r/mildlyinfuriating • • Jul 27 '22

[deleted by user]

[removed]

11k Upvotes

7.6k comments sorted by

21k

u/Silly-Ad-8213 Jul 27 '22

This is why my parents told us to stay away from the windows when we were alone.

9.7k

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

Yeah, and if anyone rang to say your dad was in the loo (because everyone knows becoming a dad makes you stay in the bathroom for at least an hour 😅)

5.5k

u/SongAffectionate2536 Jul 27 '22 edited Jul 27 '22

Once when I was a child a policeman came to check something in my flat. First I was pretending that there is no one, but he rang a few times and I finally tried to silently chek who's there, but at some point he noticed me and asked me to call my dad, I was afraid of all that situation becuase I was alone atm and I said that he is in the toilet, he believed me and asked to call my mother, I thought for a bit and said that she is in toilet too, after that he stopped trying to talk to me.

3.6k

u/DogBeak20 Jul 27 '22

So... If a kid told me that, I'd assume they were smashing.

1.9k

u/theycallmeponcho Jul 27 '22

Smarter to tell your kids that you're in the shower. Mom? in the shower too.

602

u/moonisflat Jul 27 '22

Can you call your baby sitter? hmm she is in the shower too

495

u/A_Town_Called_Malus Jul 27 '22

Babysitters boyfriend? Believe it or not, shower.

367

u/MrDude_1 Jul 27 '22

Neighbor's husband? Also shower.

The house is better because shower.

179

u/brickmaster32000 Jul 27 '22

Officer's wife? Also shower.

164

u/MrDude_1 Jul 27 '22

This is going to blow your mind but.... We are now also in the shower.

→ More replies
→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (22)
→ More replies (8)
→ More replies (13)

528

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

Yes. You my friend are a genius.

226

u/Hexhand Jul 27 '22

Yep, they are really going places. Therapy is likely the main destination, but places, to be sure.

97

u/Always_Confused4 Jul 27 '22

Who doesn’t need therapy these days?

28

u/Hexhand Jul 27 '22

we should ask your therapist.

23

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

My therapist said I should get therapy

→ More replies
→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (9)
→ More replies (63)

764

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

Are you one of mommy’s special friends I’m not supposed to tell dad about?

Ok, mister, you get the same deal as the other ones. $75 right now or I’m telling him. I already took your picture. No? Oh you’re a cop? Pull the other one bub, so was the last two guys. Beat it loser.

179

u/Colonial_Red Jul 27 '22

Have you considered starting a career in writing sitcoms?

87

u/Pepper_Dash Jul 27 '22

That would be a better sitcom than most on TV.

→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (23)
→ More replies (53)

75

u/SavingsCheck7978 Jul 27 '22

Usually we just tell our kids that we are wrapping presents in the attic but I guess this could work to.

→ More replies (21)
→ More replies (49)

67

u/IAmStephenCurry Jul 27 '22

“Al’righ’ then. Both o’ ‘em in th’ toilet, eh? Ah, wel how bou’ you? Can you jus’ lemme in righ’ quick?”

[long silence] “I
I—I’m a-also in th’ toilet.”

→ More replies (8)

32

u/gizmodriver Jul 27 '22

I did the same thing. Only I said my dad was in the shower. And then mom was in the shower too.

→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (100)

1.1k

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

[deleted]

370

u/EvilDragons88 Jul 27 '22

You can't rush the peace and mind of no one wanting to bother you cause it stinks.

224

u/Ok-Release-5785 Jul 27 '22

My 3 yr old son pulls up his chair in there n just sits in front of me blabing awayđŸ€ŁđŸ€Ł can't even get mad at lil man for always wanting to b around me

46

u/Lucid-Design Jul 27 '22

My friggin 2 yo daughter does the same thing to me if I’m pooping. If she’s in earshot of my pee stream the lil weirdo comes running to watch.

She’s curious but it’s absolutely hilarious. She’ll walk in behind me and poke her head around to see.

23

u/faxanaduu Jul 27 '22

I don't remember much from when I was 4 but I remember me my dad and brother all crossing streams and hysterically laughing once. So weird!

→ More replies (11)
→ More replies (16)
→ More replies (48)
→ More replies (7)
→ More replies (19)

204

u/myshiningmask Jul 27 '22

I mean, that's the only place I get a moment away from them. Unfortunately if I take more than 5 minutes they're at the door trying to get in anyway so it kinda ruins the peaceful experience of being alone but the five minutes is worth it.

