Dirty Hazy
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Post by Dirty Hazy on Dec 29, 2010 5:16:00 GMT -5
Just curious because my friend is a single parent who wants custody eventually but is concerned that due to work or whatever, what age it becomes legally safe to leave a kid home alone.
Calling the local police station, I was given basically the following answer but I will add that I felt the person answering wasn't too sure.
As long as the kid is mature enough to handle it and not answer phones, doors, has access to food and drink they can safely make, and as long as the time isn't excessive, I was told it is up to the parent's discretion and that age really has nothing to do with it.
What do you people think?
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Post by Orange on Dec 29, 2010 5:19:24 GMT -5
I'd say as long as the kid is at an older age (like 13 and up or so) I see no harm in it. Now I don't think it's smart to leave a 5 year old home by themselves, but if it's a teen or something I think it's fine.
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AFN: Judge Shred
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Post by AFN: Judge Shred on Dec 29, 2010 5:21:46 GMT -5
I think they nailed it dead on. No age is right, it is judging the kid. You can't just go "oh you're twelve, you will be fine". I would say most wont have the judgment to handle a full work day alone until 11ish. For an hour or 2 after school, a real sharp kid of 9 would likely be ok.
Making sure they have all the phone numbers they need and know who they are and who to call when, is essential.
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Post by Spankymac is sick of the swiss on Dec 29, 2010 5:32:30 GMT -5
My parents started leaving me alone when I was about 11, so I think that's right about the threshold, honestly.
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Post by KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!! on Dec 29, 2010 6:19:16 GMT -5
He can't be too young. Otherwise Joe Pesci will never stop bothering him.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2010 8:32:51 GMT -5
I was first left alone in 5th grade sometime. I was sick as a dog and literally couldn't get out of bed that day.
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MolotovMocktail
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Post by MolotovMocktail on Dec 29, 2010 14:39:21 GMT -5
I was about 10 when I was left alone for short periods of time, then the next year my mom started working, and I came home from school myself (new school with shorter walking distance). 10 is probably about right, if it's only for an hour or so.
And as far as I know, few if any states have laws that set a minimum age.
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"Hollywood" Cactus Matt
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Post by "Hollywood" Cactus Matt on Dec 29, 2010 14:44:02 GMT -5
Yeah, I think I was around 10. Of course, my sister is two years older than me, but I don't know how smart it is to leave a 12-year-old in charge of a 10-year old and an eight-year-old (my brother), but we all survived.
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Post by rapidfire187 on Dec 29, 2010 15:02:48 GMT -5
My cousin started coming home from school and being home alone at the age of 8. He'd usually be there for about 2 hours by himself and was doing chores.
I think my parents started trusting me at home alone at the age of 10, but only during the day. My sister is 11 and very rarely stays at home alone because she's just not as mature as most kids her age.
Also, we called DFCS one day to find out the legal age that a kid can be left alone here in Georgia and really didn't get a straight answer either. I want to say that there was an age where the kid couldn't be left alone but it was something like 7 or 8.
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Post by Back to being Cenanuff on Dec 29, 2010 15:30:09 GMT -5
I was a latchkey kid at 8.
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Post by OGBoardPoster2005 on Dec 29, 2010 17:22:28 GMT -5
I was starting at age 9
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