What Age is it OK to Leave Kids Home Alone?

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What Age is it OK to Leave Kids Home Alone?

January 31, 2010

alt My kids sometimes get tired of me dragging them around from store to store so I can get my errands done. My 7-year-old son has even told me to go by myself and that he would just wait at home. I laugh and tell him I can't do that. To help convince him, (since he somehow seems to think he would be just fine on his own) I tell him the police would put me in jail if I left him and his sister all by themselves.

It must be one of those old wives tales,

but I have always thought, and could have sworn, that there was a law regarding the age at which it was legal to leave a child at home without parent supervision. My sister, a social worker, has informed me otherwise. I know all children mature at different rates, and there are many things to consider, but in general, what do you think the appropriate age is?

Comments (4)

melbs1969 said:

	i started leaving my kids home for short amount of times...no more than 1/2 hour, when my oldest was 12. now that my oldest is 14, as long as she is home and in charge, i come and go as i need to. i started babysitting at the age of 11 for neighborhood families. so i figured that was a good age to start. melissa http://www.rockanddrool.com
February 01, 2010 05:49 AM

Scott said:

My children are still a few years from this being an issue, but I certainly think about it already. I think first and foremost the children must understand all elements of safety. And to that end, the parent must be prepared to supply them with the necessary tools... in this age of cell only... does the child have one? - because in many cases there is no phone at home. Do they know what to do in case of a fire? What do they do if someone comes to the door? Many questions and situations that the child must not only know the right answers, but understand how important it is to actually follow through.

February 01, 2010 01:24 PM

Buckleymom said:

While I haven't yet left any of my children home alone it is something that they request now and then when we need to get some shopping done. My oldest daughter is 9 then I have a 7 year old son and there are many things they still need to learn before I could leave them alone. As far as maturity goes if I were forced to leave one of them alone I would leave my 7 year old before I would leave my 9 year old. My son is much more aware of safety issues and what is going on around him and he makes smarter decisions quickly than my daughter despite their ages. Neither of them know how to make a phone call and I couldn't trust that they wouldn't go outside for something and lock themselves out or get taken by someone so I know they have a long ways to go!

May 31, 2010 07:56 AM

MaileySmith said:

I believe that the age at which children are old enough to stay home alone depends on many factors. First, your kid must be responsible enough to handle unexpected situations. Second, you need to make sure they are comfortable being left at home alone and last is that it also depends how safe is your neighborhood. The first time I leave my son at home alone was when he reached 13. I wanted to protect my son in any possible way I can, so I registered him to SafeKidZone. It is a panic button installed on his cell phone that when he is in danger or he needs help he will just press the panic button and his trusted friends, family members and the nearest 911 will be notified. If you want to check out, this is their site http://Safekidzone.com/

May 29, 2011 03:56 PM

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