Would you allow an 11 yr old to stay home alone?

[SalemWitchChild]

I have an interview for a job on Wednesday. If I get the job, DS will definitely go to a sitter.

My DD is 11 (will be 12 in OCT this year). I feel she is responsible. Knows how to put out fires, call 911, etc.. I'd also make microwavable meals so she's not using the stove each day.

We have a lot of neighbors who I'm sure would help if she needed it.She is in K12 right now and I feel confidient she could continue to work independantly for most of the work, and save anything she has a problem with for when I get home.

Would you allow her to stay home all day? (The job would be from 8-4 I think).

Dh and I share a car right now because his is broke down. But once his is fixed again (waiting on tax return), he could stay at home with her part of the day. His times to work changes frequently so sometimes he'd leave early and sometimes he'd leave around noon.

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Please keep in mind I'm not even sure I want to keep her home. I feel she may be a little too young for being alone all day. There is no legal age requirement for Ohio.

The other alternative is to send her back to the public school here, which is ranked very low. She's ahead of her class so she would be very bored.

[Mamasomedaysoon]

I'd let her yes.

[bmw29]

Would it be an option to hire a sitter to watch them both in your house? Not so much to make sure her schoolwork gets done but more to make sure if disaster strikes there is an adult around.

[momwith2monkeys]

i don't even allow my 13 year old to stay home alone. but that is up to you if you feel comfrontable about letting her stay home all day alone.

My husband and i will this same problem when he finds a job; because she is to old for daycare,  I work 6 days a week and don't know what time i will be getting off daily. Unless he finds a job working 2nd shift ( which is what we are hoping for) my daughter will have to come home after school alone and spend all day alone during holidays and summer break.

If you feel like she is mature enough then go for it but make sure she has access to a phone and your and your husband phone number in it and the police station and fire department.

[davnrori]

 If you think she is responsible enough to stay at home, she probably is. 8am-4pm is a long time to be home alone but as long as she's safe and knows what to do in an emergency then it should be fine. I would do a trial day to see how she handles it.

[SalemWitchChild]

I doubt it. That's what we did in KY but I hired family. I don't have family here that could do that. I wouldn't feel comfortable with a stranger coming into my home.

Quoting bmw29:

Would it be an option to hire a sitter to watch them both in your house? Not so much to make sure her schoolwork gets done but more to make sure if disaster strikes there is an adult around.

[kiddycat73]

I wouldn't for that length of time. My kids are 14,12,&11 and the youngest has never been left alone at all without her brother (14) there.

[SterlingHeart]

each child is ready when they show responsibility - my kids were left alone from 10 on..... they knew the rules and obeyed them 

[cLanief]

Yes I would if I thought they were responsible enough. I was a latchkey kid at 9 or 10.

[MicheleJM]

I would, but probably not as a permanent basis.  If someone can stay with her like your dh that is good.  I guess i can't imagine an 11 year having the motivation to do k-12 by herself. I think eventually she might get bored. That's the problem I run into with my 12 year old if he stays home every day in the summer.  I put him into camps.  No magnet schools or charter schools?

[ADC2005]

Depends on maturity, I was responsible enough to stay home alone at a young age, as was my older brother, my younger brother was not, you know your child better then anyone else