WHat is the age a child can stay home alone in TX?

[pobre]

Well, he is 13, and has been home alone (during the day). However, sometimes, he is uncomfortable (the house makes "noises"). Now, leaving my daughter home alone (age 9) is a different story...and leaving them together? No Way!

I am amazed, however, at the number of children who watch their younger brothers and sisters until their parents get home after school (I teach 5th grade).

[fierce_flawless]

Originally Posted by pobre

Well, he is 13, and has been home alone (during the day). However, sometimes, he is uncomfortable (the house makes "noises"). Now, leaving my daughter home alone (age 9) is a different story...and leaving them together? No Way!

I am amazed, however, at the number of children who watch their younger brothers and sisters until their parents get home after school (I teach 5th grade).

There were 2 kids in my family (well technically more due to kids from my dad's 1st marriage... 2 in the house I grew up in though). I am the "baby" with my brother being 9 years older.

My parents split when I was 7 and my brother was 16 and when my mom had to return to work, he watched me, cooked and fed me dinner, ran my bath, brushed my hair, put me to bed, helped with homework, etc. Even grocery shopped and took me with him when he got a car. When I was 9 and he was 18, he married his high school sweetheart and moved to Florida.

My mom trusted me at age 9 to be home alone from the time I got home from school until she got home from work around 5:30 or 6:00. It seemed okay to her at the time but knowing what *I* know about what I did when she was gone... ugh. I guess I was a sneaky little kid. I know she wanted me home and in the apartment and I was allowed one friend over if any... but in reality I was running around the apartment complex with older kids, going to the pool, and in general I was up to no good but then I'd run home before she showed up and she was never aware of the fact that I'd disobeyed her.

I just hope I'm right in believing that my kids are different from how I was as a kid... due to being raised differently and having different circumstance. Anyway, I only ever "used" my eldest as a sitter within the past year (15/16) and only for the time between when my partner left for work (4pm) and I got home (5:30 or 6:00). I have an 11 year old son and I can't imagine leaving him to watch the 5 year old, but he's also the type to get a bit scared or freaked out if he were here by himself, having always had me or his brother around.

Oh, and incidentally when I was having my eldest watch the younger 2 for those 10 hours max a week (and PAYING him to do so, which my mom never did w/my bro), my mom thought it was just terribly unfair of me to "make" him babysit. LOL. Guess she forgot that my brother practically raised me!