Is it okay to leave the 3kiddos homealone when the husband and wife are working and cannot find a babysitter??

Question

7b,10b,13g Sometimes we get so busy in our working schedule and our baby sitters also get very busy, that sometimes, we leave the kids home alone just for a little while say about 3 hours! Thanks everyone!

Answer 1

I think the 13yr old should be able to hold down the fort. I know my sister did when she was 13.  

Answer 2

if your 13 year old is responsible i'd say it's fine for a few hours, i'd say it's neglectful if you were to do it overnight though

Answer 3

7,10, 13 I think there old enough mine are 11 and 12 and they stay home sometimes.

Answer 4

yeah if the 13 year old is responsible and knows how to handle if the house catches fire...

Answer 5

In all honesty : WHAT THE h**l ARE YOU THINKING?

No, of course not.

A 13 year old cannot take responsibility for 2 younger siblings.

7 and 10 year old boys sadly have no insight into danger, what is appropriate or even personal safety.

This is a recipe for disaster - and you should avoid this at all cost.

Answer 6

First, I'd check with family & child services guidelines to see if your state has a legal age limit on staying home alone.  Second, it would depend upon the maturity level of the children involved.  If they can handle it, you lay down the rules including emergency contact phone numbers.  It's perfectly normal.  You gotta do it some time.

Answer 7

I know the 13 yr old is old enough, but i still won't trust to leave them completely alone, isn't there someone like a neighbour that you can ask to just check up on them every now and then, i mean they are still kids, and they need to be protected.I won't leave them alone!

Answer 8

You need to be PAYING the 13 year old to babysit and that MUST be her job.

This is the only way it will work.  I think you are just too cheap though to be honest.

Answer 9

We live in a time when both parents have to work full time jobs just to survive.

I was a latch key kid at the age of 9, and my brother was 11.

We did OK.

In fact, I thought it was cool to have the house to myself!

Your kids are fine. Just show all of them how to work a fire extinguisher, have emergency phone numbers posted by the phones and on the fridge, and trust your judgement that you instilled good things into their heads.

Answer 10

It is not so much there physical age but also the mental age.  

Answer 11

No its not ok cause they are to young to be left alone plus something bad could happen like a fire or 1 of them could get hurt.

Answer 12

13's old enough to be a "baby sitter".  You know your kiddos best - can the oldest ride herd on the other two?  Might be worthwhile to run the oldest through Babysitter Training.  The class includes stuff like first aid and what to do in emergencies, entertaining, personal safety, ... stuff like that.

Answer 13

i started babysitting my 9 yr old twin cousins when i was 13/14.  for a few hours not at night though.  i think it would be ok...

Answer 14

well you have a 13 year old and i know my 13 yr old boy does a lot when I'm not home he cooks, cleans and watches his 5 year old brother :) he is very mature for his age but that is what it depends on is yours? if you feel he is i don't see anything wrong with it:)

Answer 15

  3hrs a day should be fine.  I would make sure to give the 13 yr old a little bit of money for helping out.  Either that be sure to buy her something nice at the end of the month.  You don't have to pay her as much as a stranger.  Also set some rules.  Like no answering the door and all answer calls from the two of you.  

Answer 16

As long as the 13 and 10 year olds are mature enough and understand that the door should remain locked, etc - it should be okay.

Answer 17

As long as the 13 yr old can handle the younger ones, it should be fine. I agree with another poster who said to see about putting her through babysitting courses.

Answer 18

I would think it is okay, because you need at least one of them to be 13 to babysit, Where I live anyways...

Answer 19

If the oldest is 13 it could happen but always make sure there a cell phone available so they can contact you personally and I would check on them at least every 30 min until the baby sitter get there, I know how is like is hard everyone has to work together in the family. Good luck.

Answer 20

In most states, it would start a close and very personal relationship with CPS!  You seriously need to check the laws in your area - they are usually very specific, but you may be covered by age (no infants involved).

Just what on earth do you need bad enough to give up your kids??   Do you have any idea what can happen while you're busy earning money and your kids are fending for themselves?

My neighbor thought her girls (ages 12 and 15) would be okay for 3 -4 hours, until their home got invaded by neighborhood kids.

Can't happen to you - right?

Answer 21

First of all, how do your three get along? Will the younger two listen to the 13-year-old who, presumably, would be "in charge"?

Are you and your husband within phone/ cell phone contact?

Is there a reliable neighbor nearby just in case?  

Three hours is not an unreasonable length of time to leave three children these ages -- if they cooperate with each other and are basically responsible kids (won't open the door to strangers, don't play with matches, etc.)

Our daughter at 12 was begging us to go out in the evening without her. (She knew, for example, that if someone phoned for either her dad or me to take a message and say we couldn't come to the phone, rather than we weren't there.) She felt "grown up" staying home alone and was only a phone call away. (We stayed within a 10 to 15-minute drive to the house.)

Make sure you acknowledge your kids' ability and willingness to be so responsible.  

Answer 22

The 13 teen yr old is old enough to be in charge. It really depends on your kids do you feel they are responsible enough you know in your heart if your kids are idiots even if we as parents don't want to tell anyone else. Besides she will get a kick out of being in charge for once and feel so grown she wont let anything go wrong for fear of not being in charge again.

Answer 23

It depends on whether or not your neighbors report you, and whether or not the state thinks the kids are sufficiently mature to be left alone by themselves for a few hours.  My kids were latchkey kids by the time they were 10.  Seven is a little young, but if the 13 year old is mature enough to supervise, it shouldn't be a problem.  If YOU as their parents think they can handle it, then it's probably ok.  Check with your state laws on this one.