staying home alone

[Deleted]

How old were you when your parents let you stay home alone?

How old were your kids when you let them stay home alone?

When did you start babysitting?

Is there a law for this?

[swamp]

10.

9 and 10.

13.

There is no set age in NY. Depends on the kid.

[weltschmerz]

I used to come home alone from grade 2 and watched my little sister.

We made French fries using hot oil.

[Chocolate Lover]

Don't remember, somewhere between 10 & 12?

11ish

Only babysat siblings and cousins, early teens?

God I hope not. (it really does depend on the kid, I still don't want to leave my youngest at home alone too many hours but his older siblings I was fine with being alone at 12.5)

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

12.   In Iowa there is a set age for when kids can stay home alone and that's 12.    It also happens to be the age that daycares/after school care are geared towards.

I don't know how often it is enforced or what type of situation would result in a call being placed to the authorities.  

I started staying home for short periods of time before that, my elementary school was only a couple blocks away from the house and my grandmother lived right across the street so she kept an eye on the house till my parents got home.

I was 12-13 when I started babysitting my brother so my parents could go on date nights.  I still have nightmares.

My kids are only 6 and 2 years old, I will go to jail if I leave them home alone.

[wyouser]

One month shy of age 10. There was an earthquake in Yellowstone National Park that rattled the windows and caused the cupboards doors to come open in Seattle Wa where we lived. We lived in an old 2 1/2 story house above Puget Sound.....I just knew it was haunted an the spooks were coming to get me....

[quince]

10
Not yet
Never
Depends on where you live.

[cktc]

I think I was about 9 when left home with my sisters. Oldest was probably 12 or 13 at the time.

Babysitting was also always with a sister. I think I was 13 when I started tagging along. Not sure how old they were when they started, probably at least 13.

Google says there is no law in AZ.

[suesinfl]

6/7 had to pick up my younger sister from her babysitter and then watch her and cook dinner.  Mom came home about 6 and dad whenever he showed up.

10 ish, but neighbors kept an eye out for them.

9 if you don't count my nephews, I was 7 or 8 with them.

There were no laws when I was growing up, but in FL I believe it's 10/11 and like Swamp said, it depends on the kid.

[TheOtherMe]

I grew up in the 60's.  Have no idea what the laws were then, but I babysat by age 12 in the evenings.  Always had mom as a backup and sometimes had a phone number for where the people would be, but not usually. 

[zibazinski]

6. Not often but often enough.

[taz157]

Feb 8, 2017 17:07:54 GMT -5 @bluester said:

How old were you when your parents let you stay home alone?

How old were your kids when you let them stay home alone?

When did you start babysitting?

Is there a law for this?

1. 11
2. My DD is 5 so not yet. I don't want to be arrested for leaving her home alone.
3. 12
4. No clue

[dee27]

8
12
12
yes

[Deleted]

8
N/A
N/A
Varies by jurisdiction

[cael]

10 or 11 probably, 11 or 12 with my younger brother.
He stays home alone with the cat. (jk he's 8 months old)
Started babysitting at 13, watched kids who were like 6-8 or 9.
Not sure if we have laws about that but should probably find out though.

[spartyparty]

Feb 8, 2017 17:10:26 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

I used to come home alone from grade 2 and watched my little sister.

We made French fries using hot oil.

I burnt a couple fingers when I was 8 or 9 using a hot pad to pull a pizza pan out the oven...I have used an oven mitt ever since that day!  

[travelnut11]

How old were you when your parents let you stay home alone? Way, way too young. I remember letting myself in after school in Kindergarten. Then there was the time I was 6 and my sister was 3 and my mom was in a coma for nearly a week before any adults noticed we were fending for ourselves.

How old were your kids when you let them stay home alone? Considering mine are 1.75 years and 2.5 weeks old not just yet.


When did you start babysitting? I made flyers advertising my skills when I was 10 and got quite a few jobs believe it or not. I was watching my little sister/brother long before that though.


Is there a law for this? Varies by state I think. In WI there is no specific age and it's is up to the parents.

[MJ2.0]

8, but a trusted neighbor was right across the hall if I needed anything.

My kid is 5 so not yet. I think the law is 12 or 14 in NJ.

I barely babysat (not a kid person, lol) but I want to say I started around 14-15.

[MJ2.0]

Feb 9, 2017 12:37:33 GMT -5 travelnut11 said:

How old were you when your parents let you stay home alone? Way, way too young. I remember letting myself in after school in Kindergarten. Then there was the time I was 6 and my sister was 3 and my mom was in a coma for nearly a week before any adults noticed we were fending for ourselves.

