How old was your child when...

[taffnus]

How old was your child when you first:

 

1 - allowed her/him to stay home alone for less than an hour?

 

2 - allowed her/him to stay in the car alone while you went into a store?

[Butter]

1 - allowed her/him to stay home alone for less than an hour?

Never have. At the minimum it has been my oldest two home together. That started when the oldest was 10 1/2 and the second oldest was almost 9.

 

2 - allowed her/him to stay in the car alone while you went into a store?

Never have. They've never asked so I've never thought about it.

[melissel]

We've just worked through all this ourselves. DD9 can stay home alone for short times (though that doesn't come up all that often), and she can stay in the car by herself if I'll only be gone a few minutes and won't be far from the car. I don't go into the grocery store without her (big store, big parking lot, no visibility, etc.), but I'll run into the library to drop books in the drop or pay a fine, or I'll run into the UPS store to drop a package off--things like that.

 

DD6 stayed home with DD9 one time, when I was literally coming back in three minutes and she wasn't feeling well. Otherwise, she doesn't stay home. She can stay in the car if they both stay in the car, but she can't stay in the car by herself unless I'm right near it (e.g., at the Redbox).

 

HTH!

[Shellers]

1. 13

 

2. 13

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I've left them home in the past year 7 & 8, on the condition that they stay upstairs, don't answer the phone, don't answer the door, but for only about 10 mins. while I run up to the bank which is 1 block away. We usually walk to the bank together, but a couple of times they really didn't want to go, so I let them stay.

 

I will only let them stay in the car with the doors locked at two places- another bank where I pay our house payment, and the dry cleaners. Both places have parking right in front of the door and I can see them and the car at all times through the plate glass windows. The car is not more than 8-10 feet from the door of either place.

[love2read]

They stay in the car alone when they look to be about 12 years old. A few years back I left my 14 year old, who looked closer to 10 (tiny build) in the car and someone tapped on the window and asked her where her mommy was and did she need help. I don't leave them alone until they are 13 or 14 because younger kids do dumb things.

 

True story about how the best kids can create trouble in less than a half an hour. I ran to the store one evening and was back within 20 minutes. During those 20 minutes the 13 and 10 year old started bickering (not new) and the 13 year old wanted to scare the 10 year old so she dialed 911 and immediately hung up not realizing that with 911 the connection is immediate. They know to never dial 911 unless it's a real emergency and had never done this before. 911 called back scaring the bejeebers out of the 13 year old. She told them what happened--end of story, or so we thought. When I came home they were in tears because they were scared and ashamed and after talking it out, we put it behind us. Thirty minutes later I see a flashlight shining against our windows (scared the bejeebers out of me this time). Turning on the porch light I see a state trooper at the door. I let him in and he had a stern talk with the girls; they cried again, he softened and explained about being short staffed because of county cutbacks and gas costs because we live so far out etc. They have to follow up on all such calls if the parents aren't home regardless of the age of the child.

[gingersmom]

My kids were 11/14 when they stayed home alone for an hour or so. In that short time someone came to the door and my 11 year old began to open the door to them (stranger) before my daughter slammed it shut.

 

I told my son the reason we got a big dog was to prevent him from opening the door to strangers. :001_smile:

 

They were probably also 11/14 when I might have left them to run into Trader Joes to pick up milk or something.

 

I now leave my 12 year old in the car with the dog (never alone) if I need to run into the store.

[frugalmama]

DD first stayed home by herself for just a few minutes at about age 4 - grandma was watching her and I needed help carrying things from the bus stop at the end of the street. We were gone maybe 5-10 minutes, and she just played happily in her room as she was told to do. We don't normally let her stay home alone though - this was an exception.

 

We don't have a car, so that one doesn't apply.

[Mommyof4ks]

My dd stayed home alone for the first time at 10, but she decided she would rather have her brothers there, so now I leave them all for short periods.

 

It is against the law in my state to leave kids under 14 in the car without supervision, so I just leave them at home if I need to run in without them somewhere. Parking lots make me nervous, so I prefer not to have them in parking lots much if possible, because people seem to back up without looking behind them often.

[hsmamainva]

Around 12 or so is the age for both events with my kids.

[Rhonda in TX]

I started leaving them home alone (without me - they were both home together) probably when they were about 12/13. I started out leaving them for about 15 minutes and worked up from there. I'll now leave them home for up to a couple of hours (ages 14/15).

 

I started leaving them in the car without me when they were about the same age. At first, I would only leave them if I could park right by the door and it was a short trip. I'll now leave them if I'm just a short walk to the store. I still won't leave them in a huge parking lot like Walmart and it still has to be a pretty quick trip in and out.

[GingerPoppy]

A 2-minute dash to the mailbox -- age 3.

 

A 5 - 10 minute dash to the (extremely close) store -- about age 7.

 

We haven't done anything close to an hour yet. She's 10 now, and I think I would do an hour at about age 11 if she feels ready.

 

As for the car, I probably did super quick dashes at pretty much any age. If it's going to be 5 or 10 minutes, I think around age 9.

 

I remember being left in the car to babysit 3 siblings while my mom shopped. I think I must have been 9 or 10 and it felt like at least 1/2 hour sometimes, maybe more, but it was a common thing.

