Much safer indoors, pet, where I can keep an eye on you!

[Mock Turtle]

At what age is it considered child neglect to leave a child home alone?

A majority of social workers surveyed believe children should be at least 12 before being left home alone four hours or longer, and they are more likely to consider a home-alone scenario as neglect if a child is injured while left unsupervised.

Not just at home either, since kids will play around their local neighborhood given half a chance - as I did. The few (quite serious) accidents I had aged about eight would indicate that I needed supervision, although my mother working nights to make our lives better (and hence sleeping for much of the day), had little choice and probably couldn't afford to pay for anyone to look after us. I managed to get a fractured knee and a head injury whilst on my own - either playing in the street or in the local park (for the first accident). But then, this was the 1950s.

How do you see this?

 

[ChristineM]

I see you are still here and no worse for your experiences, perhaps even better than you would have been without them

I think a child should have independence. To be free to learn his/her limits. Of course care should be available should they need it.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

The suggestion in the OP seems pretty reasonable to me, but honestly, it's a kid by kid thing.
Also, I really think @ChristineM nailed it with the 'independence' thing.
Let's assume your 12 year old is going to spend 4 hours at home on their own. What should they be doing when they're 11? 10? 9?
This is what allows them to develop the confidence to be more independent, instead of being dropped in the deep end because 'you're 12 now'.

Sidenote, but somewhat related. My youngest daughter just went on her first overnight camp with school (she's 9). They had to put her in a dorm room with some kids who'd never been away from their homes without their parents. One of those kids is a very close friend of hers, so we'd kinda pushed/invited that girl over to our house for a sleepover, two weeks prior to the camp. She could share a bed with our daughter, and when she woke up in tears at two in the morning, we didn't have a bunch of other kids to worry about. A quick pat with our dog, a glass of water, and her choice of teddy bears to cuddle, and she was back to sleep.

The really nice thing is that she got through her first camp without any tears at all. Like anything, building kids up to something over time is better than just hitting them with it.

 

[Mock Turtle]

I see you are still here and no worse for your experiences, perhaps even better than you would have been without them

I think a child should have independence. To be free to learn his/her limits. Of course care should be available should they need it.

Well my six week stay in hospital perhaps gave me enough not to cry whilst away from home (or mother), and I never seemed to suffer from this then or later. Of course I'm not blaming my mother since she had to do what was necessary to look after us all - as did most after WWII. In those days it was very common for kids to play in the streets and probably to wander further. Whether times have changed or just attitudes is debatable but I doubt we were worse off for being more independent so young.

 

[ChristineM]

Well my six week stay in hospital perhaps gave me enough not to cry whilst away from home (or mother), and I never seemed to suffer from this then or later. Of course I'm not blaming my mother since she had to do what was necessary to look after us all - as did most after WWII. In those days it was very common for kids to play in the streets and probably to wander further. Whether times have changed or just attitudes is debatable but I doubt we were worse off for being more independent so young.

Both times and attitudes have changed, even since my childhood in the 70s / 80s.

Cities, where most people live are not as forgiving of children as they were.

I was raised on a farm on the edge of a small village, everyone knew everyone and could rely on them. It made for a pretty indipendent childhood even though i was probably watched from everywhere?

This is one reason we have moved to a small village in france, so the kids can grow and learn as i did.