What is the legal age of a child being left alone after school for an hour.. NEW YORK?

Question

Hi there, I have a 10 year old girl and a six year old girl. At what age can I leave them home after school for an hour by themselves. We live in upstate NY. I am a very loving and responsible mother, so I dont want people to say that Im not. We are having so many problems with babysitters, and my oldest one is very responsible, sometomes more responsible than an adult...

Answer 1

8

Answer 2

I also live in Upstate NY and I dont know if there is a legal age.  If its only an hour and your girls are fairly mature, it might not be a problem. But I would wait until they are at least 11 and 7.

Answer 3

As far as I know, the legal age for a child to stay at home by themselves is 10. The legal age for them to stay at home with another child is 12. You could probably leave them at home for an hour as long as there are neighbors around, and if you both have a way to communicate, for example, cell phones. My 10 year old girl stays at home with my 8 yr old son for 2 hours,  and they do just fine.

Answer 4

If she's really mature, then I'd say when she's 12-13 and you have a couple of neighbors that she can call in an emergency.

I don't know about your particular state's legal age, but I think 12 year olds can legally baby sit, so I think you'll be fine, especially if you have nearby neighbors on call.