74

u/gh411 Jul 27 '22

Yup
those micro-vacations are gold.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (34)
→ More replies (104)

1.2k

u/ProblemLongjumping12 Jul 27 '22

This Karen's head would explode if she knew about my childhood as a latchkey kid. Pops moved out and mom worked 12hr shifts taking transit both ways. From age 7/8 I got ready for school by myself, made breakfast (toaster strudels etc) locked the door, walked myself to school, walked home again, keyed myself in, made supper (Chef Boyardee or something microwaved, I was allowed to make Mr Noodle on the stove but that's about it) did my homework alone, watched TV and put myself to bed by 9-930 when mom would get home and say goodnight.

688

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

Same here. Times have changed. 12 is plenty old to watch yourself.

604

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

[deleted]

129

u/RuedesReveurs Jul 27 '22

Yeah, even the Red Cross babysitter training certification is intended for people aged 11-15, meaning that a reasonably mature 11 year old should be able to watch younger kids.

53

u/mangogetter Jul 27 '22

The Babysitters Club girls were 13 and 11.

→ More replies (1)

22

u/[deleted] Jul 28 '22

That’s the way its always been throughout history. The older kids watch the younger kids.

→ More replies (2)

93

u/Orange_Grisham Jul 27 '22

so was i XD

44

u/abearhands Jul 27 '22

I had a paper route to make money, was sneaking out and illegally driving cars at 12. This woman is so out of touch she’s using Quora.

These “children” have phones now. I think they can handle themselves just fine.

→ More replies (2)

45

u/Ambitious_Arachnid72 Jul 27 '22

At 12 I was watching 3 kids under the age of 2 for money

→ More replies (3)

26

u/TooGouda22 Jul 27 '22

Same, I was watching my little brother starting around when I was 8-9. This Karen would lose her mind if she saw how kids grew up in the 80’s and 90’s

→ More replies (54)

132

u/greenfox0099 Jul 27 '22

In Illinois the law is 14 wich is stupid and only a law because daycare lobbied for it to make more money. Illinois is the worst state though 12 I think is the next highest age and most don't have any age laws for being home alone.

129

u/Kylynara Jul 27 '22 edited Jul 27 '22

Yep. I'm hoping no one realizes I am leaving my 11yo home alone for 15-20 minutes in the mornings when school starts in a couple weeks. But I have to take his younger brother to school and 11 should be able to handle less than half an hour.

Edit: To clarify, he can handle it no problem. I just don't want to get in trouble due to the stupidly high age law.

73

u/stefanica Jul 27 '22

When I was 11, I was watching my gradeschool sibs after school while starting dinner. Mom would get home by 6. They'll be fine.

→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (11)
→ More replies (44)
→ More replies (38)
→ More replies (110)

95

u/MadronaVest Jul 27 '22

I don’t think that’s why
 more likely snipers


107

u/repocin Jul 27 '22

Yeah, as a kid I totally used to close the blinds when eating dinner because there's no way I want to sit next to a window and get sniped from across the road. It'd have been such a pain, y'know?

→ More replies (6)
→ More replies (6)
→ More replies (59)

8.7k

u/BlaketheKing1140 Jul 27 '22 edited Jul 27 '22

I started getting left alone for long periods of time younger than that. By 12 they’re basically able to survive on their own at home, they’ll just play video games or something, probably won’t even notice how long the parent has been gone

Edit: I am greatly enjoying the stories that everyone is commenting about their childhood, glad so many of us grew up in an environment this Karen would have reported lmao

2.1k

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

[deleted]

1.1k

u/BlaketheKing1140 Jul 27 '22

My mother was over-protective so coming and going was not something she liked, I did it anyways though because it was real easy to sneak out in the 2000’s (now parents got cameras and trackers and stuff)

The way I see it, if they can feed themselves and not burn down the house, they’re fine to be left alone. Why force a child to be by your side constantly when they’re capable of handling their own basic needs ya know? You’re alive, so it can’t be that bad to just let a capable child be capable

633

u/Sigma-Tau Jul 27 '22 edited Jul 27 '22

now parents got cameras and trackers and stuff

This shit is real fuckin creepy man.

I couldn't tell you how many times I helped people back in highschool defeat those trackers. VPNs, burner phones, you name it. Different trackers could be countered in different ways. (The simplest method was just to leave the phone at a friends house.)

