At What age would you leave your kids alone

[Angelicous]

Hi

I'm a teacher and one of my foreign student has asked at what age you can leave a child alone.

She has a 5 year old and an 11 year old. She says she occasionally leaves her kids alone to go to the opera in the evening (so quite late).

My kids are 6 and 4 so the nearest I get to leaving my children alone is going into the garden while they watch TV.

Her son has only just started secondary school and it seems a little young to me but where she comes from you get latch key kids from primary school age.

What do you all think?

 

[Dinoslass]

I think that is too young. I didn't even let my kids alone when they were 11, so go figure. It all does depend on the child of course, but for me not at those ages. And not a whole evening to go out. I mean if they are 11 and they are up to it an hour to pop out could be okay, but not at 5, that is ridiculous.
I remember one mother let her 5 and 7 year old come home for lunch on their own every day and I was shocked. I mean kids at that age shouldn't be having all that responsability.

 

[lozzy21]

I had my own key at 10 and used to come home with one of my brothers who is 3 years younger than me. But not for long. Id say i was 13/14 before i started to babysit for more than an hour or so but that was for 3 childen, one 3 years younger, one 8 years younger and one 9 years younger.

An 11 year old would be to young to look after a 5 year old on an night for that long imo

 

[mrso]

It is against the law in the US to leave a child alone under the age of 12. I think that 13/14 would be a more appropriate age though.

 

[Freyasmum]

It's against the law here (NZ) to leave any child under 14 alone.
Having said that, my sister was younger than that when we used to get home from school unsupervised...

 

[Nic1107]

Is it really illegal here?! Hmmm, oh well! I used walk home at 10-11 years old and be home alone for awhile until my dad got home. *shrug* I was a sensible kid though, and very self-sufficient. I started baby-sitting at 12... this was only 12 years ago, not really long enough to say it was a different era then. I grew up thinking my mom was overprotective, but I guess I was pretty unsupervised compared to kids now!

 

[CeliaM]

When I was 12, I babysat 3 times a week for a 5yr old, 2yr old, and 6month old. I fed them supper, took them to the park, then put them to bed. Then I'd clean up their house and do my homework till 10pm, when they came home and drove me home. All for a measly 3 dollars and hour (not that that's significant to the thread, but now that I know better, I'm bitter at how underpaid I was!). I did take the responsibility seriously though, and had taken first aid training and was good with the kids.

Anyways, now that I have kids at exact same age, I can say that I think it's nuts to leave that much to a 12 year old! I never would. I have friends kids come over and "babysit" them, but only when I'm home and just needing time to get things done. I'm always available if need be.

It depends so much on the kid though. Children are capable of so much more than we give them credit for, if they're trained by their parents to handle it. If the 11 yr old is responsible, there is someone within a close geograpical area that they can contact if need be, then I think it's fine. I'm pretty sure that in my province, babysitting is allowed at age 11, and I know the recreation centre offers home-alone classes for kids 10 and up (or 7 and up if older sib is attending too).

 

[amazed]

I personally wouldny leave my kids that young....

 

[having#4]

We are talking about giving our 10 year old a key. She is a very mature 10 and it would only be for an hour until we get home. I wouldn't leave her to watch the babies though. She only does that for 5 10 minutes tops while I take the dog out or get the mail.

 

[Nic1107]

It's against the law here (NZ) to leave any child under 14 alone.
Having said that, my sister was younger than that when we used to get home from school unsupervised...

God, I think I'd have jumped off a cliff at 13 if I wasn't allowed- by law!- to be home alone. That is absolutely ridiculous IMHO unless the kid is seriously incapable of taking care of itself for some reason.

 

[CeliaM]

It's against the law here (NZ) to leave any child under 14 alone.
Having said that, my sister was younger than that when we used to get home from school unsupervised...

God, I think I'd have jumped off a cliff at 13 if I wasn't allowed- by law!- to be home alone. That is absolutely ridiculous IMHO unless the kid is seriously incapable of taking care of itself for some reason.

I totally agree. But of course there are kids who are completely irresponsible still at 13 quite often belong to parents who lack discretion on the matter.

 

[lozzy21]

There is no legal age to be able to babysit in the uk but the nspcc recomend that you dont let under 14's babysit.

My sister is 13 and she will watch my brother if my mam pops to the shop. She will only watch him on a night once he is in bed and my mam has gone to her friends round the corner or to mine and she can be home on less than 2 mins.

 

[leeanne]

I honestly think 11 is too young. Back in the day when I was that age, I was babysitting at 11 and 12, but times have definitely changed. I guess it depends on the area where one lives, the population and the crime statistics but here, I have a problem with a child being left home alone at that age due to the above factors.

 

[Jo]

I leave Emily on the odd occasion to nip to the shop 10-15 mins there and back, but I would never leave her to look after Jack, I trust Em completely, It is Jack I don't trust LOL.
I think it all depends on the mentality of the child but IMHO I don't think a 10/11/12/13 yr old should be in charge of younger siblings for more than 1/2 hour never mind over night.

 

[Amy-Lea]

What Lozzy said is what I just read up on it.

I however was allowed to walk home from School (about 10 minute walk) from last year of junior school (10) as long as My friend Ashley was in school that day too. Mum/Nan would always be in though I couldn't have a key until senior school.

 

[MrsGaSp]

I use to be left home alone when i was 7 but we lived in apartments then so we knew everyone so i knew who to go to if anything happened

 

[MoonMuffin]

My parents started leaving me alone at 11/12, though I was an only child and very independent, it was for short periods of time at first, and we lived in the middle of the woods next to a golf course in a very safe town. I wasn't allowed to babysit (as a job) until I was 13, but I was very responsible and started baby sitting for kids that were 7, so no super young kids at that age.

 

[anothersquish]

I wouldnt leave a child under twelve alone for any period of time. I would entrust them to go and post a letter or to the local shop etc by 9/10/11 depending on the child but being alone in a house would be a step too far for me.
I would, once they got to twelve, start to be comfortable about leaving them for a few hours at a time, perhaps after school or whilst shopping was done or for a couple of hours in the evening whilst parents went to see a movie. I wouldnt be comfortable leaving them for longer than 3 hours and definately not overnight. Nor would I want to leave them incharge of younger siblings.

 

[louise1302]

my eldest is nearly 12, he walks home from schoool alone(about a 15 min walk) and do leave him at home if i nip to tesco( 5 mins away) hes not alone for more than 30 mins and knows not to mess with anything in the house or answer the dor to anyone
i wouldnt leave him in charge of any of the younger ones though, id come home to no house

 

[Jkelmum]

My oldest got a key at 10 incase somthimg went wrong and i wasnt home i would rather he be safe in the house ...have left him from 11 never for long and never with younger siblings