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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2014 7:46:02 GMT -5
I started leaving my kids home alone for SHORT times (15 min-30 min) when DD1 was about 10 & DD2 6. DD1 started babysitting for people ON our block when she was 12, DD2 picked up the job when she was 11 & DD1 was too involved in her own activities. This was WAAAY before cell phones as they are now 35 & 39. However, we were generally home. Now, IL i hear has a law that they MUST be at least 13.That seems crazy to me. Then again, I was a latch key kid starting in first grade.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2014 7:59:11 GMT -5
Again I think this is one of those laws that is enforced only if there is an issue, ie. MOST kids will be ready to stay on their own at 13. If you leave your 11 year old at home who has no problem, nothing will happen, but if you leave an 11 year old at home who really shouldn't be alone, who isn't capable, doesn't have ability, etc... Well if the age was 11, I'm not sure the state could do anything, so they set the age where nearly all should be ok...
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tloonya
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Post by tloonya on Jun 12, 2014 10:25:50 GMT -5
I wouldn't let 12 y/old hamstersit! Are you kidding me?
IT IS YOUR KID! If you want it to be safe - hire an adult babysitter. Do not save money on things like this.
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Gardening Grandma
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Post by Gardening Grandma on Jun 12, 2014 10:34:18 GMT -5
As children, we were left alone at about 10 (me) and 7(sis).
I began babysitting at 12.
I think my kids were around 10 or so before I let them stay alone.
It depends on the kid. I let a very responsible kid babysit for me when she was 12. For short periods of time.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2014 10:44:35 GMT -5
I wouldn't let 12 y/old hamstersit! Are you kidding me? IT IS YOUR KID! If you want it to be safe - hire an adult babysitter. Do not save money on things like this. Some 12 year olds are perfectly capable of doing a great job babysitting. They're old enough to be responsible, and young enough that they enjoy playing with the kids the entire time. Win-win.
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tloonya
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Post by tloonya on Jun 12, 2014 10:48:53 GMT -5
I wouldn't let 12 y/old hamstersit! Are you kidding me? IT IS YOUR KID! If you want it to be safe - hire an adult babysitter. Do not save money on things like this. Some 12 year olds are perfectly capable of doing a great job babysitting. They're old enough to be responsible, and young enough that they enjoy playing with the kids the entire time. Win-win. Yep...and they are capable of making decisions in case of fire, burglary...etc. Those 12 y/olds...what a safe babysitting arrangement!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2014 11:03:08 GMT -5
Some 12 year olds are perfectly capable of doing a great job babysitting. They're old enough to be responsible, and young enough that they enjoy playing with the kids the entire time. Win-win. Yep...and they are capable of making decisions in case of fire, burglary...etc. Those 12 y/olds...what a safe babysitting arrangement! I am more than confidant that my son would do BETTER in a fire situation than me! Same deal with first aid situations. That kid has acquired a lot of skills in scouts and doesn't pass out like his Mom. And burglary? No idea. I guess we would be in the same boat if someone were to break in while we were in the house. I have no clue what you should do in that situation.
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tloonya
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Post by tloonya on Jun 12, 2014 11:06:24 GMT -5
Yep...and they are capable of making decisions in case of fire, burglary...etc. Those 12 y/olds...what a safe babysitting arrangement! I am more than confidant that my son would do BETTER in a fire situation than me! Same deal with first aid situations. That kid has acquired a lot of skills in scouts and doesn't pass out like his Mom. And burglary? No idea. I guess we would be in the same boat if someone were to break in while we were in the house. I have no clue what you should do in that situation. You should PAY TO an ADULT to babysit.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2014 11:16:20 GMT -5
I am more than confidant that my son would do BETTER in a fire situation than me! Same deal with first aid situations. That kid has acquired a lot of skills in scouts and doesn't pass out like his Mom. And burglary? No idea. I guess we would be in the same boat if someone were to break in while we were in the house. I have no clue what you should do in that situation. You should PAY TO an ADULT to babysit. I know my kids a lot better than you do. I don't just assume he's irresponsible or incapable of handling something because of his age and allowing him chances to prove that he's capable reinforces that in HIM as well.
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tloonya
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Post by tloonya on Jun 12, 2014 11:17:58 GMT -5
You should PAY TO an ADULT to babysit. I know my kids a lot better than you do. I don't just assume he's irresponsible or incapable of handling something because of his age and allowing him chances to prove that he's capable reinforces that in HIM as well. Every mother sees something in their kids...some more than others.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2014 11:21:22 GMT -5
I know my kids a lot better than you do. I don't just assume he's irresponsible or incapable of handling something because of his age and allowing him chances to prove that he's capable reinforces that in HIM as well. Every mother sees something in their kids...some more than others. Whatever Loony, how's the Princess doing?
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tloonya
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Post by tloonya on Jun 12, 2014 11:26:42 GMT -5
Every mother sees something in their kids...some more than others. Whatever Loony, how's the Princess doing? Never babysat, never will babysit. Going to Firefly. Happy, got portable shower and carotin treatment. Ii say it is mutually exclusive thangs but...what Princess wants - she gets. Mind you - never overestimated princesses ability to take care of other's people children's lives!
