Would you leave a 6-7yo home alone for 10-30 min?

[Anonymous]

Not sure what jurisdiction you are in but it’s illegal to leave a kid home in MD before the age of 8. I recently let my 8.5 year old daughter stay home alone for 30 minutes and I would not have been comfortable at 6 or 7.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. Not worth the risk even though the risk is minuscule that something happens. Could you live with yourself if something happened?

Parents today with adult children who freak out upon entering the world alone do not look back and wonder if they can live with themselves for never giving their children a sense of independence.

Nothing will happen in 10 minutes with the average child (and of course this does depend on the kid I know some 6 year olds where this is a hard no and some, like my rule follower son, who would have no problems). If something did happen I think it would genuinely likely be a relatively freak event. My kid spends two hours after school every day occupying himself, sure he checks in with me to ask questions but there are plenty of 10 minutes that are no contact and virtually never something of urgency. Never anything life threatening.

[Anonymous]

I would if my neighbors were home. We live on a cul de sac where everyone has similar age kids and our elementary school is a 6 min walk / 2 min drive. If I was running over to pick up the older kid, I could leave my 7yr old for 15-20 min. with the instructions to go next door if he needed something. I would check it was ok with the neighbor first, but she leaves her kids with me or in her yard for similar reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have 3 kids ages 6-14. Youngest is almost 7. As of now, we have never left her home alone. We have left her home with older siblings for short periods of time.

When oldest was 8, I started leaving him home when I drove younger sibling to sports close by. I would be back within 10-20 minutes. My middle child was not left home alone until he was 10. My youngest is very well behaved and rule follower. She has seen siblings stay home and now also wants to stay home while I drop off siblings at sports.[/quote

No way

[Anonymous]

yes

[Anonymous]

If she is asking to and wants to, and knows how to use the phone (both to call you annd DH and WILL answer if you call) then totally fine, IMO. Obviously some kids would be too immature but if you are considering it, then she isn’t one of those. Presumably you’ve already run over any obvious additional rules for when you are gone..which for us at that age were no going outdoors, no answering the door, no kitchen. And I assume you know your neighbors and so does she. Then fine. Don’t overthink it. She will just sit and play on the iPad or whatever anyway.

[Anonymous]

No.

Unless you're out in the yard or something, in which case yes.

[Anonymous]

Ten minutes while I walk the dog, with a phone? Yes absolutely. More than that, no I’m personally not comfortable.

[Anonymous]

No, and where I live it's against the law. The risk is that you get held up by an unforeseen circumstance and the kid has an accident, leaves the home to look for you, or generally can't cope.

My kids are now teens, indeed one of them is in college, and being a little more thoughtful about their upbringing hasn't turned them into snowflakes.

[Anonymous]

OP, is some states it is illegal to leave children that young along. Here are a few. Learn your own state's and county's laws. https://www.findlaw.com/family/parental-rights-and-liability/when-can-you-leave-a-child-home-alone-.html

[Anonymous]

Not unless there was truly no other option.

[Anonymous]

I probably would wait until 8.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely not

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely not

Agree.

Absolutely no.

[Anonymous]

It’s against the law where I live, so absolutely not.