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Post by auroraborealis on Aug 31, 2017 18:08:56 GMT
It depends on the the kids, but extremely unlikely. I would try to find a sitter to be ultimately responsible.
I recall staying by myself when I was 6 and needing to stay and watch my younger sister by 8. I was babysitting groups of 3 kids (sometimes all under age 6) by age 11. No way would I recommend this!! I can't believe my mom had made these arrangements for me (and at that age, it was her, not my "going into business".) IMO, older is definately better for handling not only emergencies, but other surprises.
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Post by lisacharlotte on Aug 31, 2017 18:16:36 GMT
I left my son home alone for the first time at 10 years old for about 90 minutes. In that time he set up a paper bag in front of the window and used it for target practice with his bb gun. Our house was on the market at the time as we were moving overseas (DH was already gone, which was why DS was home alone). Lessons learned for both of us. I will say he didn't try to hide it and told me as soon as I got home.
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Post by busy on Aug 31, 2017 18:20:15 GMT
You would also want to check on the laws where I live if I recall correctly in California it's 14. Which is ridiculous in my book. That's crazy! It's 10 here, which seems about right to me (again, depending on the kid).
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Mary Kay Lady
Pearl Clutcher
PeaNut 367,913 Refupea number 1,638
Posts: 3,074
Jun 27, 2014 4:11:36 GMT
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Post by Mary Kay Lady on Aug 31, 2017 18:25:18 GMT
Yeah, it's the 2 girls of the same age that gives me pause as well. But it definitely depends on the individuals involved in my mind. You didn't say in your op if either of these girls was yours or not. If so, and you're having second thoughts about it, then I'd say no.
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Post by snugglebutter on Aug 31, 2017 18:25:34 GMT
It would totally depend on the kids - but I also think the first few times alone should be for shorter periods.
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Post by chaosisapony on Aug 31, 2017 18:32:48 GMT
I lean towards yes because I was left alone (or alone with a friend) for hours at a time starting at age 8. But I think it really depends on the kids in question. Wow, that seems young. Did you like it? I was a little nervous the first few days but I grew to love it. The nervousness was less about being without an adult and more because I was in an unfamiliar town with no family nearby. Even when I was younger, around 4 or 5, my dad would sometimes leave me sleeping at home alone and go fishing with the intent of getting home before I woke up. I'd usually wake up when I heard his truck pull out and I'd have a blast watching videos and playing with my toys alone in the quiet house.
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Post by pondrunner on Aug 31, 2017 19:12:52 GMT
I've left my 10yo alone for two hours. Strict instructions and a highly responsible child. It was to avoid dragging multiple kids to an appointment that would be miserable for everyone. Kid sat and read for two hours and was fine.
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Post by tallgirl on Aug 31, 2017 19:32:40 GMT
I have left 10 yo DD for about 3 hours without incident. She can't have friends over though, she can only do approved activities while I'm gone, and I am an 8 minute drive away. She was nervous at first but her confidence has really grown and developmentally, I think that is a great thing.
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Post by #notLauren on Aug 31, 2017 19:33:30 GMT
This article has good guidelines and factors to consider when leaving children alone. If this is the first time they are being left alone, "a few hours" might be a bit long. Under 2 hours, depending on maturity and responsibily level, I'd say yes. Turns out it was 20 minutes. Still, don't like it and will need to make sure the other mom is aware of this in the future.
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Post by kristi on Aug 31, 2017 19:33:53 GMT
Yes, why on earth not?
They can play, have a snack, read, watch a movie. As long as they have a phone to call in case of an emergency & you think they will not cook/let strangers in...I don't see why they can't be left alone.
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Post by beebee on Aug 31, 2017 19:33:59 GMT
I would not feel comfortable with it.
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Post by mandolyn9909 on Aug 31, 2017 19:42:15 GMT
I agree, totally depends on the kids. I have 13 year old twins. One of them babysits regularly, It totally fine on her own...the other one I will only leave alone for 1hr by himself max.
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Post by fredfreddy44 on Aug 31, 2017 19:47:42 GMT
There no law about leaving kids at home in California. If they get along well with each other and are generally responsible, then yes.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 19, 2024 8:32:58 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2017 19:53:18 GMT
I lean towards yes because I was left alone (or alone with a friend) for hours at a time starting at age 8. But I think it really depends on the kids in question. I was 8 or 9.