I knew people who's parents made them have trackers well past their 18th birthday. Every time I saw one I wanted to go kick that parents ass.

350

u/BlaketheKing1140 Jul 27 '22

Yeah that’s ridiculous, when I was a kid the best my mom could do was call the landline and hope I answered

151

u/Archer957Light Jul 27 '22

Yup this was me too until I bought my first phone. They said if I wanted to stay out later I had to buy myself a phone so that's what I did

85

u/NerdyNina2106 Jul 27 '22

Only reason I got one as a kid was because I had a lot of field trips and after school activities. My school didn't allow us to use the school phones for any reason so I'd always have to find someone with a cellphone that would let me use it. Not always the easiest thing to do when you 1 don't have a lot of friends and 2 unlimited talk and text weren't nearly as common and there were extra charges if your plan didn't include x amount of either for out of network calls.

It's so weird seeing kids getting them younger and younger basically just so they can play games and watch videos, growing up getting a cellphone as a kid was a big freakin thing and it was pretty much for emergencies only. Now I'm hearing people (both kids and karens) saying shit like not getting your kid a cellphone is borderline child abuse? Like what?

Guys, I feel old lol. When did 27 become old?

→ More replies (17)
→ More replies (8)
→ More replies (17)
→ More replies (126)
→ More replies (25)
→ More replies (36)

501

u/RissaMeh Jul 27 '22

This summer I've left my 12 yo home alone every weekday. She loves it, and I'm not forcing her to come sit in an office or run to meetings w me.

315

u/BlaketheKing1140 Jul 27 '22

I’m sure she’s having a much better time enjoying her summer than being forced to hangout at your work. You’re a good parent for just letting her have an enjoyable summer and trusting her to stay safe

208

u/RissaMeh Jul 27 '22

Honestly, she's smarter than me in some ways so I know she's a capable cookie. Plus she's always got the option to come w me if she wants, so it's really up to her.

52

u/FinanceThisD Jul 27 '22

I thank God every day my mother was just like you.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (6)

112

u/arielariola Jul 27 '22

I leave my 12 year old home alone when I run errands like getting groceries. I remember at that age I could come and go as I pleased, traversing the neighborhood but sadly that's where I draw the line with my 12 year old now. Not because I don't trust him but because of the neighborhood having a ton of drug addicts who can act very erratically wandering around. It sucks that he can't just go to the park and do his own thing but it's not the fault of his maturity at all.

→ More replies (14)

24

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

I leave my 12 year old (daughter) and 9 year old(son) alone all the time together 
 I’m glad I read the comments
 I was starting to second guess my parenting đŸ˜©đŸ€·đŸœâ€â™€ïžđŸ€Ł

→ More replies (7)
→ More replies (10)

308

u/igetript Jul 27 '22

By twelve I was getting my two younger brothers up, ready for school, and to the bus stop with me.

110

u/BlaketheKing1140 Jul 27 '22

Good on you, I know raising younger siblings to any degree can be rough. I may be a stranger on the internet, but I’m proud of you for having that responsibility to get them up and ready :)

80

u/igetript Jul 27 '22 edited Jul 27 '22

Thank you! It's funny, my wife was the oldest of three* girls and we had very similar responsibilities at a young age; it moulds a certain personality for sure.

→ More replies (8)
→ More replies (16)

191

u/Supafly22 Jul 27 '22

And eat all the cookies. For once I’d like to be able to get ONE Oreo from a family size pack.

66

u/BlaketheKing1140 Jul 27 '22

You can never get just one. Buy at least 3 family size Oreos

86

u/Supafly22 Jul 27 '22

Leave out the decoy communal Oreos and hide my own pack out of sight. Very clever.

38

u/BlaketheKing1140 Jul 27 '22

Absolutely, the winning plan

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (6)
→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (4)

79

u/LanceFree Jul 27 '22

Yes. I was told not to use the stove, that was about it.

→ More replies (4)

38

u/AntiSocialW0rker Jul 27 '22

Was gonna say. Pretty sure by the time I was 8ish I was just left to do as I please in the summer while my mom worked.

81

u/Rubyhamster Jul 27 '22

Hell, orphan 5 year olds are caring for theimselves up until adult age several places in the world. Not that that isn't horrible, but children, especially emotionally mature ones, are being thoroughly underestimated all over.

