https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 09 Apr 2026 10:48:50 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/at-what-age-can-you-leave-lo-home-alone-for-school-breaks#post-2811554 Fri, 23 Mar 2018 14:43:44 +0000 Becky 2811554@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it also depends on where you live. My friends and I would stay home alone at her house at age 10 but she lived in the middle of nowhere so there wasn’t really a concern about us getting into mischief or someone breaking in. We now live in a very safe neighborhood and definitely at age 10 I’d feel fine leaving DD Home alone. I would also like the Nest idea, and would of course have her check in. A little older than that (13) and I think we would consider a day camp because my husband got into tons of trouble in middle school in the same neighborhood we live in now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/at-what-age-can-you-leave-lo-home-alone-for-school-breaks#post-2811525 Fri, 23 Mar 2018 13:00:11 +0000 Hypatia 2811525@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would let my kid stay home at age 10 and up, provided I had a Nest camera I could check now and then. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/at-what-age-can-you-leave-lo-home-alone-for-school-breaks#post-2811523 Fri, 23 Mar 2018 12:55:26 +0000 DesertDreams88 2811523@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Depends on the kid. I was a "goody-goody" kid - followed direction, bookworm, straight-A student, etc. So my parents left me home alone extended periods of time starting at 12 (also, harder to find camps after age 12 :) ). But my brother was very rebellious, destructive, and very interested in fire so they pretty much never left him home until he was about 15 and I wasn't there to watch him anymore. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/at-what-age-can-you-leave-lo-home-alone-for-school-breaks#post-2811446 Fri, 23 Mar 2018 08:52:14 +0000 Anagram 2811446@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm a middle school teacher, and it seems really common by middle school that *most* parents let their kids stay home alone (Unless they have a SAHP) or go home by themselves for half days. I also live in a suburb where it's really common for kids to walk/ride bikes to and from school, so it's also pretty common for the middle schoolers to walk home alone and be there a couple of hours before parents get home.</p> <p>HOWEVER, this is also a tricky age as far as friends/experimenting goes. Lots of these kids are super innocent and wouldn't invite friends over or do anything they aren't supposed to, but you always have those rule-breaking kids that shouldn't be alone (and usually are the ones with the most unsupervised).</p> <p>I'm so glad cameras like Nest have been invented. I can see myself allowing our kids to go home alone from maybe 5th grade on, but you can be SURE I will be checking the cameras to make sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing, getting home at the right time, etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/at-what-age-can-you-leave-lo-home-alone-for-school-breaks#post-2811436 Fri, 23 Mar 2018 08:19:26 +0000 looch 2811436@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son is an only child, so I don't think he'd be able to entertain himself for more than an hour at most, so probably not until well into his teens.</p> <p>It's not that he couldn't, or I don't want to, but I am not comfortable with him being all alone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/at-what-age-can-you-leave-lo-home-alone-for-school-breaks#post-2811409 Fri, 23 Mar 2018 05:42:25 +0000 Mrs. Lion 2811409@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it depends so much on the kids. A full day is a long time. I would say for a couple hours alone, 10 or 11 for a very responsible child. For being responsible for a sibling probably 12 or 13 for a full day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/at-what-age-can-you-leave-lo-home-alone-for-school-breaks#post-2811345 Thu, 22 Mar 2018 16:24:28 +0000 Silva 2811345@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>depends on the kids. I'd leave a 12 year old in charge of an 8 year old but maybe not for a full day, a couple hours while I ran errands would probably be fine. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/at-what-age-can-you-leave-lo-home-alone-for-school-breaks#post-2811344 Thu, 22 Mar 2018 16:23:35 +0000 catgirl 2811344@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was home by myself after school in fifth grade but that was just for 2.5 hours at a time. </p> <p>Then in sixth grade I was home alone over breaks or on in service days. None of the childcare programs in our area went passed fifth grade - so kind of no choice. Though I also started babysitting at 10 or 11. </p> <p>It will really depend on maturity for us. I can't imagine leaving DD for a full day until at least middle school? So hard to say though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/at-what-age-can-you-leave-lo-home-alone-for-school-breaks#post-2811342 Thu, 22 Mar 2018 16:11:51 +0000 gingerbebe 2811342@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My parents left us as home as latch key kids out of necessity when we were painfully young. I want to say like 1st grade! I was 7-8 and my brother was 3-4 years old. Our aged grandmother lived within walking distance so I think she was technically able to mosey over slowly if something terrible happened and my mom worked 15 minutes away, but I would never do that with my kids obviously. </p> <p>We were latch key kids all the way through our childhood but I think the most comfortable groove for everyone was around 12 for me and 8 for my brother (we are 4 years apart). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/at-what-age-can-you-leave-lo-home-alone-for-school-breaks#post-2811338 Thu, 22 Mar 2018 15:59:20 +0000 MrsBucky 2811338@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don’t remember when my parents left me home alone. My state has laws on this topic, for better or worse- age 8 to be left alone, age 13 to be left with younger children. I don’t think I’d leave an 8 year old alone all day by themselves, but by 13 I think I would. A lot would depend on the maturity of the actual kid in question. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/at-what-age-can-you-leave-lo-home-alone-for-school-breaks#post-2811335 Thu, 22 Mar 2018 15:56:05 +0000 JennyPenny 2811335@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know I stayed home alone (no younger siblings) when I was in middle school (age 10/11) but only because my mom looked and couldn't find options for me. But I think it would really depend on the specific kid. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/at-what-age-can-you-leave-lo-home-alone-for-school-breaks#post-2811333 Thu, 22 Mar 2018 15:52:54 +0000 kiddosc 2811333@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think, theoretically, I wouldn't be comfortable until around age 13. And I probably wouldn't want our older to look after the younger until he was 15 or 16. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/at-what-age-can-you-leave-lo-home-alone-for-school-breaks#post-2811332 Thu, 22 Mar 2018 15:51:46 +0000 kiddosc 2811332@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're in the process of making plans for child care over spring break and thinking ahead to the summer months. But this has us thinking about what age it would be acceptable to leave our kids home alone for school breaks. Also, our kids are 3.5 years apart, so at what age would we allow E to look after his little sister at home? </p> <p>DH seems to remember staying home alone when his sister was in 5th grade and he was in 3rd grade. My Mom ran a daycare out of our home, so I was never home alone over breaks. I feel like her daycare kids usually stopped coming around 12. </p> <p>What age do you think you'd be comfortable leaving your kids home alone over school breaks? </p>