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Post by Tammiem2pnc1 on Aug 31, 2017 19:58:15 GMT
It all depends on the kids. There is no law about it in my state either, but consequences can be big if something happens. I was babysitting other people kids until all hours of the night when I was 11...but I would have never left my son do it, he was just too naive. I'm sure I should have been allowed to either, but no one seemed to care.
ODS is now 13 and I would totally trust for him to be alone for a few hours, even watch another child if necessary, but he just doesn't have the confidence to do so.
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oh yvonne
Prolific Pea
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Jun 26, 2014 0:45:23 GMT
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Post by oh yvonne on Aug 31, 2017 20:06:53 GMT
I was 8 years old when the 71 Sylmar earthquake hit at 6:00 a.m. We lived in East LA and I was home alone with my little brother who was 4.
My dad worked down the street about 1/2 block away, my mother left for work in downtown LA and had to leave early to catch the bus.
All I remember is being awed by the shaking, running to the living room window to see the electrical wires explode in front of me, and then diving onto the couch (we lived in a one bedroom and my brother and I slept on the sofa) to hug my little brother.
My dad must have sprinted home, because next thing I knew he was bursting through the door. My poor, young parents. Can you imagine how scary that must have been for them, knowing we were alone?
So no, I don't let my 10 year old alone for that reason. You never know when the "Big One" is gonna hit. I can't even deal with that thought.
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Post by flanz on Aug 31, 2017 20:09:06 GMT
no
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Post by bc2ca on Aug 31, 2017 20:25:03 GMT
I was 8 years old when the 71 Sylmar earthquake hit at 6:00 a.m. We lived in East LA and I was home alone with my little brother who was 4. My dad worked down the street about 1/2 block away, my mother left for work in downtown LA and had to leave early to catch the bus. All I remember is being awed by the shaking, running to the living room window to see the electrical wires explode in front of me, and then diving onto the couch (we lived in a one bedroom and my brother and I slept on the sofa) to hug my little brother. My dad must have sprinted home, because next thing I knew he was bursting through the door. My poor, young parents. Can you imagine how scary that must have been for them, knowing we were alone? So no, I don't let my 10 year old alone for that reason. You never know when the "Big One" is gonna hit. I can't even deal with that thought. Your poor parents. They must have been terrified. This was a concern of ours, along with the threat of wildfires. Our kids were about 5th grade when they were allowed to stay home for short errands. We did talk to them about what to do if a disaster hit and who they could turn to in an emergency, even if just for a few minutes. I also talked to our neighbors and asked if the kids could run to them in an emergency. #notLauren, I do think it is something another parent should have cleared with you at that age. SaveSave
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Post by cmpeter on Aug 31, 2017 20:33:40 GMT
Given that it's IL and the law says 14 to be left home alone, I say no...I wouldn't. E comfortable.
Other than the legal issue, it depends on the kid. I wouldn't have left my dd home alone at that age, she's rather impulsive. We had a freak accident once. .she was using pop up Lysol wipes to clean her sink. They fell into the container and she had to pull them back out. She got her thumb stuck in the plastic prongs inside. If we weren't home to cut the thing apart, she easily could have lost her thumb, it was wedged in that tightly. I also remember the time my sister almost set our house on fire and when she was bitten by the neighbors dog when she was home alone at that age. Both could have been avoided if my mom was home.
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PaperAngel
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,362
Jun 27, 2014 23:04:06 GMT
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Post by PaperAngel on Aug 31, 2017 21:01:21 GMT
No; I wouldn't even consider it.
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Post by 950nancy on Aug 31, 2017 21:04:43 GMT
Yes, I left my son when he was in fourth grade and he knew the drill. We had good neighbors and he had a good head on his shoulders. I think kids need to start being responsible much younger than most other parents think.
ETA: We don't have earthquakes, hurricanes, or even tornadoes. We have bears, coyotes, and bobcats. They aren't allowed in the house.