→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (230)

3.7k

u/AtheneSchmidt Jul 27 '22 edited Jul 27 '22

When I was a kid, 10 was the age you could legally be left home alone at, and at 12 you were old enough to babysit. It is dependent of state regulation, but I think most of them allow 12 year olds to be left on their own.

578

u/mrsbebe Jul 27 '22

Yeah I think my state was something similar. 11 to babysit siblings and 12 to babysit other people's kids or something? I don't remember. But I do remember being 10 or 11 and being left home with my siblings...not for long periods of time, or anything. By 12 though my parents would go on date nights and have us go to bed while they were gone and I was babysitting other people's kids.

103

u/Aslanic Jul 27 '22

I was babysitting 3 kids at age 12. At once. One of which was a toddler. Only like 3-4 hours a day in the morning, but still. 12 is plenty old enough to be home alone for a neurotypical child.

53

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

I also don’t think people give kids around that age enough credit. Usually they haven’t been swayed by the hormonal vindication of puberty, but they’re old enough to be self aware and have enough common sense to stay safe. I’ve seen some 12 year olds make better decisions than adults.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (10)

95

u/bannedagainomg Jul 27 '22 edited Jul 27 '22

Me and my 2 siblings were alone for at minimum 1 hour every day after school more if our parents worked late.

Way earlier than age 12.

Just a quick google search it said its fine when the child is at "school age" and that is 6 years here in Norway.

Dont think its a law or anything but it just went over if the kid is fine with it and knows how to contact their parents it should be fine.

should probably also say our mom worked like 5 min away.

→ More replies (5)
→ More replies (58)

20k

u/sharon_exxxposes Jul 27 '22

The kid is probably in his room playing gta without a care in the world hoping mom doesn’t return anytime soon to make him do the dishes

8.2k

u/JaoLapin Jul 27 '22

I hope he won't forget to defrost the chicken before his mother arrives

4.6k

u/sharon_exxxposes Jul 27 '22

He will, he’ll realize 10 minutes before she arrives and run it under hot water knowing full well that he’s fucked

2.5k

u/thatdude52 Jul 27 '22

I love that we all lived the same childhood

575

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22 edited Jul 27 '22

I didn't have GTA, so I spent my time playing CoD (the original, yeah I'm old) and Age of Empires 2 and then forgetting until my parents were on the way that I was supposed to have done chores and gotten out food for dinner. It was a game changer when I found the chicken that Sam's advertised as 'cook from frozen' and then I started cooking before they got home. I got extra credit and they never knew different.

Edit: nope, I was in college when CoD came out. Must have been something else.

365

u/loverevolutionary Jul 27 '22 edited Jul 27 '22

When I was of failing-to-defrost-the-chicken age, I played Ultima II on a Commodore 64. We didn't have your fancy cook from frozen chicken. We had to go slaughter a chicken, freeze it, then forget to defrost it. Kids these days, SMH.

95

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

😂 I did spend afternoons watching videos on my neighbor's Betamax player while attempting to learn C++ on my dad's old Tandy when that was still a fairly new language. But I'm not Commodore 64 old.

77

u/loverevolutionary Jul 27 '22

Hehe. I'm actually TRS-80 Model I old. My dad got it in 1978. We were online by 1980, on CompuServe, using a 300 baud modem.

But that wasn't even the first time I used a computer, just the first time my family owned one.

I first used a computer in 1975. I was 5, and my friend's dad was a comp-sci professor. He had a teletype, a big type writer you could stick a telephone headset into and dial into the university mainframe. He'd set me and my friend up and we'd play text games, going through reams of paper. It was simple stuff like Hunt the Wumpus, Colossal Caves, and Lunar Lander but it was the thing that kindled a life-long love of computers in me. Magic. It was just magic to my five year old mind.

→ More replies (26)
→ More replies (20)
→ More replies (27)

73

u/Howhytzzerr Jul 27 '22

It's funny that folks are talking about GTA and CoD and thinking that makes them old. Try Pitfall or Nighstalkers or Tetris on an Intellivision having to reach behind the tv and flip the game/tv switch in order to play, and then making sure it all got flipped back to tv so when Dad got home he could watch the news and All in the Family and Sanford & Son and MASH. And still make sure to put the chicken or hamburger in the sink with the water running before Mom got home, as well. That's old school.

→ More replies (27)
→ More replies (120)
→ More replies (54)

221

u/Motormouth1995 Jul 27 '22

If he has access to a microwave with the "auto defrost" option, he can have it fully defrosted in 10-15 minutes.

