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While I personally agree with this, we should probably point out that this isn't an actual federal law or anything. Laws differ by state and most states only issue guidelines.
My personal opinion would be 16-17 with nosy neighbors.
I think it is more of an indication of how the courts might view it if a case were presented. You're absolutely right about the absence of specific law in most states.
When I was in 5th grade, the woman across the street hired me to baby-sit her two children overnight as she worked her shift. So, at 11-12, I was deemed mature enough to not only be home myself, but to watch two younger children.
The CORRECT answer to the question lies in the maturity of the specific child.
When I was in 5th grade, the woman across the street hired me to baby-sit her two children overnight as she worked her shift. So, at 11-12, I was deemed mature enough to not only be home myself, but to watch two younger children.
The CORRECT answer to the question lies in the maturity of the specific child.
You were also right across the street from your parents.
When I was in 5th grade, the woman across the street hired me to baby-sit her two children overnight as she worked her shift. So, at 11-12, I was deemed mature enough to not only be home myself, but to watch two younger children.
The CORRECT answer to the question lies in the maturity of the specific child.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kibbiekat
You were also right across the street from your parents.
I am sure that the woman would not have hired you to babysit overnight if your parents were two states away for a romantic weekend instead of just across the street.
Frankly, when people hire young girls like that to babysit it usually is with the knowledge that the young babysitter's parents would be on call and immediately available in case of an emergency.
Sometimes the babysitter herself is not even aware of the agreement between the adults and is just reminded that it is OK to call her parents if there is a problem that she can't handle. When my children were younger I hired several youngish neighbor girls to babysit (for date nights not for overnights) with exactly that agreement with their parents and we never told the babysitter of our agreement.
Last edited by germaine2626; 10-01-2015 at 07:27 PM..
Just wondering what the consensus is on this? I'm not talking for a few hours here and there, but like overnight stays, weekend getaways alone?
15? 16? younger?
Me and the wife had something we had to do that required an overnight stay and we left our 13 year old at home overnight (we were like 12 miles / 20 minutes away). We were there in the afternoon, and back my noon the next day, but it was an overnight. He's 14 now. I would say he is really no more responsible or mature now, a year later. But I am gauging the group to see if there is a general consensus on this.
Me and the wife have something we would like to do in a few months that would require 2 nights away, out of town, on a weekend. Would this be something you think a 14 year old could handle?
If you are comfortable with it and there is an emergency contact network, it should work. Most parents, who'd say "no", are probably over-protective. A few decades ago families did it all the time with no ill effect and there is no reason to think it would be any different now, apart from just being afraid.
If you are comfortable with it and there is an emergency contact network, it should work. Most parents, who'd say "no", are probably over-protective. A few decades ago families did it all the time with no ill effect and there is no reason to think it would be any different now, apart from just being afraid.
So, you really feel that 20 or 30 years families often left 14 year olds home alone when the parents went out of town for a weekend?
I'm in my middle 60s and had plenty of relatives, friends and co-workers with teenagers in the years 1985 to 1995 and I can't even think of one family that left a 14 year old home alone for an entire weekend by themselves, either parents took their children with them when the went on vacations or trips, had the teen stay with another family or had an adult stay with the young teen. Of course, it may have been different in your part of the country.
When I was about 4, my mother wanted to pick my brother up from school to take him to catechism because it was raining. She (with a soul full of hope) told me to stay there on the couch until she got back. In the preceding weeks (months?) I had become fascinated with the electric clock which hung over the stove. It had a second hand that moved continuously and it always looked different everytime you went into the kitchen. So I guess I wondered how that happened. I wanted to investigate. As soon as she was out the door, I took a chair, climbed up on the stove, and fiddled with the knob on the bottom. I do remember to my astonishment the hands moved around (how cool, I thought), but I also realized that now the thing looked different and I had no idea what position those hands were in when I started out. So, I figured they'll never know the difference either - just get down, and go lay on the couch and pretend to nap (to avert any suspicion).
Well, she waited and waited at the school, (apparently she thought all the kids had dismissed already), and she never saw my brother, or apparently, any other kids (I think she got there too late). She circled and circled, and couldn't find him anywhere. So, apparently worried and upset she just came back home. She walked into the kitchen and the clock said 1:50. She swore she left at around 3:15. But now she began to think she was going cuckoo and left the house way too early. The poor thing must've thought she was losing it. She said very little to me - that is, until my dad came home from work, (way too early by the clock) and he remarked that the clock was screwed up. That's when I caught hail Columbia. They quickly figured out I had gotten into yet another gadget and I was hassled about that for the rest of the day.
Subsequently, when left home alone the business about "don't monkey around with the stove" was always uttered as she walked out the door. [I guess coming back home and it's ten to two, after not seeing any kids outside by the school, must've been a traumatic experience - my mother was not the most "stable Mabel" by any means]
Last edited by TwinbrookNine; 10-01-2015 at 08:50 PM..
Just wondering what the consensus is on this? I'm not talking for a few hours here and there, but like overnight stays, weekend getaways alone?
15? 16? younger?
Me and the wife had something we had to do that required an overnight stay and we left our 13 year old at home overnight (we were like 12 miles / 20 minutes away). We were there in the afternoon, and back my noon the next day, but it was an overnight. He's 14 now. I would say he is really no more responsible or mature now, a year later. But I am gauging the group to see if there is a general consensus on this.
Me and the wife have something we would like to do in a few months that would require 2 nights away, out of town, on a weekend. Would this be something you think a 14 year old could handle?
Wouldnt advise you to do that. A friend or grandparent should be there and a written note to give them permission to seek medical help if an illness or accident were to happen.
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