Foo - Kids alone at home after school... at what age it's OK?

I was alone at home when I was a 8yo. The bus will dropped me in the front of the house around 2pm and wait for me to get in. After that, I was on my own till like 6pm or 7pm. But times were different back then. My family and all neighbors have been living there for over 30 years, everybody knew everybody. If I got out of the house you bet it wouldn't take 5 minutes for someone to notice and call my mom (I tested).

Some people go by age. Others go by how developed is the kid socially. Others have different opinions for boys than for girls. I would like to hear your opinions and get a feel about what's the popular rule-of-thumb out there.

The older kiddo over here is ten already. I don't feel comfortable with letting him on his own just yet. He's a genius on many things, but social skills are a little bit behind for the age. But I guess the time has to come at some point. Any stories/advice from parents that already went through this phase?

I was babysitting neighbor kids when I was 12. My daughter started staying home alone for short periods of time when she was 11. She started babysitting other kids when she was 12.

I was babysitting neighbor kids when I was 12. My daughter started staying home alone for short periods of time when she was 11. She started babysitting other kids when she was 12.

Oh well... now that you mention that. I did had a 12yo babysitter for the first few days. She was soooo pretty.... and intelligent... and she was in *drum-roll* middle-school. That was big. I try to kiss her (on the chick of course, didn't knew any better) and didn't even got close when she slapped the hell outa mah :(

No moar babysitah for little Rube from that point on.

We will allow our ten year old son to stay at home for a few hours at a time. I think 12 is when I would be comfortable with him riding bus home and being unattended until I got home from work.

I was 11 and taking care of my siblings, cooking dinner, helping with homework, etc. Then I hit my teenage years and all hell broke loose, smoking, drinking, the whole nine yards. My kids are 3&4 right now. I'm looking forward to the narrow window of 10-12 when I can trust them to be home alone :p

Well... my kid can make hot pockets and reheat sandwiches but that's about it when it comes to cooking.

My 10 yo comes home alone after school, starting this year; he is solo 2 hrs tops usually more like 90. He has been really responsible so far about chores and homework vs DS time. The almost-7 yo goes to Y-Care after school, she's too much of a maniac to ask her relatively staid big bro to supervise her. But maybe next year...

Well I was home with my sister after school for a few hours growing up. But that isn't necessarily a good thing. When I was younger (8-12) my sister would beat me me pretty hard and I don't mean sibling rivalry but that was what my parents wrote it off as until they figured out she was a little ill.

I think I could have hacked it alone at home by around 10 years old, but at that point I was living in the burbs and was a pretty good kid IMO.

wow, over share in Foo on my life history, but I'm just saying growing up being alone wasn't my issue, the older "responsible" kid was.

i was home alone with my little brother starting at around age 10. at the point, i could make pancakes, eggs, ramen noodles, soups, etc. i thought i was a little chef lol.

but then again, it was a country, rural texan small town. Everyone knew everyone. Like someone said above, had anything happened, my neighbor across the street would have called my parents. Or, i could have just walked to any of my other neighbor's houses. Gotta love the country, lol.

Another thing was later on, I was like 12 I guess, I was allowed to get out and ride bikes for an hour after I got my homework done. I would get home, do my homework and then get out and ride bikes with neighboring kids. The gang, about 30 kids or so, like to ride away from the neighborhood for a few blocks (out of neighboring snitches view) then behave badly (bullying other kids). I didn't like being part of that and I stopped riding with them altogether which made kinda an outcast in my own hood. You know, "you must be with us or against us" kind of thing. There was a bad period when I could not even get out of the house because they would throw rocks at me. And with their parents being good persons and friends with mine, mom and dad thought I was exaggerating the issue. One by one they were shipped out to juvi, died of drug overdoses, gunned down, etc. Before high school was over I was the only one left alive among the free society. By the time I reach college, I was the only one alive, period. It could have easily gone the other way.

I was home alone from age 6. I wouldn't recommend it for kids that young. I got into lots of trouble.

When we found Sparties we started leaving our son at home alone at around 6 months. Sometimes we wouldn't get home from the video poker casino for a couple of days.

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m99/digitspaw/Sparties5dayliveindiapersuit.jpg

I was babysitting neighbor kids when I was 12. My daughter started staying home alone for short periods of time when she was 11. She started babysitting other kids when she was 12.

That's about what I was thinking.

We started leaving my daughter home when she was 12. It probably depends alot on the personality of the kid. My daughter is big on following rules so I don't have to worry very much.
However, growing up my friend was left alone at an early age and he liked to experiment with lighting stuff on fire. I was the responsible friend who usually kept him out of trouble.