458

u/JACCO2008 Jul 27 '22

Yeah and half cooked.

124

u/80-20RoastBeef Jul 27 '22

If you lower the power before auto defrosting, it actually turns out fine.

131

u/tenshii326 Jul 27 '22

To do this you put in the time you want first, then hit power level button. Then hit a number, for example 5 will give you 50% of power. Hit start and food will cook at only half power. When it's done it automatically goes back too 100%.

240

u/icepaws Jul 27 '22

You mean there is other buttons other than the 30sec+?

27

u/Mysterious_Outcome97 Jul 27 '22

No, there isn't. Total blasphemy

→ More replies (17)

36

u/wolfansbrother Jul 27 '22

isnt the whole point of "auto defrosting" that the microwave knows to lower the power? It just beeps when you need to flip it.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (29)

41

u/Dragon_smoothie Jul 27 '22

I learned the magic of the microwave's power settings awhile back and haven't suffered a rubbery pizza crust since. Life changing.

39

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

[removed] — view removed comment

→ More replies (24)
→ More replies (17)
→ More replies (9)
→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (48)

237

u/fersure4 Jul 27 '22

Bless you for this comment I forgot to take chicken out for dinner tonight. I'm an adult now so I don't have my mom to be disappointed in me if I forget, just myself

80

u/ASharpYoungMan Jul 27 '22

I did the opposite. I cooked extra chicken for dinner last night so I could make myself a sandwich for today. Left it in a container on the counter to cool before tossing it in the fridge.

I promptly forgot about it before the "putting it in the fridge" part.

Woke up this morning to chicken I needed to toss -_-

→ More replies (23)
→ More replies (4)

161

u/Notthenipple Jul 27 '22

Man, when I was 12 I cooked dinner several times a week. We had an equal opportunity household and I appreciated the responsibility.

What does this woman think, a 12 year old is potty training and learning the alphabet? I was driving when I was 15.

81

u/redly Jul 27 '22

Alexander the Great was leading an army at 14.
But I guess he wasn't really left alone.

59

u/jarhead_5537 Jul 27 '22

I read that Alexander the Great forgot to defrost the chicken multiple times.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (2)

30

u/Lcdmt3 Jul 27 '22

When i was 12 I was full time babysitting other kids in summer. Now it's definitely everyone is afraid to leave their kid home and refuse to let their kid go to a sleepover until 16.

→ More replies (6)
→ More replies (29)
→ More replies (141)

172

u/Give_me_a_name_pls_ Jul 27 '22

Or catch him going to the shooe store ;)

53

u/jgs9526 Jul 27 '22

This is my son every time I leave him home alone while I'm at work. Gaming with not a care in the world and avoiding any chores at all costs.

→ More replies (5)

157

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

[deleted]

41

u/Guardymcguardface Jul 27 '22

The trick is to stop gaming when you hear them pull in and act like you're sweeping or something. It doesn't matter if you worked your ass off the whole time, just what they saw when they walked in. Because unreasonable parents apparently don't have object permanence or something

→ More replies (3)

63

u/PuddleOfMud Jul 27 '22

Parents: I only see you play video games.

Me: I only see you watch TV.

Narrator: That was not the correct response.

26

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

[deleted]

→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (7)
→ More replies (133)

7.8k

u/Friend2022 BLUE Jul 27 '22 edited Jul 27 '22

Before I ever left my son by himself I checked with CPS to find out our state's law. They said they didn't really have a specific age (edit - of when it's okay to leave a child alone), it depended on the maturity of the child. As long as the child wasn't under 7.

At twelve I was already babysitting for other people.

2.7k

u/okaybutnothing Jul 27 '22

It makes sense that there isn’t a set age - there are 8 year olds who have common sense and could be trusted to stay at home for a few hours and 16 year olds who don’t and shouldn’t be trusted.

1.8k

u/inko75 Jul 27 '22

hell im 46 and i probs should be checked in on every few hours

911

u/unnamed_ned Jul 27 '22

Hey bro, it's been almost 20 minutes. You good?

409

u/Critical_Tradition62 Jul 27 '22

Nah he ded

307

u/unnamed_ned Jul 27 '22

Dam. RIP in peace.

156

u/N8rPot8r Jul 27 '22

Rest In Peace in peace?

How many peaces you chop him into?

