Leaving kids home alone
Beth Mouser
I am wondering about leaving my 12-YO home alone. He doesn't want to
go anywhere. We are deschooling and he is spending alot of time on
the computer and that is fine with me. My 10-YO usually wants to
come along but sometimes he wants to stay home too and I don't feel
good about leaving them home alone together, so I talk my youngest
into going with me.
When I was 12, I remember coming home after school everyday and being
alone because my mom worked. But this last time I left my 12-YO home
alone, there was a pile of lit matches next to a candle on the dining
table. We keep the matches put away in a box and he had found them.
However, we have been letting him light a candle at dinnertime (a
ritual we just recently started) and he said he didn't know he wasn't
supposed to light them, although I have told him before he can only
light the candle when we are in the room watching.
Anyway, about 3 afternoons a week I leave the house in the afternoons
to run some errands. I try to think of things my oldest son might
want to do to get him to come along, but he just doesn't seem
interested. My great-grandma (who's 102!) is in a nursing home and
he doesn't want to go with me to visit her and I can't say I blame
him due to the environment, but I feel sort of bad dragging my
younger son along.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Beth
go anywhere. We are deschooling and he is spending alot of time on
the computer and that is fine with me. My 10-YO usually wants to
come along but sometimes he wants to stay home too and I don't feel
good about leaving them home alone together, so I talk my youngest
into going with me.
When I was 12, I remember coming home after school everyday and being
alone because my mom worked. But this last time I left my 12-YO home
alone, there was a pile of lit matches next to a candle on the dining
table. We keep the matches put away in a box and he had found them.
However, we have been letting him light a candle at dinnertime (a
ritual we just recently started) and he said he didn't know he wasn't
supposed to light them, although I have told him before he can only
light the candle when we are in the room watching.
Anyway, about 3 afternoons a week I leave the house in the afternoons
to run some errands. I try to think of things my oldest son might
want to do to get him to come along, but he just doesn't seem
interested. My great-grandma (who's 102!) is in a nursing home and
he doesn't want to go with me to visit her and I can't say I blame
him due to the environment, but I feel sort of bad dragging my
younger son along.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Beth
Mindy Evans
In the state of California, someone told me the legal age to be left home alone is 12. I think you could probably look it up on the web......
God Bless You and yours
Mindy Evans
mindyevans@...
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
God Bless You and yours
Mindy Evans
mindyevans@...
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Ren Allen
~~When I was 12, I remember coming home after school everyday and being
alone because my mom worked.~~
That's a far different situation than a child that WANTS to be left
home. As far as the matches, surely he's old enough to light candles
without an adult right next to him? We simply ask that the kids let us
know when they light a candle and that we dont' light them in rooms
that nobody is going to be in (or blow them out if leaving the room
for good).
We also ask that nobody use matches or stoves when we're gone, for
obvious reasons. So maybe if you just point out that it would be
better for an adult that knows how to handle an extinguisher (maybe
show him how to use one too) available when he's using matches, that
will be enough. It doesn't sound like he's truly a danger to himself
or anyone else when you're gone.
Can he reach you on a cell phone? Trevor was helping out with his
younger siblings at 12 years of age (in short spurts) so I really
don't think it's a big deal for most 12 year olds to be home alone by
choice.
Depends on the individual of course.
Ren
learninginfreedom.com
alone because my mom worked.~~
That's a far different situation than a child that WANTS to be left
home. As far as the matches, surely he's old enough to light candles
without an adult right next to him? We simply ask that the kids let us
know when they light a candle and that we dont' light them in rooms
that nobody is going to be in (or blow them out if leaving the room
for good).
We also ask that nobody use matches or stoves when we're gone, for
obvious reasons. So maybe if you just point out that it would be
better for an adult that knows how to handle an extinguisher (maybe
show him how to use one too) available when he's using matches, that
will be enough. It doesn't sound like he's truly a danger to himself
or anyone else when you're gone.
Can he reach you on a cell phone? Trevor was helping out with his
younger siblings at 12 years of age (in short spurts) so I really
don't think it's a big deal for most 12 year olds to be home alone by
choice.
Depends on the individual of course.
Ren
learninginfreedom.com