How Old Does a Child Need to Be to Stay Home Alone?

[dashboardc33]

I have often wondered how old a child needs to be in order to stay home alone. A lot of people I talk to say there isn't an exact age according to the law and they can stay home as long as they are mature enough. I would think a 11 or 12 year old should be responsible enough, but can you get in trouble with the law for leaving a child that young home alone? If there is no age according to the law, what is the average age?

Thanks!

 

[js85]

I think it's all subjective on the kid. I know some 15 year olds who shouldn't have been left alone when they were, and I knew some 7 year olds who were fine being left alone. It's all subjective on the kid's responsibility and of course knowledge on how to take care of a problem (ie call 911 etc) if necessary.

 

[milyjohnson]

I think about 13 or 14 is about right. I was left alone when I was much younger than that and I was okay. That is not to say that other kids can handle being home alone that young. It is best to make sure that they are old enough to handle things on their own.

 

[januz101]

If a child is still a minor or below legal age you may be filed a case for abandonment. That is on the legal basis however. but still its at your own discretion if a child is old enough to take care for himself.

 

[js85]

A minor is under 18 right? I think the older teenage years are way too old to need a babysitter, don't you?

 

[bala]

In here,people start leaving their child alone at home by the age of 15.They feel they are matured and can deal problems only when they turn 15.I too was shown their trend only at the age of 15..and i strongly feel it is the apt age..

 

[cpefley]

Most states do not have a minimum age, and it is up to the parents discretion. Personally, my opinion is I don't let my kids stay home alone unless they are at least in middle school (about 11 years old - 6th grade).

 

[Riggy]

I believe you can get into trouble with the law if you leave your child who is a minor in the home alone. As for the main question, I'm with everyone else commenting. It's all down to the child. Sometimes they think they are able to get around and be okay but they really haven't a clue what they are doing. There are some seriously parentally smothered teenagers even at the age of 15 or 16 or so and wouldn't be able to survive. It's based on the child.

 

[PineappleKing]

It's all about trust in the child, since if anything goes wrong you can both be held liable for any damage and also be charged with abandoning your child if something happens to him/her. But for most parents, once your child is in his or her tweens or early teens, they should be responsible enough to care for themselves.

 

[Rahstyles]

Basically you said child. So the answer is none. Children shouldnt be left at home by themselves at all. Now if the where a teen I think that is fine since they are not a child anymore. So I would say 13.

 

[GemmaRowlands]

It depends on so many things. One of the main things is how long they're going to be at home for. If you have a younger child who has to let themselves in at the end of school and wait for half an hour then that isn't too bad, but I wouldn't expect them to be able to cook for themselves or anything like that. It's also not too bad if they know that they have family members in the local area who they are able to phone if anything happens while there is nobody else at home. I would think that by the age of 16 a child should be comfortable enough to be at home alone in the evening, cook for themselves and make sure that they are keeping safe.

 

[Allison2021]

I was left all alone at age 8, during the winter, while my mom went to the store to buy essentials. That was over forty years ago. My female relatives would tell the same tale. Nothing ever happened to us. We were never harmed or traumatized. Parents never gave it a second thought.
Currently, our social norms have changed. We have all been scared by news stories of children being left alone at home. Most of those issues were about children being left at home overnight.
My state's law maintains that a child must be at least 14 years old to stay alone at home. That age would depend on the laws of each state.

 

[Riggy]

Basically you said child. So the answer is none. Children shouldnt be left at home by themselves at all. Now if the where a teen I think that is fine since they are not a child anymore. So I would say 13.

I think he meant child as a general term. Not specifically someone under 13 years old. I'm guessing he meant up to around 16 or so. Although, thinking about it. I believe your point makes a lot more sense and makes the question more serious and thought provoking. I think you may be right actually

 

[Riggy]

Out of which state are you located? Were these laws in actions when you were growing up?

 

[Teens In Crisis]

Aside from the law in whatever state you are from, I think it boils down to maturity and the ability to make good choices. Some kids, at 13 are pretty immature, while other 12 year olds may be trustworthy and known to make good decisions. You have to know your kid, their limitations, how they handle stressful situations, and the kinds of choices that they make.

 

[Patrick]

It's a lot easier on the child if you have something to keep him/her preoccupied, like a book or a television show, so they aren't focused on your absence. You should still only leave them alone for a few hours at most, and there must be mutual understanding and trust. As such I would put the minimum age at 12 or 13.

 

[DancingLady]

I believe for daytime hours it is 11 years old in my state, and I believe the child must have a phone available to them, either home phone or cell phone. I don't know about evening or night hours, I would assume they would have to be older for that.

 

[Teens In Crisis]

It's a lot easier on the child if you have something to keep him/her preoccupied, like a book or a television show, so they aren't focused on your absence. You should still only leave them alone for a few hours at most, and there must be mutual understanding and trust. As such I would put the minimum age at 12 or 13.

I can say that this was certainly not the case for me. When left alone with a brother or sister, I was constantly getting into trouble. Having another persons behavior to feed off of, power trips, and just normal sibling rivalry can turn a lazy TV watching day into something a lot worse.

 

[Popcorn365]

I can't believe the law would state that any child who is a minor cannot be left without adult supervision...What about the 14 -17 year olds that are baby-sitting other minors?? I think if there was a law about that, then there wouldn't be baby sitters in this age range.

 

[camsdad]

I think it has everything to do with maturity level once the child hits double digits, leaving them alone could be as simple as running next door to borrow sugar, and if the child can be trusted you should be able to do that. I wouldn't recommend driving a few miles down the road and leaving an eleven year old or younger home alone. But I believe in trust and if my 10 year old is working on homework or playing a video game and I believe he is safe, I would be comfortable stepping out to chat with a neighbor for a few minutes. No going on dates or to the corner bar though. Has to be close by.