https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 21 May 2026 06:09:45 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-remember-what-age-your-parents-started-leaving-you-home-alone#post-2591278 Sun, 24 Jul 2016 02:36:16 +0000 erinpye 2591278@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was 9. I was also allowed to babysit my baby cousin at that age, and care for my 7 year old little sister. There is zero chance I'd leave my kids home alone at the same age. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-remember-what-age-your-parents-started-leaving-you-home-alone#post-2591248 Sat, 23 Jul 2016 22:00:24 +0000 808love 2591248@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>One of the first times we were left alone with my 12 year old cousin, she made my 6 year old brother take a puff of a cigarette. I was 10 and just ran away! Wish I would have saved my brother...if I only knew. I am definitely going to be careful with leaving LO with other kids! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-remember-what-age-your-parents-started-leaving-you-home-alone#post-2587716 Mon, 18 Jul 2016 10:51:49 +0000 nana87 2587716@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I always had after-school care in elementary school, but by middle school, so when I was 11, I definitely would be unsupervised from the time school let out (we lived close enough that I walked home) until about 5-6ish when my dad would get home. I had an older brother, and he and his best friends would often but not always be over at our house, but they weren't officially in charge of watching me. I remember often going home with friends after school as well--by 8th grade there were definitely sketchy unsupervised shenanigans going on, lol! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-remember-what-age-your-parents-started-leaving-you-home-alone#post-2587681 Mon, 18 Jul 2016 09:38:31 +0000 yellowbird 2587681@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I was around 10 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-remember-what-age-your-parents-started-leaving-you-home-alone#post-2587591 Mon, 18 Jul 2016 01:13:39 +0000 808love 2587591@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>They just saw an article on this. </p> [attach=1524/16/oahymr.463x600.image.png] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-remember-what-age-your-parents-started-leaving-you-home-alone#post-2587517 Sun, 17 Jul 2016 19:16:16 +0000 ShootingStar 2587517@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>At the end of fourth grade I started going home alone after school, so I guess 9 years old? I was fine and mature enough, except for a couple times I got locked out of my house and freaked out. I can't remember when stayed alone at night though. But I was babysitting by 12. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-remember-what-age-your-parents-started-leaving-you-home-alone#post-2587475 Sun, 17 Jul 2016 16:06:31 +0000 arosebyany 2587475@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>All these post really had me thinking the other day. I was either 7 or 8 when my mother started leaving me home with my 2 younger sisters(5 and 2). I remember being in day care before that, and then at some point her deciding she couldn't afford it anymore. I was in charge of both of my sisters. I know I've said it before but my mother is an alcoholic, and at certain times in my life was sober and in aa, but at that particular time I'm pretty sure she was drinking and that was a factor in her decision, even if we did live way out in the country. I can't imagine leaving DS home alone that young 😟. I will say at 8 I was already able to use a stove, cook dinner and able to take care of both my sisters. Like @PawPrints said i felt confident in my abilitys. It freaks me out now lol. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-remember-what-age-your-parents-started-leaving-you-home-alone#post-2587471 Sun, 17 Jul 2016 15:45:21 +0000 caterw 2587471@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm the oldest, and my mom would leave me home sometimes starting when I was 9-10 if I was a little sick or I had a day off from school when she had to work. She was a pre-school teacher so she would be home at between 1230-230. My siblings went to the school where she taught. After they went to kindergarten, she started working nights/ weekends so one parent would be home most of the time. I did babysit my siblings a little when I was in middle school/ high school. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-remember-what-age-your-parents-started-leaving-you-home-alone#post-2587037 Fri, 15 Jul 2016 16:15:44 +0000 MoonMoon 2587037@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When I was about 10, my parents started leaving me alone sometimes, often with my brother who's 4 years younger. I was responsible, but not emotionally ready. I'd be terrified, and often sit with a kitchen knife, imagining intruders breaking into our home. Nothing bad happened, but I can't shake those memories of being scared. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-remember-what-age-your-parents-started-leaving-you-home-alone#post-2587017 Fri, 15 Jul 2016 15:42:21 +0000 runnerd 2587017@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Probably occasional small time periods (like when they went to my grandma's a mile away) around 8; consistently and longer periods of time around 10. