Leaving kids

[xXhayleyXx]

home alone????

What age is it ok to leave your kids at home on their own????

I dont mean literally but say if i wanted to go food shopping or pop out for a couple hours running errands and didnt want to drag all kids out kicking and screaming about it

 

[mommyof3co]

I think it depends on the kids, but I def wouldn't before age 12 or so

 

[Mamafy]

Well my oldest girl is 14 and shes never been alone in the house and doesn't want to be either!

I'm a tad over protective when it comes to this, I take mine everywhere!

What ages are the kids hun?

 

[xXhayleyXx]

My eldest Rebecca is turning 12 in september and is very mature for her years lol. My other daughter is 9. Obviously wouldnt dream of leaving the younger ones as they are only 4 and nearly 1 lol

 

[helen1234]

rosie was 12 when i left her, she would walk home from school and let herself in and i would be home about an hour after he got home. she refused to goto the childminders anymore and i didnt blame her.
i think if it depends on how mature and independent the child is and how long left for.
x

 

[Mervs Mum]

rosie was 12 when i left her, she would walk home from school and let herself in and i would be home about an hour after he got home.

i think if it depends on how mature and independent the child is and how long left for.

Same here.

 

[alice&bump]

i think i was 12 when i was first left. i was dead mature tho and wouldnt have done anythin silly. i had to babysit one of my sister's friends when he was like 13 or somethin cos his mum went out, came back cos she forgot somethin and found him playing with matches

 

[lorrilou]

i think it depends on how mature they are and how long you were gone for. my friend has 13yr old twin girls and they are grown up for their age but she takes the biscuit, goes out clubbing and leaves them on their own.

 

[DizzyMoo]

I can't exactly put an age on it as i also think it depends on the maturity of the child & also how long you are gone, Nipping the shop end of street is diff but to be gone a while longer then that defo needs to be down to how much you trust your child & how mature they are.

 

[leeanne]

I used to do a lot of babysitting at 12.

But those were the days.

It does depend on the maturity of the child, but I think what I worry about the most is society and the criminals out there.

When my stepkids are over, one is 12, I have popped to the store for 10 minutes and that's it. But I wouldn't let her babysit for too long. I'd much rather have an adult take care of my kids.

 

[Amanda]

i used to pop to the shops (2 mins walk away) from when Kayleigh was about 9. But I was literally no more than 5 mins, and I would only ever do it when I knew my neighbour was home.

Kayleigh started walking home from school herself with a key from the age of 11 when she changed schools. My mum used to previously meet her off the school bus till I got home from work, but when she moved schools, it was a 5 minute walk from home and no main roads to cross.

I actually rang the social services to ask them the law, and there is no minimum age limit set by law. She said that it depending entirely on the maturity of the individual child.

 

[PixieKitty]

I was left on my own from about 9-10, it didn't bother me 'cause I could cook etc, look after myself and knew not to answer the door. Depends on how mature the kids are methinks, if they can take care of themselves then I shouldn't think it a problem for a few hours.

 

[Becky]

13 when they are technically teenagers! x

 

[mandaa1220]

I work at an afterschool program for elementary aged children and typically once they hit 6th grade they stop coming. Depending the maturity of a particular child, I agree that about 12/13 is a good starting age.

 

[louise1302]

if my 11 yr old is paying out i will nip to tesco(5 mins away) nd leave him plying out if he needs anything though my neigbour is great and always secretly keeps an eye on him

 

[Jkelmum]

I have left my son since the age of 11 as he is very mature ...yet now at nearly 14 he is banned from being home alone due to havin a houseful