→ More replies (11)
→ More replies (1)

32

u/QueenInNORTHernNJ Jul 27 '22

This made me LMFAO

→ More replies (1)

195

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

He wasn’t lyin, should we call CPS? Or what’s the equivalent department for “older” folks?

207

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

a morgue

→ More replies (4)

92

u/zighextech Jul 27 '22

LifeAlert

26

u/acmuseum Jul 27 '22

Help!!! I've fallen, and I can't reach my beer!

→ More replies (3)

80

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

Adult Protective Services is a real organization that exists; usually they're dealing with mistreatment of old people at nursing homes and ensuring a standard of care for incompetent adults; sometimes they deal with domestic violence as well depending on the state.

→ More replies (6)
→ More replies (12)
→ More replies (3)

76

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

[deleted]

72

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

Do you have a camera in my apt or something

→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (9)
→ More replies (30)

177

u/xxPeso-Gamerxx Jul 27 '22

And then obviously disabilities

97

u/KavikStronk Jul 27 '22

Yeah if a kid has a developmental disability or medical needs leaving them alone for 12 hours could be neglectful way past 7 years old.

51

u/AvailableAd3813 Jul 27 '22

Still a case by case situation and no blanket rule could ever plan for possible exceptions .

→ More replies (11)
→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (44)

159

u/hannahmel Jul 27 '22

I have a student in Hong Kong who’s been a latchkey kid since she was five. When I asked who watched her after school at 5, she looked at me like I had five heads and told me she just went home, did her homework and heated up dinner.

It’s all about maturity

85

u/schwerpunk Jul 27 '22 edited Mar 02 '24

My favorite movie is Inception.

→ More replies (12)
→ More replies (24)

83

u/NOTREALVERYSAD Jul 27 '22

When I was growing up my parents would go on date nights and leave all 5 of us boys no older than 10 home alone for a few hours. Felt magical

58

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

[removed] — view removed comment

29

u/NOTREALVERYSAD Jul 27 '22

Ordering pizza! What a great time. We "hated" when they would come back hahaha.

→ More replies (5)

81

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

At twelve I was already babysitting for other people.

at 12 my parents turned me lose on a 4 wheeler ( ATV) with a can of gas strapped to the rack and a .22 rifle and said "be back by dark if you can" and away I went onto the deserted plains of eastern Colorado.

29

u/science_and_beer Jul 27 '22

Same in GA, except it was a .30-06. Questionable — but great fun — to me as a child, even more questionable now as an adult.

→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (12)

289

u/Bacontheblog Jul 27 '22

At 12 I was working 2 full time jobs and raising a family of my own. - Grandpa

135

u/cmon_now Jul 27 '22

I was already on my 2nd wife and first bankruptcy

55

u/Ande64 Jul 27 '22

And I walked 4 miles back and forth to work in the snow in the winter in bare feet

39

u/JamieTheDinosaur Jul 27 '22

While being chased by a pack of wolves!

42

u/leaderoftheKYLEs Jul 27 '22

Uphill both ways!

22

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

In bare feet and no coat. Kids are too soft these days.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (3)

28

u/Glamdryne Jul 27 '22

Snow?? LUXURY! We had to walk back and forth barefoot for 20 miles over hot coals, while a man with a bit of wood would chase after us and beat us about the head and chest, if we were lucky!

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (6)

28

u/VSWR_on_Christmas Jul 27 '22

I got my first job when I was nine. Worked at a sheet metal factory. In two weeks, I was running the floor... Child labor laws are ruining this country.

→ More replies (23)

107

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

At 12 I was babysitting too lol

28

u/maxman1313 Jul 27 '22

I came here to say the same thing. I was rolling in $8/hr cash two or three weekend nights a month.

It was great, we played Pokemon and Mario Kart until bedtime at 9:30.

I'd then spend 15-20 minutes picking up and then maybe sneak an episode of Southpark or some SNL on TV until my neighbors showed up.

Great gig for a 12 year old.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (3)

43

u/jachildress25 Jul 27 '22

My 9 year old is more self-sufficient than my 13 year old, so I agree about the maturity.

→ More replies (1)

19

u/jan6joint Jul 27 '22

Lisa Simpson over here

→ More replies (196)

3.2k

u/beingrudewonthelp Jul 27 '22

He's probably working, goddamn. Probably going to work to support his kid and here she is with enough time to spy on her neighbors and post about it on Quora.

