in my senior year of high school. 2 of whom were babies, and 2 were hyperactive. (ADHD I guess they call it nowadays). I had a hard time. The older kids (ADHD) were fine. I could one of the babies down, but the other was inconsolable. I tried calling the parents no answer. Finally my older sister came to help me out.
I was left alone for a week one time when I didn’t want to go to Disney World for the umpteenth time (senior year I believe lol). (I was a bit of a brat in my teen years) I did have a good friend come and stay w/me.
Tammi Mooney says
Thank you for sharing this Laura and to all the people that comment. I have three boys, ranging from 6 years to 10 months and even though they are WAY to young to leave alone, there are times when I wish I could just run to the store and grab a gallon of milk without all the ‘hassle’. It makes me glad to know this is only for a season and yet remember to cherish all the time I still have with them!!! :)
Laura E. says
I got to stay home alone probably around nine or ten… But not with Rachel or Megan. And, of course, this was back in the days when there were no cell phones and no one checked up on me even when I was alone all day long. Mom and Dad would help work one of Papa’s auctions. I hated having to go and be outside all day in the heat, so I lobbied to stay home until Mom finally gave in. I don’t think I started “babysitting” them until I was probably 11 or 12. I started babysitting for my cousins probably around the same time.
D says
Mine were much older. We live 45 minutes from town and my husband works in town so my oldest boy was 12 before he was alone without the younger ones. The youngest is 13 now and still doesn’t want to be. Our youngest daughter thought 11 was a good age if her older brother was home and our oldest daughter was 12 and ready to care for the oldest boy when he was 2 but we were in town then.
Becky says
I noticed a lot of people mentioned that leaving younger children home alone with older ones was dependant on the dynamics between kids. I think it is great that so many parents consider dynamics/personalities. I was the oldest and had one brother 3.5 years younger. Since I was a “responsible kid”; starting at around 10, I was left in charge after school and during the summers despite the fact that my brother would not listen to me. Looking back, I realize that childcare was simply not in the budget, and we lived in a very safe small town; but I remember being constantly stressed because I never knew what my brother was going to get into next. On the bright side, once I started babysitting, watching other kids was so easy compared to him!
Christy says
My brother and I are close in age and we were first left home alone when I was 8 and he was 10 – and the babies were 6 4 and 1 – my parents were at a party 3 houses away – I remember feeling so grownup – I even remember the movie we watched – it had a swamp monster in it LOL! Something we would never have watched with my parents home. While my brother was technically “in charge” from then on I did most of the work and made some good money off him for changing diapers. LOL.
I did the same for my children, leaving them for the first time in the afternoon for an hour when the two oldest were 10 and 8 with several smaller kids. We had cell phones and they are really responsible kids. 10 has always been the age to be left home and in charge – (if you were the oldest home otherwise that is the age that the “babysitter” wasn’t in charge of you – does that make sense?) I always felt safer leaving them at night when the little ones were in bed. I have always said that the day I no longer had to pay a babysitter was one of the best days ever!
Robbfamily8 says
We leave our children home alone. If my stepsons are visiting, then the oldest is 14. Otherwise it’s my 12 year old son in charge. The ages of our kids are 14, 12, 11, 8, & 7. They do well home alone. Although, they know all of the neighbors (who are also home during the day), we have two grandmas in the area (one a mile away and one 3 miles away), so I don’t worry too much.
We actually just added another blessing to the mix. 3 1/2 months ago we had another daughter. But I would never leave her home alone with the older ones. She’s too young. But it’s kind of frustrating that just as they were old enough to leave home alone, we started all over! Now we are back to carseats and baby lugging!
Trishasmith says
It really depends on the maturity level of a child. My daughter is 13 years old and she’s comfortable enough to stay at home alone when my husband and I are at work. I teach her on how to react in case of emergency and I also registered her to SafeKidZone for her safety. It’s a panic button alert installed on her cell phone that in just a press of it, it will simultaneously alert her trusted friends, family members and the nearest 911 with complete information. Now I feel comfortable leaving her at home alone knowing that she can get help from numbers of people in seconds. If you would like to check out, you will find more of their useful features in their site http://Safekidzone.com/
Angela says
We too waited until our oldest was 11. It was so nice to go on a “date” ( grocery shopping and lunch :)) Homeschool moms/dads know that more than anyone I think. He is now 19 and away at college, so I really miss those days when he was here every day.