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Thanks for asking me to clarify. I was in a hurry last night.
I was trying to convey that states that don't have laws defining minimum ages for leaving children home alone aren't allowing that to be completely open to a parent's judgement. What happens is they allow it until something happens. As in nobody goes after parents who leave children home alone for periods of time unless something serious happens----like the house catches on fire, the child falls of the porch roof, etc.
Basically, if a child gets hurt while home alone CYS usually steps in to investigate. As long a child isn't getting hurt or put in danger, nothing happens.
Things like that happen when there are adults at home as well. Almost never do we hear of a house burning with kids inside who had been left alone.
The chances of a serious accident happening when a child is left alone is far less than when an adult is present. Kids don't tend toward dangerous behavior when at home by themselves ( I mean in general.) They are more careful.
Kids fall, houses burn mostly when there are adults around.
I'm trying to think of the last time I read or heard on the news that something bad happened while kids were home alone and I can't come up with anything. I live in an area where EVERYTHING gets on the news because not much happens and they need to fill the time.
I know legally the age is 12 to stay at home alone, but what is your opinion on children staying at home alone and what age? I think it has a lot to do with maturity level too. I started staying home at 9 years old, but my 11 year old brother was there; however, I was more mature than him.
I think my om started leaving me at home when I was about 6 or 7...But I lived in a really safe neighborhood then, and I enjoyed playing inside more tha outside so my mother basicly knew if she left me at home with some sandwitces for a day she'd still find me in my room when she came back...
Things like that happen when there are adults at home as well. Almost never do we hear of a house burning with kids inside who had been left alone.
Strange. It just happened yesterday.
Apartment Fire Injures 3 Children (http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/dc/apartment-fire-injures-3-children-020310 - broken link)
Quote:
The three children were in the condo alone. Investigators say the father went to a neighbor's and asked her to keep an eye on the kids. The father then went to work. About 20 minutes later when the neighbor showed up the condo was already on fire.
And here's another fire when children were left home alone:
A suburban Lansing father whose two small children died in a house fire while he was allegedly out shopping is now charged with felony child endangerment.
I could go on and on
Quote:
Originally Posted by NoExcuses
The chances of a serious accident happening when a child is left alone is far less than when an adult is present. Kids don't tend toward dangerous behavior when at home by themselves ( I mean in general.) They are more careful.
Kids fall, houses burn mostly when there are adults around.
It does happen. And that's when the parents are at risk of being charged with neglect.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NoExcuses
I'm trying to think of the last time I read or heard on the news that something bad happened while kids were home alone and I can't come up with anything. I live in an area where EVERYTHING gets on the news because not much happens and they need to fill the time.
Goodness, I could post news articles all day long. Maybe your news doesn't cover these things. Not sure why.
11 is OK with me, children need to learn responsibility at an early age, I believe.
But the one rule I have is there is to be absolutely no cooking at all what so ever, don't even look at the stove. That's my biggest rule, and I am so not playing with that, and my boys knew it, so there is and always will be plenty of peanut butter and jelly !!!
A 5 year old, 2 year old and a baby is a far cry from a 10 or 11 year old alone. I cannot think of any 5 year old who is responsible to babysit a toddler and a baby but most (not all) 10/11 year olds can be responsible for themselves. Plus-it's dangerous to leave little kids in a LOCKED room. When my son is home alone he is allowed free reign in the house.
A 5 year old, 2 year old and a baby is a far cry from a 10 or 11 year old alone. I cannot think of any 5 year old who is responsible to babysit a toddler and a baby but most (not all) 10/11 year olds can be responsible for themselves. Plus-it's dangerous to leave little kids in a LOCKED room. When my son is home alone he is allowed free reign in the house.
I know. I was just responding to NoExcuses post about not recalling a house catching on fire while children were home alone. And I think it's more likely a house will catch on fire with a 10/11 year old home than when those young children were simply sleeping in bed. Afterall, a 10/11 year old could be cooking or using matches to smoke cigarettes. This whole dicussion is simply addressing the legal risks. If a house burns down with a 10/11 year old home alone, the parents are at the same risk. CYS investigates.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NoExcuses
Hopes, my point is, things like that happen even with adults in the house. Accidents happen.
The government isn't logical though. When an accident happens, they investigate and sometimes parents are charged with neglect--even when the children are at these borderline ages because there's that legal grey area of maturity.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NoExcuses
And I agree, locking two babies in a bedroom and leaving is TOTALLY different than having a 10 year old stay alone for a couple hours.
But the same legal risks apply. I only posted those two articles because I did a quick google search. I'll find articles where something happened with children around 10/11 years old and the parents were charged. I know I can find them because I know it happens.
I'm not against leaving 10/11 year olds home alone if they are mature enough. I'm just warning that even then there is a legal risk.
It's a gamble we take. We're playing the odds when we do it.
My daughter used to be friends with a girl who is 17. The girl is not allowed to go anywhere alone, nor is she left alone at her house. She is treated as though she is 8 and as a result, she behaves as though she is 8. She complains that she has no independence but she acts like a little child. She takes no responsibility.
IMO, learning to be alone at home from time to time, or between school and mom and/or dad getting home is a step toward growing up. Wait too long, and that step doesn't happen as easily.
I don't think that this is always the case.
I believe that occasional and irregular times it is OK to leave the kids alone. But on a regular basis or for extended periods of time even at 17 or 18 that there should be a responsible adult present.
This means that if mom wants to duck down the shops for half an hour that it is OK to leave the kid at home but if the parents are going out for the evening then they should get a baby sitter even for 17 year olds in my opinion.
This means that if mom wants to duck down the shops for half an hour that it is OK to leave the kid at home but if the parents are going out for the evening then they should get a baby sitter even for 17 year olds in my opinion.
Who would you hire to babysit a 17 year old?
I really think that a kid should be mature enough to stay home alone, even for a long evening if they are old enough to drive.
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I mean in general.) They are more careful.