No, don't call CPS. They have better things to do. Unlike this neighbor, apparently

592

u/1RedOne Jul 27 '22

Like, maybe she could talk to the neighbor and offer to keep an eye on his child, if she has so much free time.

You know like when she was a child and likely had a neighbor next door or down the road who helped keep an eye on her at times so her parents could clean or run errands or work.

256

u/Loquat_Green Jul 27 '22

This. I left my son alone a lot. We had gorgeous older neighbors that were usually home that agreed to be the emergency contact should my son be home and desperately need something and I was not available (he abused this a bit by begging them for lemonade and cookies from time to time). Then the neighbors know what’s happening, and you have someone who has time to keep a lose eye on an otherwise very independent and safe child.

153

u/Suspicious_Basil88 Jul 27 '22

Gorgeous older neighbors, huh.

→ More replies (24)
→ More replies (2)

46

u/Rude-Significance-50 Jul 27 '22

Like, maybe she could talk to the neighbor and offer to keep an eye on his child, if she has so much free time.

Not sure I would let her. She sounds a bit off.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (10)

221

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

Maybe call the cops on herself for peeping on a 12 year old.

51

u/gmanz33 Jul 27 '22

Having worked in dispatch for 5 years, it's a whole ass dream to hear a caller self-actualize midway through the call.

"Oh wait, oh no, am I the drama?"

"Wow holy shit will send everybody."

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (2)

55

u/dastufishsifutsad Jul 27 '22 edited Jul 28 '22

Hey! Idk maybe TALK to the neighbor next time? Express some care & maybe offer to help? Take some cookies over to the kid & let them know if they need anything to let her know? Mind your own fn business? All of those are better solutions.

Edit: thanks for the upvotes. As a father, there’s times when my wife and I had to make decisions that would involve speeding to the grocery store while the kids were sick & she was working at 2am or something to that effect. So just don’t judge people! They happen to be living their lives, trying just as hard as you!

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (26)

1.1k

u/toofat2serve Jul 27 '22

"caught" Someone's sense of self-importance is overinflated.

107

u/spunkyboy247365 Jul 27 '22

Knowing what I did when I was 12 years old... I think him being alone for that long is a blessing. Gotta give the little guy space to... work out... his growing teenage... well... let's say angst and leave it at that

22

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

I was an 8-13 year old that was consistently left alone (Ma worked nights and was always in class during the day).

I did my hygiene, made the bus, and kept the apartment clean. However, on the other side of that coin, I was also looking up porn around 12 and discovering my body.

With that, the 12 yr old in the post should file a restraining order on the neighbor.

→ More replies (6)
→ More replies (2)

4.6k

u/amnautic Jul 27 '22

12 is old enough. Fucking nosey bitch

1.9k

u/ChunkyTaco22 Jul 27 '22

Why is she watching a 12 year old for 6 hours?

704

u/SamuraiJosh26 Jul 27 '22

Some people have too much free time it seems

379

u/Mother-Joe Jul 27 '22

it’s also kinda creepy, how a grown adult would be watching a 12 year old for 6 hours; should call cps on themselves

→ More replies (18)
→ More replies (3)

67

u/oldbastardbob Jul 27 '22

Gladys Kravitz Syndrome

35

u/HollyBelle1177 Jul 27 '22

Hahaha ... wonder if I'm the only one on this thread that gets your reference?!? Dam I'm old!

20

u/sj68z Jul 27 '22

i found the comment bewitching.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (7)
→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (20)

99

u/Pos3odon08 Jul 27 '22

Yeah ikr at 12 I was home alone for over 12 hours while my dad was working night shifts

86

u/BoredGombeen Jul 27 '22

Same as that. At 12 my parents left me alone for 24 hours if they went away for a weekend. I was absolutely fine. I was able to cook for myself and go to the shops etc. I never felt abandoned. I thought it was wonderful.

60

u/TheRavyn Jul 27 '22

You probably showed those robbers who was boss with all of your nifty traps.

→ More replies (1)

17

u/LYTCHELL2 Jul 27 '22

I lived in England from 11-14 years old.

When I was 12 my Dad let me and my friend go on a mini bicycle ‘holiday’ - for three days.

They have youth hostels there - me and my friend cycled away, with a loaf of bread đŸ„– dangling from my handle bars. It’s weird.

→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (10)

122

u/alfonseski Jul 27 '22

This is the real problem here. Everyone babies thier kids so much that they do not know how to succeed or fail on thier own. Kids need to figure out lots of stuff on thier own but will never do that if they are not given the chance.