I was the responsible friend who usually kept him out of trouble.

That's an interesting point. I've heard it's a good idea to put two kids together. That way, they both have to buy into a crazy idea before it's acted on. Chances are one will lose his or her nerve before they burn the house down.

guess my parents are different. in the mornings my grandmother woudl be there but by the time we left for school she had gone home. i started staying home alone at 8 years old with my brother who was 6 at the time. we got home at 2pm. there woudl already be a meal for us in the fridge, we woudl do our homework then watch tv. we coudl play outside if there were other kids outside playing (i lived in apartments). my dad woudl come home around 5 pm.

At what point do they finish school? 18? 23 for a bachelor's? 37 for a M.D.? That's about right. 37.

Hell, I'm 32 and it's still not safe for me to be home alone.

Hell, I'm 32 and it's still not safe for me to be home alone.

Same here bro, same here... trees falling down, catching on fire, cars asplodin' and stuff, not safe at all.

I was raised by wolves. I wasn't allowed to leave the pack until I was about 12.

I'm also counting on this year's 10 yr old biking 2 miles to and from middle school next year as an 11 yr old. I expect to be able to ride with him in the mornings but he'd be coming home solo (or with a friend who lives along the route). Then I am hoping he'd be able to ride by his old school to pick up his sister and bring her home and stay in charge until a parent can get there. It's entirely possible when we get closer to next year that it will be apparent that is not feasible.

5.

Its never ever a good idea to leave your kids home alone. Not safe. They'll have plenty of time to stay home alone when they're old enough to get thier own place, and even then you'll worry!

I'm also counting on this year's 10 yr old biking 2 miles to and from middle school next year as an 11 yr old. I expect to be able to ride with him in the mornings but he'd be coming home solo (or with a friend who lives along the route). Then I am hoping he'd be able to ride by his old school to pick up his sister and bring her home and stay in charge until a parent can get there. It's entirely possible when we get closer to next year that it will be apparent that is not feasible.

Make sure little sister understands that big bro is in charge by parental holly mandate. Around here, the little girl tends to be quite bossy and defies/questions brotherly authority unless previously stated by parental decree in family meeting, specifying the start/end times of brother's reign/rule along with a list of how far does the brotherly authority extends and what would be the possible conditions that might allow her for a civil disobedience action or a right out rebellion/mutiny.

Obviously, my girl will be a republican... :\ but that could be discussed in P&R, lol.

Depends on the kid. We have 7 year old twins. One I'd be fine with leaving for a few hours right now. The other, I'd probably wait a few years.

Depends on the kid. We have 7 year old twins. One I'd be fine with leaving for a few hours right now. The other, I'd probably wait a few years.

Can you teld them apart?

I think it just depends on the kid.. my niece was fine home alone probably by 7.. not that we really tested that one out but compared to myself she was quite mature, I think 12 or so I started getting left alone...

I was left home at age 10 with 3 young children while my mother and father worked. None of us died... but I can't say things did not happen. 1) as a latchkey kid from age 5 on... it sucks. That's from the kids perspective. You have to come straight home. You can't play with friends. You are expected to behave and not get into trouble. It means you are limited to the TV or the internet (another can of worms with no parent at home) and don't get to go outside and play like kid should (BTW I had neither as a kid - just books).

Kids are kids and will get into trouble. Frankly I believe it wrong to leave kids alone at home for any length of time before the age of 12. But then again there is no hard and fast rule.... I was very responsible at 12, but I know 19 years old who can't be trusted for a minute.

And how long after school? 2 hours, 3, 4 6? If a kid knows you are coming home within 2 hours, most likely they will behave. If 5 or 6... well, plenty of time to try something and then clean it up before parents get home.

BTW I have a friend who left her 20 & 22 year old for 4 days and whent hey returned the house was literally ruined. The 20 year had to leave for several weeks to allow the parents temper to cool down. Every child is different. But no matter I would definitely make sure children up until the age of 10 - 12, have adult supervision of some kind.

Can you teld them apart?


Yes. My son has blue eyes; my daughter has brown eyes.

Yes. My son has blue eyes; my daughter has brown eyes.

Anybody want to bet even money it's the girl caloso trusts home alone? I've got a $5 US bill that smells like bourbon the boy is a handful!

