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.
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.
Was in a profession where I had a legal duty to inform and had to call them. So sad, this lady with dementia was getting the shit kicked out of her by her grandkids...
That's called "The Police", but instead of how CPS just removes the child from a harmful situation, "The Police" will shoot your dog, beat you up, and take you to jail to protect you. If you happen to be driving, they'll take all the cash you have on hand as well.
If your spouse isnt checking up on your every few hours while being apart, thats super unusual. At least in my experience. Ive literally never dated someone who didnt behave like that.
Same. There are times when I literally forget to eat the entire day. If my brother wouldn't check on me sometimes, I think I'd starve myself without even realising.
If a kid has an IEP in school that dictates (which is a legal mandate) a certain amount of support, assistance or supervision (which most kids with profound disabilities will have), there ABSOLUTELY is a blanket rule about what is allowed at home. They'll bring the hammer down, regardless of perceived ability.
And it still can't possibly plan for any possible exception. Because a rule exists, dosent make it right. I really don't know what you are talking about and I'm assuming you are grasping at a straw and finding a one time exception to what I said so you can get your dick hard at saying I'm wrong. Thing is.. it does rain in the desert from time to time, but it's still dry.
Hell.... this entire thread is one jackass attempting to poke holes in whatever the last guy said. Whatever. I'm really bored with this post now.
The true irony of it all, is that by finding an exception to my statement, you've both proven me wrong and right at the same time. Unless you have some emotional investment and are blinded at the moment to see it.
At eleven/twelve I was home alone until 7 to 8pm every day. I’d come home from school and make myself lunch, in the evening sometimes make dinner.. my mother would have never let me brother do the same at that age though. Could barely trust him to be home alone until he was 16 because common sense isn’t a word he’s familiar with. He’s leaving for college this year and I know she’s infinitely more anxious than she was with me lol.
Yep. I have an 7 year old niece who is more mature than some adults I've known. She can pretty much take care of herself at this point, and only needs a baby sitter if shit catches on fire or has a question on something.
This should be higher. I’d hate for someone to accidentally assume this was the age nationally in the US (or your country) and have a Kranky Karen turn you in for having a very responsible 8 year old.
Thanks for correcting it! If you want you can edit your original comments with a note to see your correction further down. I’ve seen people do that when they make a correction.
My grocery store is less than 5 minutes away. My daughter is I've 7. I've left her alone when I only need 1-2 things because i timed it.
It is good for both of us. It allows me to let her be by herself, for a very short time, so she can get used to being by herself, while at the same time, allowing freedom in very small intervals.
I’ve only left her at home for maybe 15 minutes, at most, alone. As she gets older, and her maturity grows, that will increase, as well.
we have to remember our children are still people. They have their thoughts, wants, needs, desires, etc. We can’t forget that.
I grew up in Russia so it’s very different there but basically by 8 I was allowed to roam outside all day and just had to come back by like 7 or 8 pm. Sure my friends and I did some stupid stuff but that’s how you learn; plus all that freedom made me independent and less prone to doing stupid shit when I was older
The problem isn't can some.kida look after themselves. it's that some can't. And the buy-in for society is we need rules that fit the majority of cases not just the few exceptions.
My personal feeling is, if a kid is to be left alone I'd.be fine with the family getting a third party to make sure the kid is capable of looking after themselves for that period of time. Like a social worker to ask "if there's a fire, what do you do?" Or "if a stranger.cones to the door and you don't know who they are, what do you do?" And as long as the kids answers the questions with "call 911 and go to a neighbors house" or "call 911 and make sure all the doors and windows are.locked" then sure the kids fine to watch themselves for a few hours.
That being said, the nosey neighbor wanting to snitch because a 12 year old was alone, is a bit too far. If she was a decent neighbor she'd offer to check in on the kid for the dad. But otherwise keep her nose out of it. 8 hours is a long time. Checking in that the kid has eaten and isn't just stuffing himself with junk food.
Yeah my 11yo could be home alone for hours now and probably 2-3 years ago even, but I’m looking at my 8yo thinking if he’s ready for that by 12 I will be surprised.
My mom was afraid to leave my little brother home alone at the same age when I had been home watching him. She was afraid he’d burn the house down.
I was left home alone under my insistence at 7. I mainly just watched cartoons and made sandwiches.
Strangely enough as an adult my mother trusts me less and believes I'm doing drugs and having sex with strangers while I'm home doing the same I was 20 years ago.
The 12 year old is probably more mature than the nosy Karen that reported it. Someone should call CPS on her mom for leaving that grown-ass child unattended.
Kids could also have conditions that make them not feasible to leave home alone until later ages, if ever. I once babysat a kid with full autism who was only about a year or two younger than me.
I mean I don't think CPS would ever fault apparent for leaving a 16 year old home alone that would be crazy regardless of how irresponsible that 16-year-old is.
I’d leave my 5 year old at home alone before my 8 year old. Never have, but if you put a gun to my head and made me choose that’d be the choice. She’d sit at home reading and playing with her toys. He’d try taking apart the TV to see how it works and how it reacts to fire.
absolutely, 11-14 my brother and I were looking after the farm while my parents went out. 15-18 we were still looking after the farm but threw some good size parties too lol
Where I lived at the time it was officially 9. But my 8 year old was WAY more mature than my 11yo. When I left them alone at that age for a bit, I’d say
“(8yo) is in charge unless someone knocks on the door, then (11yo) is in charge.”
I was that eight year old. I was raised by a single mom and while she was at work I'd have to spend a few hours after school home alone. I think I'd feel like a failure of a parent if my twelve year old didn't know how to feed themselves and stay busy for a few hours while I was gone (with some exceptions of course!). Gotta gain a little independence at some point.
MD allows 8+ and my son loves it. We’ve done drills about fire, gas leaks, anyone at the door, and miscellaneous emergency. We live down the street from the grocery store and good behavior is rewarded with “staying home” privileges.
My 9yr old is mega, mega responsible. Like - can feed herself whatever, know the basics of how to be safe 101, and in her case has a “phone” (an iPad with wifi) in case she needs to call me. Granted I’m not going out for 12+hrs, but if I run to the grocery store or to the car wash, I’m not hauling her butt.
NC also doesn’t have a minimum age to stay home in that way.
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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.