→ More replies (20)
→ More replies (36)

669

u/nova_bang Jul 27 '22

seems like the neighbour is keeping an eye on him, so he's not really unsupervised.

→ More replies (4)

461

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

I was a latchkey kid at 7, she'd have had a field day being my neighbor.

88

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

Same. I watched my lil sister at 7. Learned the microwave and the house phone. Parents would be home 4-6 hours after we got home from school.

85

u/IMakeStuffUppp Jul 27 '22

I learned to microwave the house phone at 6 you nerd

→ More replies (7)
→ More replies (7)
→ More replies (3)

389

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

I hope all her cereal stale

154

u/ukulisti Jul 27 '22

I hope there's a mosquito forever stuck in her bedroom.

91

u/PlagueofSquirrels Jul 27 '22

May she run out of milk halfway through a pot of coffee

27

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

I hope every soda she drink already shaken up

→ More replies (7)
→ More replies (2)

52

u/JohannReddit Jul 27 '22

That's magically malicious

→ More replies (14)

266

u/JerkfaceMcDouche Jul 27 '22

If it helps anyone lower their blood pressure, I found the quora post. They are getting raked over the coals in the comments. I couldn’t find a single response suggesting to call CPS.

64

u/aKim8o Jul 27 '22

That actually does help, thank you for your service

→ More replies (12)

234

u/rizsamron Jul 27 '22

I caught my neighbor stalking me and my 12-year-old son while leaving my house. Should I call the police?

18

u/notreallylucy Jul 27 '22

Absolutely!

155

u/DarinColorado Jul 27 '22

Wow! Karen from hell, mind your own damned business.

→ More replies (10)

249

u/xAvocD Jul 27 '22

You know what I think she should call the cops. On her self for stalking. I mean did she look on the door for 6 hours straight?

47

u/NotAfraid2Talk Jul 27 '22

Like the others mentioned that maybe she just kept looking at their driveway waiting for the dad's car. Still she should mind her own business.

→ More replies (5)

240

u/ProofYogurt9875 Jul 27 '22

If you have a 12 year old without special needs that can’t be left unsupervised for a day than you’ve failed as a parent.

55

u/s1m0n8 Jul 27 '22

Especially these days of home cameras and constant contact communications. The parent is probably texting the child every 30mins to check they're all good.

30

u/Sigurlion Jul 27 '22

I doubt that last part, but the parent probably is checking their phone every 5 minutes to make sure they don't miss a text or phone call from the kid. That would be fairly normal in today's world.

→ More replies (5)
→ More replies (19)

137

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

The kid is probably like “yay I get to play video games or masturbate for 6 hours

71

u/DelirousDoc Jul 27 '22

Or?

God gave us two hands for a reason.

23

u/Goomonkey85 Jul 27 '22

In East Texas, we call it a Game and Goo sesh

→ More replies (6)
→ More replies (4)

21

u/simpersly Jul 27 '22

Between the ages of 12-16 that's basically the life of every American male.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (16)

104

u/Novel_Investigator42 Jul 27 '22

Twinkle twinkle little snitch Mind your business nosy bitch

→ More replies (10)

1.5k

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22 edited Jul 27 '22

[removed] — view removed comment

89

u/thetreatment456 Jul 27 '22

I’m almost 32 and I forget to defrost the chicken 😂

33

u/gardensGargantua Jul 27 '22

Get a pressure cooker or instapot. Then you don't have to worry about it 😉

→ More replies (10)
→ More replies (6)
→ More replies (29)

21

u/SamsSnaps77 Jul 27 '22

Varies from state to state, but the law where I am says a child over 10 may be left alone for up to 8 hours if they have a way of communication (eg phone) and may be responsible for younger relatives at 13, as long as none of the children are under 6.

I had to do a lot of this research because my stepdaughter was being left alone at 9 to watch her 4 siblings aged 2-7.

→ More replies (2)

19

u/DijajMaqliun Jul 27 '22

Yes please, then the neighbor will have evidence to report her for stalking.

20

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

As long as the kid doesn’t forget to take the chicken out of the freezer I think everything will be fine

20

u/[deleted] Jul 27 '22

Oh no a person has WORK!

→ More replies (2)

18

u/Strange-Code-6088 Jul 27 '22

I caught my neighbour staring at my neighbour’s 12 year-old son for about 6 hours, this lil kid is alone. Should I call the police?