What age should a child......?

Question

In your opinion, preferably if your a parent

What age is a child able to stay home alone, after school or to babysit? or to go to be dropped off at the movies. or just to stay home for a little while what do you think?

oh and let me say I know the answers will be different from the woman who are pregnant and the woman who are parents of a teenager which I am.

Answer 1

Well legally they can't babysit until they are 12 years old (that includes being left to care for younger siblings) and i think that is an ok age for short amount of hours.  Really depends on maturity level.  With a child that has "special needs" obviously they may never be mature enough to really be home alone.  I would say that a 10 year old and above in many cases is capable of staying home for an hour or two alone after school if the parent(s) check in on them by phone to make sure they did come home and everything is ok.  To be dropped off at the movies during the daytime hours I would say 10 and above with friends for a movie appropriate for their age group, at night however they should be about 15 and up.  

Answer 2

Here is a tip.

If your kid has hit puberty, they are attracted to the opposite s*x and they get horny.VERY VERY horny.

Their common sense goes into a coma when this happens and even if they didn't have the hormonal problem, they are still not mature minded because they are not adults butt CHILDREN.

Any kid under 18 is going to do whatever they want tofull fillll any desires they have if they think they can get away with it.When parents give them the TOOLS to do this like a lot of free unsupervised time, the kids out it to use.

That is why there are so many girls between the ages of 11-18 on here with pregnancy problems.One girl was bragging about hosince herher mom only let her spend the nigAtaFriendsends house she trusted, they snuck over to a guys house from 12 A.M. to 4A.M.

If YOU want to RISK your teen getting into trouble, let her stay alone for hrs on end or drop her off in town.Frankly I wouldn't,I'd have an aunt or uncle to stay with her or drop her off at relatives.

Answer 3

i have an 13 year old she is aloud to stay home alone. i think that the right age to stay home alone or anything like that is maybe 10 and up or 11 and up

Answer 4

I became a latchkey kid at the age of 5 until the state fund out and insisted my mom get a sitter even though I was fine.  I would say for a kid to stay home alone would be 10 or 11 depending on the maturity level.  I started babysitting at 14, and i think that's a good age.

Answer 5

when in doubt, check your city or county laws.

Answer 6

I think all that should depend on if you live in a safe area. Where I live, it is really quiet, and close to no new people come around, because most people don't even know the place exists. That makes it pretty easy for a kid to stay home alone, and I know kids around 9 start staying home alone here. (for short amounts of time.) And longer amounts of time between 10 and 12. To babysit, you are supposed to be 11 or 12. (varies in some places.) I know classes are available at 11. To get dropped off at the movies, it also depends on how safe it is. If things get stolen or whatever at your theater, wait until they are maybe 15 or 16. If it is pretty safe, I'd say about 13 or 14. I'm just a kid, but that's what I think.  

Answer 7

I stayed home alone after school starting when I was 9 and 10......Whe I was 11 I would stay home just cause my parents would be at work.......To be dropped off at movies I would say 12 or 13......Im 13 and my mom forces me to go to the movies with friends so she can "be alone" probley to like m********e or something......(MY parents divorced when I was 11) so she cant have s*x anymore....Anyway to babysit I would say 13 or 14

Answer 8

There are now laws that dictate these things. I babysat around 11 or 12 for a couple hours at a time across the street. Then again I was dropped off at the theater to see Friday the 13th movies (even though my parents knew I was not old enough to get in).

I grew up in a small town and a different time. I finally leave my children at birthday parties...they are 7 and 9...but if they request I stay...I do. In our state my children are not allowed to stay home alone by law...nor are they allowed to babysit...so it does not happen.

Answer 9

I'm not a parent, but in my opinion if your kid is a teenager then they're old enough to be home alone or to be at the movies alone.

A kid is probably old enough to be alone by the time they're 11 or 12, depending on the individual kid. At least, from what I've seen.

Answer 10

you only have to be 11 to babysit i say 12 to go to the movie with girl friends but 11 to stay home a little while as long as they have rules and yes i have 3 kids and the oldest is 10  

Answer 11

I'm sure there are local laws but, for me, it'd be more about my child's maturity level, how much I trusted my child, my daughter's ability to rationalize, etc.  As for babysitting, sign up your child for the babysitting certification course.  They'll have guidelines for you to follow for age appropriateness as well.

Good luck and take good care! :)

Answer 12

12 is the magic number at age 12 is when shes starting to mature and by law thats the age they can actually stay home by themselves