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spicyhotpepper
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Post by spicyhotpepper on Jun 12, 2014 12:08:20 GMT -5
I started babysitting around 11 and think I did a relatively good job. I do recall one incident where I let a kid each a bunch of cookies his mom made for us and watch a little bit of The Omen with me (he swore he wouldn't get scared!). Lo and behold my mom gets a call the next day from the mother stating her son had a stomach ache all night and couldn't sleep because I let him watch a scary movie!
What surprises me the most looking back is one couple who hired me to watch their ~3month old son after the mom returned to work from maternity leave. I was around 13 or so watching a colicky baby full-time over summer vacation... worst experience of my life! Even though I was mature and responsible, I can't believe they felt comfortable with a 13 year old watching a near newborn that long. I had to quit that job before the summer ended as I could not handle it!! No wonder I never wanted to have kids!
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973beachbum
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Post by 973beachbum on Jun 13, 2014 10:05:42 GMT -5
Again I think this is one of those laws that is enforced only if there is an issue, ie. MOST kids will be ready to stay on their own at 13. If you leave your 11 year old at home who has no problem, nothing will happen, but if you leave an 11 year old at home who really shouldn't be alone, who isn't capable, doesn't have ability, etc... Well if the age was 11, I'm not sure the state could do anything, so they set the age where nearly all should be ok... I don't think it is so much the kid shouldn't be left alone as something happens that they couldn't handle. that doesn't even mean an adult could have but a kid by law shouldn't be alone so it automatically has the law looking to enforce something. I remember a case in Phila area where there was an electical fire during the night. the oldest child was 11 or 12 and the police arrested the mom for child endangerment. The babysitter didn't do anything wrong or irresponsible and even as an adult I don't think I could have stopped the fire either but as the law says 13 she is automatically in trouble. I let my DD be alone ealier than my son. She was able to let herself in at 9 and be alone for an hour with no happen. DS is 11 and although he has been walking himself home from the bus and letting himself in after school for a while I wouldn't leave him alone all day.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 13, 2014 10:54:45 GMT -5
One of our cousins would spend pretty much every Saturday at our house when we were in high school. My sister and I would play with him until we were bored and then my mom would take care of him. I never babysat any kids for free. I am sure I could have starting at 12, just never needed/wanted to.
I would never let a 12 year old watch my kid, I wouldn't even want an early 20s to watch my kid.
My twin sister and I have been staying at home alone since we were 6. We would walk home from school (about a mile) and stay until my mom got home. Never had issues (except for locking ourselves out for a few hours until mom got home once)...
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Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on Jun 14, 2014 20:01:40 GMT -5
1. Babybird is not yet old enough to stay home by herself. 2. There's a huge difference between a kid staying home by his/herself and a kid babysitting a younger kid. I let DD#2 walk home after school and be alone for about an hour and half. She started that at age 11 and is now 12. I don't think I'd let her babysit for more than half an hour because while she is incredibly honest and trustworthy, she gets bored and just wants to read. She would at some point start reading and forget anyone else was in the house.
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truthbound
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Post by truthbound on Jun 15, 2014 4:28:27 GMT -5
At what age can kids be home alone?
Never. No one should be in your house when you aren't there.
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Firebird
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Post by Firebird on Jun 19, 2014 10:26:10 GMT -5
I don't care about Babybird, which is why I let a 12 year old babysit for her... ...next door to our house, with her parents and older brother close at hand (actively participating, from the looks of things when we got home) and my own parents right down the street And we did pay her. We pay all our sitters/nannies. I believe in compensating people fairly for looking after my little girl, because I'm weird that way.
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Firebird
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Post by Firebird on Jun 19, 2014 10:32:57 GMT -5
I would never let a 12 year old watch my kid, I wouldn't even want an early 20s to watch my kid.
12 year old I can understand*, but what's wrong with early twenties, @bunnysmom? That strikes me as odd because people in their early twenties are old enough to quite reasonably be parents themselves.
*Let me clarify - there's no way I'd be comfortable with that same 12 year old watching Babybird on her own, with no adults I trust around at all times. She wants to babysit, that's cool (I was babysitting at twelve) but either her parents or mine have to be home every time she does. And I've already told her they have to stick to the yard - no street play allowed (the road behind our driveway is pretty deserted, so the kids can play in it safely as long as they're old enough to watch for cars or they have an adult doing so).
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formerroomate99
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Post by formerroomate99 on Jun 20, 2014 0:54:21 GMT -5
It depends a lot on the kid and the situation. I was left alone from age 8 onward but I was in a safe neighborhood with good neighbors nearby and nothing particularly dangerous in the house.
I started babysitting other kids by age 9 or 10-- printed out flyers got some business going on.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jun 20, 2014 6:34:03 GMT -5
According to busy bodies and CPS never it seems.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2014 6:49:58 GMT -5
My neighbor's 19 year old was driving when a drunk driver hit them killing her 14 year old sister and her sisters friend.
Was she at fault, no way, if she had been a more experienced driver could she have avoided it? Probably not. Will she have to live the rest of her life knowing she was the one driving when her sister died... Yes.
You can't avoid all tragedy. And I can't say I wouldn't let a 19 year old drive two 14 year olds to the fair... But being responsible for someone else is a big thing... I'm personally not willing to let my 12 year old do it at this time.
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