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Post by missymarlin on Aug 31, 2017 21:16:27 GMT
I think it totally depends on the maturity of the child. While there may not be a state law, remember that local Child Protective Services workers have a lot of discretion. If they are notified because of an emergency, nosey neighbor or concerned school teacher, the age really wouldn't matter if they thought the child might be endangered. My neighbor left her obviously immature 16 year old son in charge of her 3 year old for 2-1/2 hours and came home to find she had to pick them both up at the local children's shelter. The older child was engrossed playing video games and did not notice the 3 year old had gotten out and was riding his tricycle in the street. She had to go to before the family court judge and also had regular visits from CPS for the next year.
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Julie W
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,209
Jun 27, 2014 22:11:06 GMT
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Post by Julie W on Sept 1, 2017 0:56:27 GMT
DD is 11 and was left alone at that age by herself. Would I leave her with a friend at that age? No.
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Post by anniefb on Sept 1, 2017 1:02:18 GMT
No, I wouldn't even consider it let alone do it and both DD's were very sensible at that age. It isn't that I wouldn't have trusted them it's because anything can happen and no way is a child of that age mature enough to deal with an emergency. SaveSave
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Post by vspindler on Sept 1, 2017 1:08:32 GMT
My dd and one of her friends? Yep. My niece and my dd? Nope, though mostly because my niece wouldn't do well with it. (Dd just tuned 11 in May, her cousin is 3 months older.)
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Post by bothmykidsrbrats on Sept 1, 2017 3:15:11 GMT
I was 8 years old when the 71 Sylmar earthquake hit at 6:00 a.m. We lived in East LA and I was home alone with my little brother who was 4. My dad worked down the street about 1/2 block away, my mother left for work in downtown LA and had to leave early to catch the bus. All I remember is being awed by the shaking, running to the living room window to see the electrical wires explode in front of me, and then diving onto the couch (we lived in a one bedroom and my brother and I slept on the sofa) to hug my little brother. My dad must have sprinted home, because next thing I knew he was bursting through the door. My poor, young parents. Can you imagine how scary that must have been for them, knowing we were alone? So no, I don't let my 10 year old alone for that reason. You never know when the "Big One" is gonna hit. I can't even deal with that thought. How terrifying!
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gina
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,225
Jun 26, 2014 1:59:16 GMT
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Post by gina on Sept 1, 2017 3:18:42 GMT
Nope.
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Post by jlynnbarth on Sept 1, 2017 3:37:00 GMT
My own kids? Yes if it was the middle of the day and they didn't want to run an errand with me, sure I'd leave them home. We had rules that they followed, a home phone to use in case of emergency (there were no cell phones at this point in time) and neighbors we trusted. They weren't allowed to answer the door, answer the phone (unless it was my dh or I talking into the answering machine telling them to pick up), they had to stay in the house and no oven. It was never more than an hour or two and I think it helped them learn responsibility. Different strokes for different folks and all that. @oh yvonne that's too funny about the earthquake. Not that you were little and home alone with your little brother, but that I too, was home alone during an earthquake at about age 9. I had just gotten home from school and had to use the bathroom. I sat down and the world started shaking At 9 I was old enough to know what it was, but it still scared me a little bit because it was over before I could "duck and cover". My Mom called right away from work and asked if I was ok and said she'd be home at 5:00. LOL Ahhh the good ol' days.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Sept 1, 2017 3:37:28 GMT
I left my son home alone for the first time at 10 years old for about 90 minutes. In that time he set up a paper bag in front of the window and used it for target practice with his bb gun. Our house was on the market at the time as we were moving overseas (DH was already gone, which was why DS was home alone). Lessons learned for both of us. I will say he didn't try to hide it and told me as soon as I got home. My sister's 12 yo shot out their 55" flat screen tv with an air soft gun when he was left alone, it totally depends on the kid. I babysat for a family in my neighborhood with three kids under the age of 8 all day long for an entire summer in their home when I was 14, and babysat for my older siblings' kids when I was 10-11-12 pretty regularly.
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Post by elaine on Sept 1, 2017 4:22:41 GMT
It depends on the child. I was a latchkey kid starting at 9 and would spend a few hours each day without adult supervision. Sometimes my 12 y.o. sister was there, sometimes not.
20 minutes - I wouldn't give it a second thought, unless there were special issues with the child.
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