is there a minimum age for a child be left alone

[ermintrude35]

....my daughter is a responsible 13 year old , and is more than capable of being left unsupervised, are there any rules regarding this, everything I've found on the web seems to be very confusing.....

....I leave for work at 7.30am and she would be on her own until 8.20 (on a school day ) .... and some evenings( maybe twice a month) I wld have to work 7pm-12 middninght ( she is in bed at 9pm)...she says that she would be comfortable with this arangment and I trust her jugment completley. I just don't want people accusing me of misstreating her in anyway , I am a single motherd have raised her on my own from the age of 2, I have always worked part time and within school hours, but now I have the chance of promotion and seeing as she is older I feel I can work more hours to provide for her university education etc.......

...so what are your views or legal advice on this issue?....

[B00]

re-reading my reply, maybe I was too judgemental? I have to be honest and say I was thinking of my own teen who's now 19, and what she was like at 13. I love her, but gawd help me she was a dippy bag (still is infact) I wouldn't have dared leave her alone for a couple of hours, i'd get home to a pile of rubble and her stood there saying "weren't me, didn't do nuffin"

You and your daughter both sound like you've got good heads on ya, go for it.

[leewayne]

Glad everyone agrees,id be proud even if my daughter turned out to be half as mature as your daughter,hope she has a good future ahead

[~max~]

I can only agree with everybody else. The fact you are even asking for advice shows that this has been carefully considered and discussed. My mum raised me by herself too, from the age of 10, and to make ends meet she often had to work evenings. I had no problem at all staying home at night by myself. I was quite "geeky", like your daughter (lol), and spent my time reading (that was before the internet took over! lol). I even looked forward to those nights because it meant I could read until later! If you think your daughter is mature enough, I don't see any problem with it. 13 is plenty old enough, as long as you and she are happy with it. Good luck with the promotion! x

[NiceCupOfTea]

When I was thirteen I was babysitting for friends and family left right and centre. Therefore I think it is a totally acceptable age to be left in charge of a house. Some people may argue about relative ages of thirteen year olds, but you wouldn't even be considering this if she was an immature version of one.

Secondly, you are not abandoning your daughter. You are working to afford a better future for her. Aside from having more money, If you do this she will remember it as an example of having to pull your weight to earn what you need or want.

[annie0000]

It sounds to me like you have given it a lot of careful consideration and taken your daughters views into account, so I would say that it is not an issue. I stayed in by myself at a much younger age and in the US, the legal age to be a babysitter is 12. I have two boys of 7 and 6 and I can't see me being able to leave them alone at 13 as there is too much capacity for mischief when there are two of them! If your daughter does feel nervous about it, is there any chance she could sleep over at a friends for those nights, and you could repay the favour by babysitting for her friends parent(s) some night when you are not working?

[pingping]

I agree with most other people on here that it sounds as though your daughter can handle the responsibility. My only suggestion would be that you let a neighbour (who you like and trust) know which two days a month you will be working late so they can pop their head in to check on your daughter, or at the very least can be on the other end of the phone if your daughter needs them.

Having someone you trust on the doorstep might make you both feel a little more secure about it.

Good luck � and go for the promotion!!

[Pottyone]

If the law says it is OK, and you believe you know your daughter well enough, then I would go with it. I know you say your village is full of busybodies, and that she is a bit of a 'geek' but isn't there anyone she could sleepover with if it is only 2 nights a month? Or a neighbour who would look in on her when she goes to bed? It is only 2 evenings a month after all and during this time she will be getting older and more responsible etc. As far as the busybodies go, if it was every evening then they may have a right to get involved but they may not even notice 2 nights a month, unless they really have nothing better to do than twitch their cirtains! Good luck to you. Personally though, I refuse to leave my 16 year old stepson on his own for a night but he is a completely different kettle of fish, believe me. Oh to have a 13 year old 'geek' instead!

[aims1202]

Reading all these answers makes me think you'd have been better off not asking! Everyone has different ideas which means at the end of the day its a personal choice. Just go with what you and your daughter feel is right. If she's like you say then it doesnt sound like a problem. Its not against the law.
When i was 13 i'd babysit for my cousins and neighbours, sometimes quite late, so i guess they must have thought i was mature and responsible. My mum was also single when we were young and i was on my own until 6pm most nights from the age of 9.
I think some parents overprotect their children and i dont think they are as prepared for adult life as they should be.
well done for doing it alone by the way!