Solo en casa: ¿Cuál es la edad apropiada?
By: Keith
Yo no lo sé. Todavía no llego a eso. Mis hijos tienen 7 y 5 años de edad y no hay manera en que los vaya a dejar solos en casa por más tiempo del que me toma ir a mi buzón de correo. Pero, he leído algunos blogs recientemente en donde las personas se están preguntando lo mismo. Sabes, sin embargo, yo no creo que haya una edad apropiada. Mi hijo de 7 años es, en muchas maneras, menos maduro que mi hijo de 5 años. No es la edad, es la madurez. Sin embargo, una vez dicho eso, yo nunca he visto un niño de 7 años de edad quien sea capaz de ser dejado en casa solo. Así que si no es la edad, ¿entonces qué es? ¿Cómo sabemos cuando ellos están listos? ¿Es puro instinto? ¿Hay algunas señales por las cuales tengamos que buscar? Bueno, puesto que hace falta un conocimiento verdadero sobre este asunto, yo he volteado a consultar a mi fiel amigo, Google. Latchkey-kids.com tiene una lista de las recomendaciones que cada estado da para dejar a tus hijos solos en casa. Solo unos cuantos de ellos tienen restricciones legales y la mayoría de los estados no tienen ningún tipo de pauta. Aquí está la copia de la lista:
El estado de Illinois tiene una ley en sus libros que dice que ningún niño bajo la edad de 14 años pude ser dejado solo en casa. El estado de Maryland, sin embargo, dice que 8 años es una edad suficiente. Ya sea que estos dos estados están seleccionando números al azar de un sombrero o incluso hasta los psicólogos y expertos no tienen ni idea. Yo me voy con que nadie tienen ni idea y que los expertos están sacando los números del aire. Y, todo esto me lleva a creer que son los padres los que conocen mejor a sus propios hijos que cualquier otra persona y van a averiguarlo por sí mismos. Pero, si tú quieres un número, yo puedo darte un número. 12 o 13. Esa es mi conjetura porque ese parece ser el número promedio, y yo no creo que la mayoría de los niños sean lo suficientemente listos como para saber como utilizar un extinguidor de fuegos antes de esa edad.
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No matter how you slice it, I have a long way to go.
Great resources here.
I have also never left my kids, 11 and 8 alone in the house for anything longer than a walk to the mailbox, which is about 100 yards away.
My son hasn’t shown me any sign of being mature enough to be left by himself. By 12 or 13? I’m not hopeful. My daughter will probably pass him right by in the maturity department.
.-= Idaho Dad´s last blog ..The New Look Family =-.
I think it should be based on maturity before age. I mean, I know of 15 year olds that shouldn’t be left alone!
.-= Chris | Advice for Dads´s last blog ..My Kid Is Better Than Yours =-.
Chris: Definitely about the maturity. I sometimes think my 7 year old is never going to grow up. But, I know he will — It’s just a question of when
DEFINITELY it’s all about maturity. My eldest son I could leave home from 10 on, maybe earlier, but with the other kids I didn’t. He’s almost 13 now, and in charge when I have to go out. My 10 year old daughter is fine too. Very mature. But my 8 year old? I don’t know if he will ever be able to be left alone! He just doesn’t think the same way. I think you know your kids better than anyone, and you’ll know when it feels okay.
Mitzi: your kids are the perfect age spans apart! It’s nice to have someone who can handle the younger ones, especially when there’s one who needs handling
I’ve only got two boys, but I think my younger is going to be taking care of the older one at some point. HA
When I think back to how young I was when my parents started leaving me alone I shake my head. It wouldn’t even cross my mind to leave my kids alone at that age. Of course, I don’t know how I’m going to deal with actually letting them walk to school on their own.
.-= Captain Dumbass´s last blog ..The Stark Grey Reality Of Monday =-.
chad: I can’t remember when my parents started leaving me alone. I want to say I must have been 11 or so. I wonder how they did it without going crazy. My twin sister and I set our front yard on fire once, shot arrows at each other for fun and a whole bunch of other stuff that we should be dead for. I can’t imagine leaving my kids alone. But, alas, I suppose the day will come. sigh :-/
I think it’s different with every kid. My own state says 8! That’s a little disturbing. I don’t know too many 8 year olds I’d leave alone (including above young Kevin.) I have an 11 year old and a 14 year old and we do leave them alone sometimes. But then, I come home and find that they have left the doors unlocked and are outside messing around in the front yard and I think… how smart is it to let them be on their own? At some point we let go.
Beth: Yeah. 8 seems way too young! I wonder which genius thought that one up
Probably someone without kids. I’m waiting for the day the light clicks in my head and I know it’s ok to leave them. obviously not yet, but the anticipation is interesting. Thanks for visiting again!
I leave the 13 year old boy to watch the 11 and 6 year old. He has a certain weird first born structured all socks line up in the drawer mentality so it works. It is also for just a trip to the grocery store. Now I just wish the wife would leave me at home alone once in awhile.
.-= Ed´s last blog ..Medical Error =-.
Ed: wow, you’ve got quite an age span there. Funny how first borns have that ability. It must be a learned trait. Yeah, my wife doesn’t leave me alone very often either
I keep hoping to be able to sit on the couch with potato chips for an afternoon sometime soon!
A really important issue, Keith. And I think many parents don’t think about it carefully enough, or even realize there are laws, as you show above.
The single parent has a particular dilemma. There may be one of you and several of “them” and other issues to juggle as well. It’s certainly a question that requires careful thought – and the best we can do – given the child, including the child’s physical maturity, not just emotional or developmental.
Something I wrote about a few months ago, when to my surprise, some individuals thought I should take a vacation while leaving a not-yet-mature teen alone. dailyplateofcrazy.com/2009/10/29/parenting-tips-age-to-leave-children-home-alone/ (Guess what my decision was on that one?)
.-= BigLittleWolf´s last blog ..Boost your brain (with pleasure) =-.
Drama Queen is 12 and is home alone after school for a couple hours before I get home. I occasionally will leave her alone for 2-3 hours if I go out and do things, but the next door neighbor is always home and she knows that she is there. It’s tough doing, but she has to learn responsibility at some point…
JR: It’s always helpful to have neighbors who you know and who can pitch in a little. we don’t know any of our neighbors (stupid modern society). Thanks for the comment!
I’ve only leave my kids alone to drop off the other kids at the bus stop (5 minutes). The other kids know they can’t open the door unless we say it’s ok (even when we’re home) and they have never left the house without permission. Of course, we have never left the baby alone. You never know what my happen with a baby around.
.-= Daddy Forever´s last blog ..Links Round Up – 2010.02.12 =-.