What age can kids be left home without a sitter??

[shortcake]

Any ideas?

I believe it is 16 - legally. I know my mum left me before I ws 16 - as I am sure many others do.

No really?? Just for an hour or so - I thought it was a lot younger?

no legal age

NSPCC rec here

Thank you thats what I thought - I thought it was something to do with how responsible they are.

Thank you - that is really helpful.

FWIW and I've said this on MN before, I was going to school by public transport on my own from age 11 and db cycled 3 miles across town to his school at age 11

although there is no age at the moment there is a commission or soem such body considering making it 16 in law

which just seems ridiculous to me, you can leave home and get married at that age never mind have children of your own

how strange - a child can do a paper round from age 13 -- is the kid supposed to take a parent with them whilst doing that?

actually the commission is thinking of 16 for a babysitter even of children in the same family and 13 being the minimum age for being left briefly

here

I was under the impression that you could leave a 14 year old in charge if you thought they were mature enough??

I sometimes go out in the evening and leave my 14 yo dd in charge of the rest of my (sleeping) brood.

There is no legal age. It's all a question of risk. At the end of the day, you could leave a, say, 9 year old by itself for long periods and, provided nothing untoward happened, you'd be OK. OTOH, you could leave a 13 year old by itself for an hour or so and could be classed as negligent if something terrible happened.

The law doesn't specify an age.

But you can be prosecuted if you leave a child with any unsuitable childcare, irrespective of how old.

Technically, you can here as well. But if the baby came to harm, you'd be had up for it. And of course, if a neighbour reported you, it might raise some interest from the police or SS.

funny how they say it ' unacceptabel to elave a 16 year old alone for a week but LEGALLY (in Scotland anyway) you can get married and have a baby at 16!! Not much help to the discussion but it seems a bit odd! 'off you go, get married and have a child but be back in by 10!'

Ludicrous. One of my parp subjects, that

Message withdrawn

there is actually no legal age I was told
it is to do with personal guidance
and rational behavious ie popping off to tescos for an hour i leave my nearly 12 yr old at home
However I'd not pack off on a week long trip to Tenerife leaving him £30 nor would I head out for a night out
So appropriateness is the key.
I have a responsible 12 yr old, I'd looks at him being home alone at night maybe 14?
But if I was working I'd trust him now to let himself in, do his homework- he gets home at 4.30pm from school, that would leave him one hour say til I or dp got home.
But I'm not working

This was discussed before, and I do think it is worth noting that it says "Anyone under 16 should never be left alone overnight to be given the responsibility of looking after younger children without adult help." I happily babysat from the age of 14, but it was never overnight.