What age to leave home alone for an hour? - Page 3

[honey-lilac]

Originally Posted by USAmma

Wow that is way too young! Can a neighbor watch him for an hour? I have a very responsible 9 year old and have only left her a few times to go get something at the store. Usually it's something urgent like she's sick and I need to get her some medicine and Popsicles and don't want to drag her along with a fever/vomiting. Under normal circumstances I won't leave my kids alone yet. There are always unforeseen things that can happen even if the kid is doing everything right. The times I have left my 9yo she has to stay in my room, never answer the door or phone, and I had her on the cell most of the time I was away.

No offense, but why would she have to stay in your room? I get the not answering the phone or door, but to stay in your room too?

[confustication]

I guess I'll be the odd one out- depending on the kid, I *might* be ok with it. I grew up with parents who taught on private school campuses, which meant we lived in apartments on campus. I remember coming home from kindergarten (I was 6) as a 'latchkey' kid for a couple hours. I had to call my mom's office (a couple hundred yards away) when I got in, and she'd call again before heading home. I was alone for maybe 45 minutes a day? I was fine, and not afraid at all.


With my daughter, she wasn't ready at 6, but she's now 8 and I would be totally comfortable for a couple hours.

It depends so much on the child, the setting, and how easy it is for the child to get help.

[Ceinwen]

This thread reminds me of something that happened when I was a teenager - when I was fifteen my parents went away for a week on a cruise and left me in charge of my four younger siblings (ranging in age from twelve down to three).

We had an awesome time, and I was totally responsible enough to manage on my own. Maybe it was the way I was raised, or the kind of kid I was, but my parents wouldn't have batted an eye at me babysitting even from age eleven.

[carmel23]

Originally Posted by Kaleanani

No offense, but why would she have to stay in your room? I get the not answering the phone or door, but to stay in your room too?

maybe because she was sick at the time (the poster's DD), and she didn't want her exerting herself, etc?

[Polliwog]

Originally Posted by One_Girl

I think six is way to young to stay home alone. If something happens to your child while you are home alone, even if you live in a state where there are no age restrictions on this, CPS will most likely get involved and charge you with child endangerment.

I agree. I'm fairly free range with my now 5 1/2-year-old, but being alone in the house is different. I'm also a foster parent and have a pretty good sense of how it would play out if something serious would happen.

[Eclipsepearl]

Just to add, if you leave a child at home, whatever age you decide, don't run any appliances while they're there.

Once, our washing machine caught fire. I was home with my newborn and ran to a neighbor. The washing machine was shot and it was scary seeing the flames leaping out from under.

Actually, the mess the fire fighters made was worse than any smoke or fire damage. But still, don't risk it with a child home alone. My mom actually turns everything off before leaving the house everytime. I have to admit that I use the timer to run something right before I'm due back but not if I have a kid here alone.

You can turn all that stuff on when you're home to monitor things.