How old were you when you could stay home alone?

[St. Theresa]

My childhood was weird, so I can't use it as a reference. I was babysitting at the age of 12, but I couldn't stay home alone even for a little while.

Two years ago, I never would have guessed that by now I'd consider this for my son. He was severely behaviorally challenged and I wondered if he would EVER grow out of it. The tables have turned and he is very trustworthy.

So on Wednesday afternoons, I have to bring his sister to Brownies, then pick her up later. This Wednesday, I also had an extra errand run to make. All of these trips are short: 15 minutes to 1/2 hour.

My son likes to hang out, get his homework done and watch his favorite afternoon cartoons. He hates when I have to disrupt him, throw him in the car and drag him around. He hasn't asked if he can stay home alone but the thought did occur to me. I'm not sure what to do. I'm not sure what the laws are, if any, about that.

I have done it with my daughter (8 1/2) but only in an absolutely necessary situation, i.e. my son misses the bus and has to be driven. I lock her in the house while she gets ready and I drive up the street and back (five minutes, tops.)

So...input people?

[syvvie]

well, my childhood was weird, too. i was allowed to stay home alone for short periods of time by the time i was 10--like, long enough for my mom to run to the store quick, something like that. i started babysitting when i was 12, and was practically raising my siblings by 13.

what are your concerns about leaving your son home alone? are you worried that he'll cause trouble/get into things he's not supposed to? do you think he'll follow any specific rules/limits you'd set for him in that situation?

if you think he's ready for it, maybe you could try it in small amounts--just for a few minutes while you run to pick up your daughter or whatever. make it really clear what he would be allowed to do while you're gone, and what would be off-limits (even if it's things you might let him do if you were around). do you have a friend, relative or neighbor who could call and check on him if you're going to be gone for a while, or longer than you thought?

if you give it a try and it doesn't work, or you don't feel comfortable with it, you can always hold off and not try it again for a few months or a year, or whenever you feel good about trying it again.

[jan]

I was home alone after school everyday at 6 but I lived in a close knit community and they didn't have after school care and my mom couldn't afford to pay daycare for my 4 younger sibs and a babysitter. <br>I started babysitting babies overnight at 12.<br>This year is the first time I have let the girls stay home while I go to class (3 hours). Tori is almost 14 and Ali 9. <br>In OK, there are no actual age on the books and it depends on a lot on the situation.....they frown about children under 12 watching a younger sibling, more than two kids and kids that are left alone while Mom is out partying.

[Scarlet_Sangria]

I was a latch key kid

all three of my mom's kids where.

I would come home from school, no matter what grade and be home alone.
she was also gone in the mornings when we woke up. so i had to get myself ready.

so from about six and on i guess.

[Vik]

I feel I would have been fine to stay alone after school till mom got home at 4th grade. I dont' think she let me till 6th grade though.

But it varies greatly. I was always pretty mature for my age.

My sis wasn't/isn't. She was barely ready to stay home after school alone in 6th/7th grade.

[chloe dancer]

yeah it totally depends on the kid.

i agree with syvvie:)

[LavenderSession]

My parents had a nanny waiting for us in the afternoons until they came home from work. That lasted until I was 10 or 11...then I was allowed to stay home with my brother. But I didn't have a normal childhood either.

[Circusgirl]

How old is he? I think you could try it-I think a lot of problems happen when you leave sibs home and they fight...leaving one is probably better.

[Ryoko!]

I was 5 when i was left home alone the first time. It was an emergency with one of my brothers and in the heat of things I got left behind. For like an hour, I don't remember it of course...
After that though I was left at home alone when I was about 8 years old. My dad was in prision and my mom worked the night shift, so i would come home alone and be alone all night until my mom would come home and wake me up to go to school before she fell asleep.

[i am a cat.]

I think I was nine or ten.

Before that, my brother always had to watch me. He's 8 years older than I am.

[soMnUS]

I was 8 and my parents were/are very busy multi-business owners and they were on a gazillion committees for different things. Basically every other night because they had a meeting of some sort. Once in a while my brother watched me but his babysitting style was to punch me, send me to my room for no reason and go do his own thing. *hehe* I snapped when I was 12 and he didn't punch me again, he bled too much when I snapped.

[Cheri]

My oldest was ten and he would have to watch the other two. I would get home on the bus after they would.