This is not about pets but i wanted other people's opinions that have kids. My brother and i were latchkey kids at a very young age but we didn't have a choice. What do you all think?
me an my brother used to come home to a empty house ..i was about 10 and he was 12.we had to do it because my mum was single at the time and had to bring the money in and work long hours. She left us because she had to but also because we were mature enough to not get into any trouble in one way or another. My sister has just turned 13 and she gets left at home but she is told to not anwer the door and keep it locked and plus she is very sensible and mature for her age.
I think it all depends on the child and if they have alot older siblings and if they know the rules for keeping safe.i.e dont answer the door~keep it locked~ and my mum always told us if we answered the phone and it wasnt a relative always pretend that my mum or 'dad' (we didnt have one at the time lol) was in the shower and they would call them back later so it dodnt sound like we were home alone.
Our housing law is 10 to stay home alone during the day and 12 to babysit. We have left the boys age 10 and 11 for a few hours here and there, never with Taylor though. Only one time when babysitter cancelled and couldn't reschedule.
They stay home when say Taylor goes to dance and they don't want to go, or I run to the mall, etc. Now stuff thats like more than a 15 min drive we don't do because it's to hard to get back home in a hurry if need be.
My younger sister started staying home alone in the 6th grade. The baby sitter we had for her wasn't going to be baby sitting any longer. However my older sister and I (3 years apart) started staying home alone probably when she was 6th or 7th grade. My neice and nephew stay home alone but they usually spend quite a bit of time at a neighbor's playing with the neighbor kids. My neice is 12 now I believe but she started doing it at 11 and my nephew was 9.
But I agree it does depend on the responsibility of the child. Will they follow your instructions and not answer the phone, not answer the door, not play with matches
I was left home alone all the time when i was little. Not for long periods of time or anything. But i remember babysitting my little sister when i was 6. Plus we use to get home from school and be alone for a couple hours until my dad got home. I started babysitting a 2 yr old and a 5 yr old when i was 11.
Judgement call for the parents. I would let Judd stay home alone for a few hours when he was between 10 and 11, but Ty...no way...the child scared me at that age!!!! lol It took til Ty was about 12 before I let him stay home on occasion by himself.
thats a hard one. i think it depends on the child. twelve would be the average, but there are some 9 and 10 years olds that have a higher maturity level. my kids were 13 before i left them alone and it was never for any long periods of time. its not that i didnt feel they were mature enough, i was just a worry wart momma.
I asked this because my son is 10 and homeschooled and i am gone training from 6am to about noon and he gets very bored and hot out at the barn. If i left him, he would sleep until about 8 am but if he is alone it would be totally alone since he is an only child. He is VERY responsible and knows not to answer the door and i have the dogs to help protect him and a neighbor that is usually home during the day. I am just not sure. I think he would be responsible but he doesn't have a sibling to be with him. The barn is only 10 minutes away and i always have my cell phone if he needed to call me. What do you all think? I hate making him sit at the barn and be bored and hot.
Go for it. I find that only children are actually far more mature and responsible than if they have a sibling. Have you tried shorter periods of time yet? I'd say leave him for like an hour see how he does, then 2, 3, etc. I think the longest my boys have ever stayed was 5 hrs, they had no problems whatsoever. They never answer the door or the phone anyway even when we are home, only adults do. When we are gone they only answer when the caller ID says my name from mine or DH's cell. Even my ADHD son has no probs he was 9 1/2 when he started staying home. Mine usually play videogames all day while we are gone and don't even fight with eachother. We don't have matches or anything like that in the house either so no worry about that either.
He was home today while hubby and i went out to the horses but my brother was home. I will try the 1 hour thing. I know all my neighbors and we have 5 cops on our block with one being next door so he should be safe. I will make sure he knows the rules......hehe Thanks