[mktkcb]

ditto.

[DianeW88]

My son stayed home by himself starting at age 7. I've never had to leave him in the car for anything. If he's with me, he comes in. If he doesn't want to come in to places while I'm running errands...he stays home.

[EKS]

Home alone--11yo

Car alone for a few minutes where I could see him in our *very* safe area--maybe 8yo

[SailorMom]

1) I believe around 11

2) About the same age, but only in appropriate places, and never when it was hot. I think people over-react a bit to this one.....

[Mimm]

My kids always want to go into the store with me. But I just recently (within the past few months) started leaving my kids home alone while I drop my husband off at work. I'm gone about half an hour and this happens most weekday mornings. My kids are 9 and 11.

[Farrar]

1. Just before they turned 7. Thanks to dh working nights, they had a lot of practice being "alone" - it's different when you can't run upstairs and wake up daddy, but I felt comfortable leaving them to run up to the market and be back within half an hour.

 

2. Not yet... unless you count paying at the gas station window - mostly because I'm concerned about busybodies and CPS. If they don't want to come in and do the errand, I'll let them hang out on the bench outside or whatever though.

[kalanamak]

We've just worked through all this ourselves. DD9 can stay home alone for short times (though that doesn't come up all that often), and she can stay in the car by herself if I'll only be gone a few minutes and won't be far from the car. I don't go into the grocery store without her (big store, big parking lot, no visibility, etc.), but I'll run into the library to drop books in the drop or pay a fine, or I'll run into the UPS store to drop a package off--things like that.

 

 

:iagree: Not an hour. More like 15 minutes tops at home (with neighbors home) and 5-10 in the car with voiced rules repeated by child.

[Ecclecticmum]

1 - allowed her/him to stay home alone for less than an hour?

I probably wouldn't even consider that until they were 14, and it would still be on the individual child, even at that point (I started a kitchen fire when I was about 15, and my parents were 30 minutes away,)

 

2 - allowed her/him to stay in the car alone while you went into a store?

12/13 would be the minimum age I would consider it, and again, it would be on the individual child. We're rural and DH has popped into the gas station to pay for gas whilst he has all 3 kids with him, but this has only been cases when I haven't been there (when I was interstate and when in hospital) we live in a good area, its country, so everyone knows each other, hes only gone at the most 1 minute and something, but still I get mad at him when I find out (well more like I go crazy but anyway)

 

These ages/things are more because of what "could" happen e.g. child getting out of seatbelt, playing with the car or someone grabbing them, accidently touching something they shouldn't or getting into a situation thats beyond their understanding (like me and the kitchen fire). Children (and even some adults) don't have that logic sense or answer of what to do when certain things happen. Action=Reaction or even unexpected events.

[freesia]

I've left my super responsible 9 yo and her 11 yo brother alone for up to half an hour. My dh works next door so he is often there. I was babysitting a 6 month old and 2 yo for up to 2 hours at that age.

 

Car? I have sometimes left my 9yo and 11yo alone in the car to dash in but I try not to. Once, I did when I needed to run into a Quikmart. When I came back w/ my 6yo and 2yo and police officer was walking toward the car. When he saw me w. the littles he walked away. I guess he was checking for little ones. I think you are more likely to get in trouble for this than leaving them at home alone.

[The Girls' Mom]

Well, with my oldest it was at the ripe old age of 7. But it wasn't intentional. School let out early that day and I didn't realize it. The bus dropped her off, and she sat in our covered porch for an hour and a half alone.

 

She was around 10 when she began being left alone or with her two younger sisters for 15-20 minutes at a time.

 

My younger two are about to turn 12, and have just started staying home alone. When we lived in Fort Worth, it wasn't going to happen until they were older, but now we live in a much safer area.

 

All three of them stayed over night by themselves this past year (14, 11 and 11) It was an emergency situation that couldn't be helped, but they did great.

[TranquilMind]

Around 12 or so is the age for both events with my kids.

Ditto. Around 12.

[eternalknot]

How old was your child when you first:

 

1 - allowed her/him to stay home alone for less than an hour?

 

2 - allowed her/him to stay in the car alone while you went into a store?

 

None of these really apply to me because I live in a multi-generational and extended family home; there is always someone older around. Always. This is to the dismay of our children, who envy friends that DO have their homes to themselves, at times. :D

 

Who knows what I'd do in that given situation, but I'd focus on maturity rather than age. For one of my kids, I'd have felt comfortable with either option around age 8-9. For the 11 year old nephew that lives with me, I still don't feel comfortable #1 but would probably do #2 only if in a pinch (so, not just by his request.)

[SKL]

My kids are 5. I've let them stay briefly in the car together (they are really never "alone" without each other). Only if I can frequently see to check on them from wherever I'm going (mainly because I hear of people calling the cops or CPS when they see kids in cars for even a minute).

 

So far they have not been left home without an adult, unless you count my taking a brief walk down the street and back, in full sight of the house.

 

I could see leaving my kids in charge of the house for a while around age 8 or 9. The car thing would be OK younger, if it weren't for busybodies.

[Scuff]

About the same, 10ish. Now that ds is almost 12, he's "babysat" twice for about 45 min.