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-remember-what-age-your-parents-started-leaving-you-home-alone#post-2587015 Fri, 15 Jul 2016 15:37:21 +0000 IRunForFun 2587015@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's hard to say since my sister is 2 years older, so maybe she was 10 or 11 and I was 8 or 9? I can't really remember. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-remember-what-age-your-parents-started-leaving-you-home-alone#post-2587008 Fri, 15 Jul 2016 15:31:10 +0000 808love 2587008@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was not a responsible kid. More of a book smart kid and my mom did everything for us and rarely explained things. So it really does depend on the kid. In this case, what is right for one is not right for all. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-remember-what-age-your-parents-started-leaving-you-home-alone#post-2587002 Fri, 15 Jul 2016 15:21:52 +0000 avivoca 2587002@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was 9. Our babysitter didn't work out, so my sister and I were latchkey kids (she was 7). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-remember-what-age-your-parents-started-leaving-you-home-alone#post-2586998 Fri, 15 Jul 2016 15:03:58 +0000 Mommy Finger 2586998@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I started babysitting at 11? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-remember-what-age-your-parents-started-leaving-you-home-alone#post-2586927 Fri, 15 Jul 2016 12:36:29 +0000 youboots 2586927@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a 4 1/2 year older sister and my Mom WAH so I was rarely alone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-remember-what-age-your-parents-started-leaving-you-home-alone#post-2586926 Fri, 15 Jul 2016 12:34:38 +0000 PawPrints 2586926@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was 8, in third grade. As far as I can recall I felt confident about it, like it was appropriate. I know there was one point (don't remember if this was when I was 8 or a year or two later) in elementary school when my bus didn't show up and I got my neighbor's phone number out of the kitchen drawer, called her, and arranged for her to drive me to school. Another time I came home from school to find the basement had some standing water in it (a very common event in our house) and my parents were blown away that I responded by laying down a bunch of towels and mopping up as much of the water as I could. Those memories feed a lot into my current ideas about how responsible kids can be if we let go of our fears and give them some room. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-remember-what-age-your-parents-started-leaving-you-home-alone#post-2586925 Fri, 15 Jul 2016 12:32:12 +0000 codeitall 2586925@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For short jaunts, I think it was around 10. I had 3 younger siblings at that time, but my mom had trained me well on changing diapers, mixing the formula, where the first aid kit was, and I could always call the neighbor family if needed. </p> <p>By 12, I was watching my siblings for the whole evening while my parents would go out on dates.</p> <p>It would probably have been different if my siblings and I got into trouble, but we were a fairly cautious lot and the riskiest thing we did was watch Walker Texas Ranger and not clean up dinner until the garage door started opening :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-remember-what-age-your-parents-started-leaving-you-home-alone#post-2586914 Fri, 15 Jul 2016 12:16:27 +0000 LindsayLou 2586914@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm the oldest of 3. My mom started to leave us home alone with me in charge for very short periods of time (15 minutes round trip to run to the market down the road) when I was around 10. But we still had an afternoon sitter after school if both parents were working until I was out of middle school. Starting when I was around 13, we were all home alone after school, only for a couple hours though, and not every day. That was also around the age I started babysitting, both for my youngest brother and for other families. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-remember-what-age-your-parents-started-leaving-you-home-alone#post-2586858 Fri, 15 Jul 2016 10:49:11 +0000 Mamaof2 2586858@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>not alone but with siblings was 1st grade - my parents got divorced and my mom had to work - I was the youngest of 4 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-remember-what-age-your-parents-started-leaving-you-home-alone#post-2586856 Fri, 15 Jul 2016 10:46:58 +0000 808love 2586856@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Did you have your siblings or where you totally alone?<br /> How did you feel?<br /> Anything you remember?</p> <p>I was a latch key kid for awhile in 3rd grade. I don't know what my mom did with my brother who was in 1st but apparently I was 'responsible' enough to stay home by myself. One day, I didn't hang up the phone well on accident. My mom was freaked out because she just got the busy signal as she called repeatedly. She sent the neighbor over who knocked excessively and scared the daylights out of me. I was so torn between answering or not answering! But I didn't make a peep. Eventually, my mom came home from work early distraught but relieved I was ok. After that she learned my real feelings about how I didn't want to be left alone. When my brother stayed home with me, it turned out fine but we fought a lot. Well, at least, that was the memorable part. That and he cut his hand open when he was trying to clean the bathroom. The ajax was clogged so he took a knife to unjam it. Eek. That was a lot of blood. </p>