I was left home at age 10 with 3 young children while my mother and father worked. None of us died... but I can't say things did not happen. 1) as a latchkey kid from age 5 on... it sucks. That's from the kids perspective. You have to come straight home. You can't play with friends. You are expected to behave and not get into trouble. It means you are limited to the TV or the internet (another can of worms with no parent at home) and don't get to go outside and play like kid should (BTW I had neither as a kid - just books).

Kids are kids and will get into trouble. Frankly I believe it wrong to leave kids alone at home for any length of time before the age of 12. But then again there is no hard and fast rule.... I was very responsible at 12, but I know 19 years old who can't be trusted for a minute.

And how long after school? 2 hours, 3, 4 6? If a kid knows you are coming home within 2 hours, most likely they will behave. If 5 or 6... well, plenty of time to try something and then clean it up before parents get home.

BTW I have a friend who left her 20 & 22 year old for 4 days and whent hey returned the house was literally ruined. The 20 year had to leave for several weeks to allow the parents temper to cool down. Every child is different. But no matter I would definitely make sure children up until the age of 10 - 12, have adult supervision of some kind.

and lets not forget about the crazy mother ****ers out there waiting patiently for you to drop your guard for just a second so they can grab up your kid! They should be put to death the moment they are caught! ****ers! Sorry, I tend to freak out when I hear about this type of ****.

make your kids come straight home and copy definitions 4 pages from a dictionary word for word everyday . my dad did that to me. hahaha :(

I had a "stay at home" mom, and my kids had a "stay at home" dad, but I think we felt comfortable leaving the kids home alone when the younger one was 5 - the older one was 13. We would leave the older one home without the younger one at age 10, though. The little guy was - and still is - a handful! Thank goodness he's moved out!

I just have a chat with a friend... he works as Juvenile Probation Officer in my county, on the sexual predators division... oh god, no no no... no way I'm leaving kiddo alone now... not if I can't avoid it... no no nope, NO.

You have to worry more about the teenagers nearby than about anything else.

My mom once left me alone when I was 9 because she had to go see her friend in the hospital. She came back to 2 gallons of canola oil on the kitchen floor and oil footsteps throughout the house.

Personally, I think it's better for a child to come home from school and have someone there to great them & feed them. I recall that my latch-key friends would rather come to my house than go home to thier empty house.

I was raised by wolves, they left me alone, from the time I was an infant, to go hunting and such.

It was age 8 for me in 1986 or so. What a shame that our society has apparently become more dangerous and fractured to the point that people would think that too young.

It was age 8 for me in 1986 or so. What a shame that our society has apparently become more dangerous and fractured to the point that people would think that too young.

It hasn't, but with 24 hour news networks that use fear to boost their ratings it sure appears to become worse.

I remember being able to stay at home with my little brother when I was 8, (he was 7) but it was a small town and we always knew where our parents were and had numbers to call and had this thing called neighbours.

I'm starting to hear a bunch of rationalizations and sentences that begin with a loud old-man type clearing of the throat: "snoooooooort...when I was a kid...". One of the biggest things that I've had to deal with since becoming a parent is a work/life balance. I've had to turn down overtime, work crappy hours, and in effect give up promotions/raises to be home. I made the decision even before having kids to put family first no matter what.

Not everyone at work does this, one lady works sixty hours a week, had a baby, and came back to 60 hours a week less than a month later. Sometimes their family life is fine, that's just the way it is. Other times their family life suffers dramatically. I'm not sure what I'll do when my kids hit 8-12, but I'm going to do my best to be around for them--not use the "ah, they'll be fine" excuse to do what I want to do. Coming home to a house without parents day after day sucks. Coming home to play parent for your siblings day after day sucks even more. And parents, the extravagant gifts and trips once in a while doesn't make up for it, kids want their parents around on a regular basis.

And, not to play alarmist, but accidents are the leading cause of death of kids over 1. Using my kids as an example, I'll have an 8&9 year old. If my 9 year old starts choking on something, will my 8 year old know what to do and be able to do it? Everyone gives the ol' school tough guy response, but no one knows what to say to the parent who lost a child because of an accident.

I'm not saying anyone here is a bad parent, and I'm sure everyone is making responsible choices, but it's just food for thought. As for me, leaving my kids home alone will be an exercise in trust, like if my wife and I want to go out. Leaving them home alone because we have to work will be the last resort--afterschool care, clubs, sports, will be tried first.

Not sure, but I think I heard some where leaving a child under 12 alone is a violation of the law is some places. Comes down to "the child"?

make your kids come straight home and copy definitions 4 pages from a dictionary word for word everyday . my dad did that to me. hahaha :(

... and that's the best username you could come up with? :)