8.75 for my youngest when I drove the older one to school. 20 minutes. NO way would I leave a 6.5 year old home alone for 1.5 hours!

I sometimes leave my 9yr old home for 20-30 min. to pick up takeout or drop off his brother somewhere. I take my 6 yr old with me.

We have cameras on the doors. He can use an iPad to call or text us or grandparents. We live on a cul de sac full of families with young kids and there is usually an adult outside watching kids play. He has rules about not heating up food, using a knife, etc.

Too young!!!

Covid forced my kids to have to be alone for short stints and they were 9 and 11. I’m talking 1hr bursts.

At 7 but not watching younger siblings.

My 7.5 year old is asking if she can stay home alone. I told her once she turns 8 we can start practicing. For us, the hang up is that we don’t have a home phone (though she could FaceTime on the iPad through wifi) and that our emergency neighbors are about 3 blocks away. We have plenty of neighbors she could run to in a true emergency, but none closer (that don’t have secure privacy fences) that I would want to ask to be designated in regular circumstances.

8 in general, but I think 6.5 is fine for very short time (e.g., go for a jog in neighborhood and park kid in front of tv).

11 for boy but he's particularly irresponsible

8 years old starting at 15-20 min. We won't let her care for her younger brother (6 years old) yet.

9 for both kids. When the youngest was < 9 I’d take her with me and leave the oldest at home.

When the youngest turned 8.

Around 8. He is an only, fwiw.

Above PP, sorry, she just turned 11. We started at 8 with 15 mins. We have dogs so that helps with comfort level I think.

Check the law in your state. In MD they’re too young. They have to be 8 to be left alone and 13 to be responsible for another child.
Even if you’re not in MD it’s a good guide, then use your kids as a guide, time of day, maturity level, are they anxious, and SN etc….
I wouldn’t leave a 10yo responsible for a 6yo for more than about 5 mins.
I have an only and she is sometimes alone for upto 2 hours, but not very often.

I think 6.5 is too young. We didn’t start until ages 8 and 11.

With summer here, my husband thinks we can start letting my 10 and 6.5 year old stay home for small chunks of time (1-1.5 hours). It would be no more than a couple miles away and could be home within 5-10 minutes. I told him I’d be more comfortable next summer. FWIW, I trust them to not answer the door and think they would make good decisions, I just think they are still too young.