[Will.]

Talked on BBC London news tonight.

Thoughts?

What is the right age for a child to be left at home?

[arista]

for just a Hour - over 10 year olds


Should be fine.

[Babayaro.]

Depends for how long and how mature the child is

11 or 12 maybe?

[smudgie]

Depends on the child I suppose.
I personally didn't do it
I was more worried about leaving the son at home in his later teens and early twenties..I was very aware of the bush telegraph and the phrase "free house"

[user104658]

A lot of it depends on the child, e.g I was left for fairly long stretches aged 11 but by that age I was about 5'10 tall and very independent. Some 11 year olds are still quite childlike.

As a rule of thumb, though, I would say no child under 8 should be left at all, no child under 10 is mature enough to be left for more than say a quick 10 min run to the shop, and at the other end, the majority at 13+ and almost all at 15+ really should be totally fine. I'd find it a bit "odd" if an average 14 year old couldn't be left alone for several hours.

Both of my parents worked long shifts when I was a teenager and I had my own keys, quite often no one home when I got home from school until around 9pm so I made my own dinner etc. as well... I found it VERY odd when I was first in Uni halls and it was full of 18 year olds who couldn't cook more than a pot noodle .

[smudgie]

Wasn't there 500 cases at court last year, ranging from just 6 weeks to 15 years old?
The mind boggles at how anyone could leave a baby home alone.

[jennyjuniper]

I would think from about 11 onwards, providing the child is comfortable being left alone.

[joeysteele]

I haven't any Children yet but talking about this to those of my Family who have had and still have,they say once in their teens,so 13, in their view would be appropriate.
I'd agree with that depending on further how responsible and capable they were too.

[Xtopher]

12-13 depends on how they are.

[Firewire]

Probably about 12. If they're old enough to walk to the shop/school on their own then they can be left on their own for a few hours.

[Mokka]

For an hour or less...a mature 10 year old can deal

For a couple of hours... 12 and up

For a day, while you are say at work, 13 and up if they know how to feed themselves.

[hijaxers]

Well when i was a child i remember being left at 8am by my mother who worked ( my father had left for work much earlier) i was left with colouring pencils, a colouring book and a bottle of lucozade til lunch time when she came back to check on me and then left til 5.30 when she finished work - it was not looked upon as neglect back then , i hated being left alone especially as i had scarlet fever ,but i never ever left my own child alone and i have actually reported women who have , this comes from my knowing a girl who went clubbing and left her kids alone at night, her house burnt down with her two small children inside ! My mother never left us alone at night though.
My partner is a postie and he regularly gets small children just opening the door as their parents are still in bed and lots are alone quite young in the school holidays , so i think this problem is more widespread than we think !

[Vicky.]

Depends on the child. Gavs eldest son is 13 and he gets left alone for a few hours at a time. His other daughter is 11 and honestly, unless she matures a LOT in the next couple of years I doubt she will ever be allowed to be home alone

[Cal.]

11

[Beso]

Originally Posted by smudgie

Wasn't there 500 cases at court last year, ranging from just 6 weeks to 15 years old?
The mind boggles at how anyone could leave a baby home alone.

its not against the law to leave any child of any age alone.

[Conzors]

I didnt walk to school till i was about 13. My mum let me walk up to the shops at about this age too but was never left alone tll i was like 14 - 15.

If children are capable of walking to school they are capable of being left alone for a short while, no?

[Kizzy]

I worked till 10 when my eldest was 15, if they didn't want to stay with nana they stayed at home... seeing as nan had no internet or playstation they chose to stay alone

[smudgie]

Originally Posted by parmnion

its not against the law to leave any child of any age alone.

Yet here we have all these people taken to court.
I think you will be found guilty of neglect if nothing else.

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by parmnion

its not against the law to leave any child of any age alone.

It bloody well should be though. Bit of a disgrace really that some feel its acceptable to leave young young kids home alone..one would hope that a law regarding this wouldn't be needed, but apparently it is as there are too many idiot parents about. Even one family leaving, say, a 5 year old in alone for hours is too many and it SHOULD be punishable by law. :S

[user104658]

Originally Posted by parmnion

its not against the law to leave any child of any age alone.

This is true and not true at the same time. Negligently leaving a child at risk could land you in court / at risk of them being taken into care. However there is no exact age or situation that would be definitively considered "at risk". There's an element of common sense. A newborn baby left alone in a house all day is obviously at risk. An 8 year old left alone MIGHT be at risk but it entirely depends on the 8 year old,their maturity level and ability level. Which will vary widely.

[Jords]

12 - in secondary school; some walk alone so okay to be left in a secured house.

[Kizzy]

Funny story I once had to leave the kids for a bit when my eldest was 10-11, I got home and my daughter made me answer security questions through the door, in the end I stood in front of the window to prove I was me

[Jessica.]

I was being left home alone since I was a baby if my mother was going to chill with the neighbours for a bit etc.. I think that's a bit unusual, there were times that should have changed her mind like when a drunk guy broke into the house while I was asleep on the couch etc..
I had a front door key and was regularly home alone from the age of 8 though.

[Mystic Mock]

I'd say once they reach the 8-10 bracket.

[BBfanUSA]

10 if they're mature enough or 12