When did you let your kids stay at home for short periods of time?
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Anonymous
| 9 and 7 and we leave them at home for 1-1.5 hrs every now and again. We have a home phone and call like every 20 minutes. They just zone out watching tv and know not to answer the door. I’m not worried. |
Anonymous
| 9 or 10, but I wouldn't leave a kid that age in charge of a younger sibling. |
Anonymous
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We have been leaving DD 10 home alone for the better part of a year, although never for more than 1.5 hours. She is ultra responsible and has a locked down phone that she can use to call us. No problems at all and she likes the "grown-up-ness."
DS is 8 and I have no idea when we'll be able to leave them both alone. Right now, I'd be too worried that they would strangle each other TBH. And I would not leave him by himself, phone aside. He's a great kid but MUCH more immature and unable to remember key details (like when/how to reach us etc.) If I had to guess, they'll be 11 and 13 before I actually leave them both, but who knows. |
Anonymous
| At 8 I allowed him to stay home while I walked the dog around the block (20 minutes). |
Anonymous
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DS is 10 and we haven't left him at home alone yet, not counting taking the dog out. I might have already, if there hadn't been a very tragic incident in our town where 2 brothers around 10 and 12 died when their mother went to the store really quick and the toaster caught on fire. I know we will need to eventually, but we also need to have a home phone by then because our cell service isn't always reliable.
Side note - we now have regular fire drills because of what happened. |
Anonymous
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I think it highly, highly depends on the kids.
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Anonymous
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I wouldn’t leave a kid in charge of another kid for more than prob 10-15 mins, max, until age 11. So since 10 is too young to babysit and 6.5 is too young to leave alone, I’d wait.
Next summer at 7.5 and 11 I’d do it if the kids are mature. |
Anonymous
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My older girls have been spending 1 hour alone every once in a while since they were 7 and 9. They are both very responsible and our nanny lives in the basement so they were not technically alone (though she was not watching them, I’d always ask if she was home).
Even with my two very responsible daughter, they opened the door for a Pepco employee. Nothing happened of course, but I was very upset and worried when I found out. The eldest told she told the man that our nanny was home (which I guess it’s true), but the basement is a completely separate apartment and not connected to the rest of the house. Now they promised they won’t open the door for anyone and disregard mail man and delivery people. In the end we can only protect them so much and I believe the kids need to become responsible for themselves sooner rather than later. |
Anonymous
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One kid can be left home for brief periods at 8 but it is illegal to leave a kid under 13 home with a sibling.
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Anonymous
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9 (youngest) but not at night.
12 (close to 13)- only this year started allowing them to stay home alone together. |
Anonymous
Not true for DC. |
Anonymous
| I leave my 8 year old alone to out on a neighborhood walk or run or something, but would never leave him with his younger brother! |
Anonymous
| These recommendations seem so old. 7 seems old enough to stay home for an hour. My 7 year old is pretty responsible and I would trust her to watch her 5 year old sister while I walked the dog around the block. I haven’t yet because they always want to come, but if the 7 year old didn’t want to, I’d feel comfortable leaving her at home. |
Anonymous
That's insane to leave a 7 and 5 year old home alone. That's neglect. |
Anonymous
| 8 or so for my oldest (boy). I have left my two home when 9 & 7 for very brief periods while I’ve gone out for a quick walk or something - and they have way to be in contact with me. Thyey’re now 10 & 8 and that is still about the extent that I’d leave the youngest home. |