ANSWERS: 4
  • I say 16 and older. But most states have a law saying how old the child has to be to be able to stay home alone
  • There are very few states in the U.S. with legal minimum ages for children home alone, but many state agencies have published guidelines. Georgia, Illiniois, Maryland and Oregon are a few of the states with specific ages specified in their laws. 12 years of age appears to be the most common recommendation. http://www.latchkey-kids.com/latchkey-kids-age-limits.htm provides one guideline from a California agency representative who suggests that 8 year olds and over can be left at home for up to several hours (usually after school before a parent gets home from work). This site also provides a state by state comparison with references. According to the above reference for Colorado cited in the link above: "Colorado in general has accepted the age of 12 years as a guideline for when it might be appropriate for a child to be left alone for short periods of time."
  • I'd say 13
  • It depends on the kid. Of course you need to do the minimum age required by law. Some kids can be at 12, some adults don't need to be left alone. Base it on your kids maturity. I would say minimum of 15.

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