Whats a good age to leave your child home alone?

I think around 11 or 12 is a good age. My daughter is 2 and occasionally I leave her home sleeping with the baby monitor on and my upstairs neighbor keeps the other baby monitor and listens for her while I'm out. But as far as leaving a 5 year old home, completely alone, and awake, I would never do that. Child protective services pulled a child here a few months ago in my town for that. The child was 6 and ended up outside and got hit by a car and the mother was gone, at the grocery store.

I let my eldest stay at home alone when she was 13 but I would always make my son who was only 9 come with me, to his disapproval. I did not trust them together and I did not want to take the risk. Now my son is 13 and my daughter 17 I am ok about leaving him which he is very happy about as he gets out of having to walk down the road with his mother. I don't want to ruin his street cred!!! I think your example of leaving your 5 yr old alone just goes to show how dangerous it is and you are very fortunate nothing happened to your son. It certainly ain't worth taking the risk for a Taco Bell!!

Technically, you shouldn't leave your children home alone until they are around 12 years old, but some children are mature enough to stay home a little younger than that.