How Old Are Children Allowed To Stay Home Alone For An Hour Or So After School?

[Soccermom]

I was chatting with DCM this morning after she paid me for the week. She joked and said - I will surely miss chatting with you everyday next at drop offs and picks ups next year but I won't miss giving you 50$ every week.
She laughed and then said See you tonight.
I said - Why, where are you going? (Thinking she may be moving or something since her DD absolutely loves it here and DCM and I go out together once in awhile as we are friends.
She said - Nowhere but next year DD will be old enough to stay home for an hour after school so we won't need a babysitter anymore.
I just said - Oh, I didn't think she was old enough yet. She replied that she had looked into it.
I don't blame her for wanting to save herself the daycare cost if it is legal for DD to be at home but she will only be 11 next year....
I was planning on closing when my oldest DCKS no longer required care but I was thinking they would still need care next year.

[DaisyMamma]

12 is what I've heard.
But I don't know for sure. And it might only be my state if its true.

[ABCDaycareMN]

In MN there is no law when a child can stay home alone. It is based on the child. I had a family that had 3 kids. 5, 8, 10. I only had the 5 year old full day every other day and after school every other day. Then the mom couldn't afford me and she just sent him home after school with his siblings and I believe she brought him to work with her the full days. I still have huge issues with this! Partly because she quit without giving me 2 weeks notice as my contract states. She quit replying to text/emails and didn't even pick up her certified mail, it was returned to me! Oh I would love to come back if I got a raise---um no!

[Willow]

My kids, ages 8 (3rd grade) and 10 (4th grade), are perfectly capable of spending an hour at home alone.

When I was 8 and in 2nd grade I was coming home after school alone for up to 3 hours and it worked out great for me and my family.


If the child is emotionally mature enough and can be trusted, as long as they have means to communicate (phone) and know how to respond in emergencies I see nothing wrong with it.


That said every child is different (there are some 16 year olds I would trust to be left alone for an hour), every home is different (there are plenty of areas I myself wouldn't like to be left alone in!) and every state's laws are different.

[daycare]

I think that it varies by state.

here is what I found for my state:


Although California state child home alone law does not have an age requirement, the National Safekids campaign states that no child under the age of 12 should be left home alone. Each state has a different law concerning the appropriate age a child is able to be left home alone. Even though a state may view a 12 year old as old enough to be home alone, each parent has to decide if their child is ready to stay home. Many factors may go into this important decision such as the neighborhood, maturity of the child and the length of time to be home alone. For more information on the California law, visit:

[Maddy'sMommy]

I was babysitting other kids when I was 11, but I do think it should be dependent on the kid, starting at 10 yrs.

[Country Kids]

This may help:

http://www.latchkey-kids.com/latchke...age-limits.htm Scroll down to the bottom.


Interesting about Florida-not under the age of 18!:confused:

Then one state above them (Georgia) its 8-

[Heidi]

No law here either. I think it depends on the child, the length of time (an hour would be ok, 2 every day is pushing it to me), and the ground rules.

My son has been staying home for short periods time since he was 9. He is now 12. But, he KNOWS that he cannot, under any circumstances, use the microwave or stove without at least one other person in the house.

We had an aquantiance whose 7 year old put one of those rice-bag-heating-things in the microwave; hit an extra ZERO, and almost burnt the house down. Ruined the microwave. The parents were home, but I thought OMG, how easy would it be for my son to do something like that, walk away, and then totally panic!

[Blackcat31]

Here is a list by state of the "recommended" ages for kids to be home alone.

http://www.latchkey-kids.com/latchkey-kids-age-limits.htm

[Country Kids]

Here is a list by state of the "recommended" ages for kids to be home alone.

http://www.latchkey-kids.com/latchke...age-limits.htm

We are on the same wave length today when posting it looks like-

[Blackcat31]

We are on the same wave length today when posting it looks like-

Great minds think alike!

[MarinaVanessa]

I'm in CA and here we don't have a law that says how old a child can be when left alone only a guideline or recommendation (age 12 I think) but I think that it all depends on the child and their maturity level.

My 11yo nephew used to come to me after school because I picked up my own daughter and I watch his little brother. He's a good kid, smart, gets good grades, plays well in 2 sports etc. Overall hes a model citizen. It was obvious that he was bored here and didn't want to come to "baby daycare" (I watch young kids) so they decided that he would walk to my MIL's house 2 blocks away from the school and stay there alone for an hour and a half until my MIL came home from work.

Two weeks ago we found out that he had been stealing my MIL's tea bags and another boy would provide rolling papers (where this kid got these I have no clue but I can guess what someone in his home is doing ) and they were smoking the tea like a joint at my MIL's house but leave before she came home. Now this is a good kid that knows the difference between right and wrong and neither of the other 2 kids are bad kids either.

So, moral of the story ... even we thought my nephew was old enough to be left unsupervised for less than 2 hours a day and 2 months into the school year and now we know better . Guess who's enrolled in afterschool homework club 5 days a week now?

If DCM plans on leaving her DD at home I hope that she would let the neighbors know to watch out for her and to make sure that she doesn't have friends over etc.

[Willow]

Here are the laws on age limits according to state:

http://www.latchkey-kids.com/latchkey-kids-age-limits.htm

Social workers in the state of MN will tell you a good guideline to follow is one hour for every grade level the child is in.....so up to two hours for second graders, up to three for third graders, up to four for fourth graders etc.

Again, of course this is all dependent on the child's readiness on an individual level, location of the home, if there are older equally mature siblings present, adequate understanding of what to do in the case of emergencies and the ability to execute, how close a parent, relative, neighbor or friend is if a problem should arise etc. etc. etc.

[littlemissmuffet]

I also think it should depend on the child. I was a very mture and independent child, and I started staying home alone for short periods of time (1-2 hours) at age 8 - I was completely fine, and it actually helped me develop even more positive independence (my single mom worked 2-3 jobs growing up). I happily started doing laundry, started learning how to cook and doing chores at this age as well!

However, I know children that are 14-16 that shouldn't be left alone without some kind of supervision. It really does depend on the kid - as well as the parent who has taught the child the "rules" of being alone.

I think it's great that there are guidelines out there, however.... because some parents have really awful judgement, even when it comes to their own children!

[Meeko]

Florida is 18!!!! Good grief! That's the silliest thing I've heard in a while. Can walk home from school alone...but not actually BE home alone? :confused::confused::confused: