when do you think a child can stay home alone?

Good question. I think that if you think that she is mature and responsible and you can sit down an go over things to do if something were to arise. and she understands them completly i think it could be done. but you have to feel completly safe about it if you dont then i dont think you should. but if are leaving her now for 15 to 20 minutes you can contnue to do this and mmake it longer each time to work up to an hour and then longer just stay close and watch and see if it is the right time to start or not. Good Luck

I have to agree with the others on here that it depends on the child and the parent. I have a 10 year old and I think that I could leave her for an hour alone and she would be okay. I would have to call and check on her though. However, my oldest child stayed by herself after school when she was 10 and we never thought anything about it as she was very mature for her age. If the child is independent and not afraid of being alone and knows how to do it safely, then I think it would be okay.

Depends on the kid. My son is 8 and we leave him alone for up to an hour at a time. We also have gone over and over all the house rules and know we can trust him. We always have the cell phone with us and have back up people he can call if he cannot get a hold of us just in case there is an emergency.

Honestly- No! But I think it depends on the child and what the parent thinks- My daughter is also 10- she is an only child though- I would not leave her alone for an hour- I have never left her alone for even 20 minutes- I would also say it depends on where you live and your neighbors- We live in the country- If we lived in town and the neighbors could keep an eye on the house, etc. I would be more apt to let her stay at home alone. I have a great friend who lets her daughter stay home alone for a couple of hours at a time- She is also 10- and my daughters good friend- So I guess it just depends on the parent and how mature the kids are.

I can remember startng to babysit when I was 12 so I think at 10 a mature child would be fine alone as long as they know what to do and how to stay safe. My girlfriend has a 10 year old and she took a safe at home alone course at the y and she manages alone for a couple of hours occasionally but I think all kids mature differently.

I would say it depends on their maturity and how responsible they have proven to be. I don't think it's a problem to leave for 15-20 minutes as long as they can contact you. I didn't leave my kids alone until they were 12. And that was just for a short period of time, like to go grocery shopping.

why won't you leave her alone at home? is she not capable of being on her own? if so, don't then. better to stay safe. when i was younger, my mom works in the government. so, even before i was ten, i was trained to cook my own food already, do some chores and yup, my mom can leave me at home alone for hours. she comes home at night and she does not even need to do so much anymore. except to take care of me. hehe.

It varies state to state and province to province but there is a law that controls that. In Alberta and British Columbia that legal age you can leave your child home without the authorities stepping in if they are contacted is 12 years old. Of course if you neglect your child (which is not the case here I am just saying) as in leaving them for days on end and not providing for them then any age the authorities can step in. This law also covers leaving them in cars, if a child under the age of 12 is left in a parked car the police can be called and they will call in social services. I looked into this when I found 3 kids under 8 sitting in their mothers car for over an hour in Calgary in the summer. The police officer that responded told me about this law and how it works. I don't know what I would do in your case as my kids are 3 and due in August so that is a long way off for me.

Probably but to me it isn't worth the risk. I have a ten year old. I wouldn't leave her here alone... I can't think of one good reason...

10 years old? Excuse me... when I was 10 years old I already know the map of all city and I go from one end to the other alone. Are you kidding me.... from 6 years old I stay home alone for the whole day waiting my parents to come I had a key and everything was fine. 10 years old is just more than mature to stay alone like I said when I was 10 I was not in home all the time. I was out walking around the city.

I really do not think that age is the deciding factor in whether a child can stay home alone. I feel that each child is different. Some 10-year-olds are quite mature and could keep their head in the event of an emergecy while others still need a lot of guidance. Only you know your child's maturity level. Ultimately, you have to be comfortable with the decision!

10 is too young to stay at home alone. Depending on where you live, it is against the law to leave a child that age home alone. Most kids are not mature enough at that age to be trusted alone. If something were to happen you would never forgive yourself.

Oh..maybe if you think she's responsible enough you can. It depends on how you rate your child. There are children with the same age who can't be left alone but there are some at the age of 8 is responsible enough. If you're afraid to left her alone try something which both of you will enjoy doing at home. Make bonding with your child, let her feel that you're always with her all the way. I hope I did help you. :)

I think it depends on the child and the location where you are living. I like many of my friends was a latch-key child. We never thought anything of it, we knew how to behave and also lived in a small town. So that we knew our neighbors and they could help if needed.

I think a child must be atleast 15 to 16 years before they can be left at home alone.

I think that for an hour or so it would be fine. I would just make sure she knows where all the emergency numbers are and basic things not to do while you are gone.

I usually left my girls alone for a few minutes at home. I had instilled on them the proper safety of being home alone. They know how to turn off the lights and TV, get their own drinks and the most important, never ever open the door to anyone else. I also left a mobile for them in case they need to talk to me. My eldest is turning 9 and she's perfectly fine staying at home and looking at her little sister. I can only leave them for 15 minutes to 30 minutes the max. I'm such a worrier and can't leave them for an hour.

This is something I have been struggling with myself. I think it depends entirely on the child and the safety of your neighborhood. My child is never home alone for very long, but when he is he has strict rules. He is to stay inside the house, no cooking, etc. Our neighborhood is very safe, and there are trusted adults living very close by if there is a problem. But I still struggle with leaving him and have wondered the same thing...how old is old enough. I look forward to reading the responses you get.

I think it's irresponsible to leave children alone. As children are still little and they are curious to everything. It's likely sometimes they will make something dangerous. If the accident happens, parents will be guilty for their whole life. So I don't agree that parents leave children alone at home.

Its not legal where I live to leave a child younger then the age of 15 or 16 home alone for any length of time. If you are caught doing so they can take your child away and/or charge you with child neglect. I don't happen to agree with this law because I do believe some children are able to stay home alone at a younger age. As long as the child is responsible and mature enough to know what they can and can not do I can't see why they couldn't be left home alone for a little while except of course the legal aspects of where you live.