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When can I leave my son alone at home?

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J

janesmithII

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? IL

Is there an age requirement for leaving my son home alone without adult supervision?

Thanks!
 


M

mommyof4

Senior Member
Well, how about a few details?

How old is he? How long will you be leaving him?

To my knowledge and brief research, there is no actual 'law'.
 
J

janesmithII

Junior Member
He's 13. It would be from 5PM to about 2AM three nights in a row. I was given the opportunity to get some overtime on those nights, and I need to take it. I don't have anybody who can watch him during those hours, including his father. I know my son is capable of putting himself to bed, but if I will be doing something illegal then I don't want to risk it as it will be used against me by his father.
 
V

VeronicaLodge

Senior Member
when i was 13 i baby sat a 2 year old, 4 yea rold, and 6 year old, during those same time periods and that was 25 years ago.
 
Zigner

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
VeronicaLodge said:
when i was 13 i baby sat a 2 year old, 4 yea rold, and 6 year old, during those same time periods and that was 25 years ago.
Click to expand...
Therein lies the problem.
I think leaving a 13 year old alone with no local support (ie: relatives close by) from 5 pm to 2 am is NOT a good idea.
 
CdwJava

CdwJava

Senior Member
This is one of those things that tends to work like this: If there is no problem, you're okay ... if there IS a problem (illness, fire, police response, or other emergency) you CAN be in trouble.

As the father of three sons - two of which are 12 and 14 - I would never consider leaving them un-supervised three days a week from 5 PM to 2 AM! Too much time to get in to trouble and mischief, too likely that friends will come over and problems almost ALWAYS come from that, much too likely that homework will be neglected, etc.

If this is a three day deal, it's a judgment call. If it is every week for an indeterminate time frame, then I would think it to be a foolish act to leave them home alone. Even the best of kids get into trouble if given too great a chance ... and, at age 13, boys tend to lose their brains and common sense for a few years.

- Carl
 
C

CourtClerk

Senior Member
You couldn't PAY me enough to leave my 13 year old child at home until 2am 3 days a week. That's just plain ole irresponsible - and as Carl has pointed out, if there is a problem, even a little one, it's gonna be a BIG problem.

Besides... I'm one that thinks your kids need to see you and you need to see your kids when they put their head down to sleep... but hey, that's just me.
 
S

stmfitr636

Member
FYI.

My girlfriend and I decided to save $$ on daycare by allowing her then 14yr old daughter babysit her 5yr old sister for a summer. The following is some of the things that we found out occured during the hours of 6am -3pm:

Various people (even adults) invited to the home.
5yr old handcuffed to stationary objects so that 14yr old can go out.
14yr old sneaking off while 5yr old was napping.
5yr old wandering 1/2 mile down the road to relative's home... 14yr old MIA
14yr old stealing keys to vehicle and driving around.
14yr old participating in high speed chase with 5yr old unrestrained in back seat (and 3 other passengers in front seat).
Hidden Video camera set up overlooking bed for recording of assumed sex acts and such.
Gas procured for small yard machines placed into stolen vehicle to cover tracks (said gas was 2c-yc and treated with oil).
Invited guests that abused drugs in our home.


and these are just the things that we found out about.

So you make the call... when can you leave your son home alone?
 
CdwJava

CdwJava

Senior Member
janesmithII said:
Yes, this would just be a one time thing. Unfortunately overtime opportunities don't come very often.
Click to expand...
As a one-time deal, I would not be quite as concerned as I would if it were a weekly schedule. But, you had better be real confident in your child's common sense and ability to heed your instructions. I would encourage you to make numerous calls to the home as well - nagging by phone can work.

You might also consider telling him that you have hidden cameras around the house for "his protection" ... that might help keep him guessing. :D

I would be kinda-sorta comfortable in leaving my child home alone for just those three nights, but, as mentioned previously it could be a legal issue if anything at all happens. It's not against the law until or unless the child is injured or a situation arises where he COULD be injured. And my biggest concerns would be friends coming over, and not doing homework or going to bed on time.

- Carl
 
stealth2

stealth2

Under the Radar Member
I would ask a neighbor that I trusted to keep an eye on the house those three nights. Only you know how trustworthy your son is. Personally, if they were my kids, I would be okay with it. Last summer, I left my (then) 15yo home for 10 days - my Dad had dinner with him every night & took him to work every morning, but the boy was home nights while working days. Every one of my neighbors knew what the deal was and to call my Dad if there was ANY activity at the house besides my boy and the dogs. When I got back from my trip, every neighbor told me that things were quiet and uneventful. A couple of them had stopped by to check on him, as well.

stmfitr636 said:
FYI.

My girlfriend and I decided to save $$ on daycare by allowing her then 14yr old daughter babysit her 5yr old sister for a summer. The following is some of the things that we found out occured during the hours of 6am -3pm:

Various people (even adults) invited to the home.
5yr old handcuffed to stationary objects so that 14yr old can go out.
14yr old sneaking off while 5yr old was napping.
5yr old wandering 1/2 mile down the road to relative's home... 14yr old MIA
14yr old stealing keys to vehicle and driving around.
14yr old participating in high speed chase with 5yr old unrestrained in back seat (and 3 other passengers in front seat).
Hidden Video camera set up overlooking bed for recording of assumed sex acts and such.
Gas procured for small yard machines placed into stolen vehicle to cover tracks (said gas was 2c-yc and treated with oil).
Invited guests that abused drugs in our home.


and these are just the things that we found out about.

So you make the call... when can you leave your son home alone?
Click to expand...
Your g/f has some serious problems with her 14yo. Hopefully, she's doing something to take care of them. :eek:
 
C

CameronNewport

Member
In Illinois, a child under the age of 14 could be considered neglected if left unsupervised for an unreasonable amount of time without regard to his health/safety.

I'd be cautious if I were you.

Read 705 ILCS 405/2-3.
 
P

Perky

Senior Member
Do you know the parents of any of your son's friends? When my kids were younger, a few times a friend stayed with us during the week because his mom had to go out of town for business. I didn't even know his mom very well at the time, but I knew her son and didn't mind.
 
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