I leave my 10yo alone for short periods of time, like if I need to take our 6yo to an activity and DH will be home within the hour. I wouldn't leave them to watch the younger one for a while though. FWIW I was babysitting my two younger siblings at age 12.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would leave the 11 year old alone, but not with a 5 year old.

I was babysitting a next door neighbor’s infant when I was 12.

It’s great there was no emergency, doesnt mean it was sensible.
We rode in cars without seatbelts too and survived. Doesnt mean that was sensible either.

We also have parents that are still helicoptering in college.

It really depends on the kids. I have a slightly larger gap. I left my 5yo with 13yo but would not leave that same 5yo would by then 11yo. It depends on the dynamic.

I have a friend with 12yo and 9yo. The kids are always fighting so they don’t leave their kids home alone. They would leave the kid home alone but not together. They only have 2 kids though.

Op - ignore the above. Google your county. Fairfax says for that age group it turns on maturity but no more than 3 hours. https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/familyservices/children-youth/child-supervision-guidelines

If you have Alexa they can call your phone using it. You can also use the app to drop in and check on them through the speaker.

I would leave my 11 year old with my neighbors 5 year old, but not for 2 hours while driving. During a 30 min walk through the neighborhood, sure. During a 15 min drive to daycare pickup, sure. 2 hours is a long time that would probably involve food prep and boredom.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would leave the 11 year old alone, but not with a 5 year old.

I was babysitting a next door neighbor’s infant when I was 12.

It’s great there was no emergency, doesnt mean it was sensible.
We rode in cars without seatbelts too and survived. Doesnt mean that was sensible either.

I know lots of posters are posting about their babysitting “back in the day,” but I’m finding this mostly rings true today. Super responsible 12 year old girls are babysitting elementary aged kids — not infants, but definitely ages 5 and up. My daughter and her friends do this multiple times a year.

I would have no qualms leaving a responsible 11 year old with a generally rule following 5 year old.

Frankly, my kid would have been fine left alone at age 5, but I never would have actually done that. When she was 6, school let out early due to a power outage and the school let her walk home even though we were out of town in NYC (a babysitter was coming to our house before school let out). I frantically called neighbors until one went to get her. When they arrived, she had gotten a snack, unpacked her backpack and was playing basketball. She wasn’t worried at all.

I have a second daughter who will be cognitively a baby forever (unless gene therapy becomes successful). If I could get her to be about age 5 cognitively, I would feel very good about her ability to navigate the world. People don’t realize just how much young kids can handle until they have a baby cognitively forever.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would leave the 11 year old alone, but not with a 5 year old.

I was babysitting a next door neighbor’s infant when I was 12.

That's nice mee-maw.

I’m 43!

. . . And my kids are 12 10 and 5

40yo here. 12 was a very common age for babysitting when I grew up. My kids are younger, but I assumed it still was.

I agree. I was babysitting young kids in the neighborhood at 12. I also have a brother 12 years younger than me and I was left with him all the time, including when he was an infant.

That is pretty different from a 5 and 11 year old.

I was also babysitting at age 12, but my current 10 year old is nowhere near responsible enough for that, and I don't see it dramatically changing in that amount of time so its very kid dependent.

Also being left with a sibling where therr are sibling dynamics at play is different than a paying babysitter job.

I'm the PP. At 12, I regularly babysat young kids in the neighborhood. I also was left home with my brother who was an infant, and my 2 other siblings ages 10 & 7, pretty frequently. I don't think that's terribly different from an 11yo being left with a 5yo sibling. I agree it depends on the kids, though. I am Gen X and was used to fending for myself from an early age.

Not a chance. A kindergartener should always be with a responsible adult. Fcps wouldn’t even allow your 5 year old to be dropped off at the bus stop with your 11yo. I’d say minimum age 13 for anything over 15min

Wait a year. 12 and 6 would make a big difference in maturity. And presumably the 12 year old would have a phone.

Depends on the five year old.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would leave the 11 year old alone, but not with a 5 year old.

I was babysitting a next door neighbor’s infant when I was 12.

That's nice mee-maw.

I’m 43!

. . . And my kids are 12 10 and 5

40yo here. 12 was a very common age for babysitting when I grew up. My kids are younger, but I assumed it still was.

I agree. I was babysitting young kids in the neighborhood at 12. I also have a brother 12 years younger than me and I was left with him all the time, including when he was an infant.

That is pretty different from a 5 and 11 year old.

I was also babysitting at age 12, but my current 10 year old is nowhere near responsible enough for that, and I don't see it dramatically changing in that amount of time so its very kid dependent.

Also being left with a sibling where therr are sibling dynamics at play is different than a paying babysitter job.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would leave the 11 year old alone, but not with a 5 year old.

I was babysitting a next door neighbor’s infant when I was 12.

That's nice mee-maw.

I’m 43!

. . . And my kids are 12 10 and 5

40yo here. 12 was a very common age for babysitting when I grew up. My kids are younger, but I assumed it still was.

I agree. I was babysitting young kids in the neighborhood at 12. I also have a brother 12 years younger than me and I was left with him all the time, including when he was an infant.

I would take the 5 year old with me and leave the 11 year old alone.