How old were your kids when you let them stay home alone? Considering mine are 1.75 years and 2.5 weeks old not just yet.


When did you start babysitting? I made flyers advertising my skills when I was 10 and got quite a few jobs believe it or not. I was watching my little sister/brother long before that though.


Is there a law for this? Varies by state I think. In WI there is no specific age and it's is up to the parents.

I am so sorry you had to experience that kind of childhood.

[Anne_in_VA]

Feb 8, 2017 17:07:54 GMT -5 @bluester said:

How old were you when your parents let you stay home alone?

How old were your kids when you let them stay home alone?

When did you start babysitting?

Is there a law for this?

12

12 or 13 - don't remember exactly as this was 35 years ago.

12

don't know.

[travelnut11]

Feb 9, 2017 13:40:44 GMT -5 MJ2.0 said:

Feb 9, 2017 12:37:33 GMT -5 travelnut11 said:

How old were you when your parents let you stay home alone? Way, way too young. I remember letting myself in after school in Kindergarten. Then there was the time I was 6 and my sister was 3 and my mom was in a coma for nearly a week before any adults noticed we were fending for ourselves.

How old were your kids when you let them stay home alone? Considering mine are 1.75 years and 2.5 weeks old not just yet.


When did you start babysitting? I made flyers advertising my skills when I was 10 and got quite a few jobs believe it or not. I was watching my little sister/brother long before that though.


Is there a law for this? Varies by state I think. In WI there is no specific age and it's is up to the parents.

I am so sorry you had to experience that kind of childhood.

Meh, I had a great childhood actually. My mom was just overly trusting and I was super responsible so I got treated as if I was older than I was. I survived and for the most part it was a good thing.

Also, the coma was nothing nefarious. My mom had encephalitis likely acquired from a mosquito on a family camping trip.

[weltschmerz]

Feb 8, 2017 17:10:26 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

I used to come home alone from grade 2 and watched my little sister.

We made French fries using hot oil.

My parents were refugees. They each worked two jobs, instead of living in government housing and collecting welfare and child benefits. They were determined to contribute to the country instead of taking from it.

[Phoenix84]

1. I don't recall exactly when, but seems like it was in the 11-12 timeframe.

2. N/A, don't have kids

3. N/A, never babysat, but in theory, probably wouldn't consider a baby sitter less than 14

4. My state doesn't set a specific age.

[Lizard Queen]

I was allowed to stay home alone for up to an hour while my mom went to the store at 9. (Also allowed to sit in the car in the parking lot. God, I hated shopping with her. She took forever, and it was so boring.) Oddly enough, my mom got more protective of me as I got older into mid-late teens.

My kids are almost 7 and 4, so not yet.

I hardly ever babysat. I hated it. I think I watched my nieces 14 and up. Jut a handful of times. I was the baby of the family, so I didn't know what to do with little kids or babies.

I don't remember what the laws are in my state.

[snapdragon]

I was a latch key kid and much more responsible than my older brother. I watched him. Cooked dinner, did laundry and cleaned the house when I was 6-7.

I actually started babysitting really young. I was 8 and helped a neighbor mom watching her little boy so she could do some things around the house.

[thyme4change]

My kid's elementary school wouldn't let the kids off the bus unless there was a parent to meet them. That school went through 4th grade. So 5th grade is when both of my kids came home to an empty house.

[Mardi Gras Audrey]

We stayed home alone really young when I was a kid (1980s). My parents would be arrested nowadays 
I remember staying home with my younger sister while DSM drove my brothers and sisters to school. I would have been 4 and DS 2.  We were asleep and DSM would just leave us asleep while she took them to school(s).  We didn't get into anything because we were passed out.

I remember staying home one night with my Stepbrother and watching movies while mom and dad went out. I would have been around 6 and him 7. I remember we watched Back to the Future and ate McDonalds and Jr.Mints. We rarely got candy or to eat out so there was no way we were going to mess that up! I remember them locking us in the house and falling asleep to the movie.

I was around 10 when left alone regularly (DSM got a parttime job and we were alone during school breaks, etc). I had 5 siblings (close in age) and lots of neighborhood kids to play with. None of the siblings was in charge, we were all in charge of ourselves. We did have a list of chores to do and would make sure the house got cleaned before mom and dad got home from work. We were also allowed to walk or bike to Walmart, the swimming pool, and the library (from 1-5 miles away).  Just had to call DSM at work and "ask permission" (She never said no).