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How old were you?

post #1 of 13
8/30/05 at 12:54pm
Thread Starter 
How old were you when you were left alone?

Did you have special rules?
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post #2 of 13
8/30/05 at 1:15pm
I wasn't left alone until I was 12.

I didn't leave my oldest son alone until he was 12 or 13.
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post #3 of 13
8/30/05 at 1:18pm
I can't remember. Since I have two older sisters I was alone with them lots.
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post #4 of 13
8/30/05 at 1:32pm
I really don't remember. But when I was young, we lived behind my grandparents, so I guess technically I was never alone.
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post #5 of 13
8/30/05 at 3:53pm
My mother would say 14, but she would be living in her "wonderful mother" fantasy. She left me alone before I was two years old to get the mail. Which doesn't sound like much, but we lived in the country and had a very long driveway. I remember it because of the large grate scar I have on my belly from falling on our floor furance. She was there, but we were alone a lot. KWIM?
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post #6 of 13
8/31/05 at 1:00am
I was 8 and with my 5 yr old brother. We had TONS of rules, my parents were cops. The rules were no answering the door, no answering the phone my mom would call and start to talk on the answering machine then we could pick up (I suppose noone has an answering machine anymore it's all voicemail). We couldn't use the stove only the microwave. It was after school so I was allowed to get myself and my brother a snack. We knew which ones we were allowed ahead of time. We also had all kinds of emergency numbers on the wall near the phone incase.
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post #7 of 13
8/31/05 at 4:33am
I was left home alone with my sister, who is 6 1/2 years older than me from a very young age. Then when I was 12, during the summers when everyone was at work, my best friend Stephanie and I stayed home together. One week we would spend the days at her house and the next week at mine. So I guess I didn't stay home alone until I was 13 or so.
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post #8 of 13
8/31/05 at 4:35am
Oh yes, Steph and I could not go outside at all, not for any reason, and we could not answer the door. We could answer the phone (no answering machines back then!), but we could not divulge that we were there without an adult. Same rules applied when I was home alone.
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post #9 of 13
8/31/05 at 8:37am
I was in Kindergarten. I had my brother who was 8. I cannot remember much about the rules. I know we were not allowed to answer the door for people we did not know and could not let anyone in.

Heck I was 5 years old and walking 2 blocks away and crossing a busy street (with crossing signals) to visit my best friend. And I would go to the store for my mom when I was 6. And this was in California. wow times are really different now.
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post #10 of 13
9/16/05 at 9:51am
I think I was about 8 or 9, my step mum would pick my dad up from work and leave my sister and step sisters at home for about 15 minutes to half an hour, my step sister, Rebekah was only a year older than me. I would only leave Hayley at home by herself for short amounts of time (not now, when shes older-probably a teenager) and make sure I let my neighbours, friends and relatives know just in case. I'd also leave emergencie numbers and stuff like that.
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post #11 of 13
9/16/05 at 9:55am
mmmm I'm not quite sure. My parents for the most part always worked opposite shift so one was always home. and when they worked the same shift my brother was left in charge of us. But that wasnt even til we were older.

I had a key to the house - but I dont remeber when I had it or how oftern I was home alone.
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post #12 of 13
9/16/05 at 10:22am
Meagan, I was a lot like you. By five years old I was walking a few blocks to friends' houses and would even walk "downtown" to go to the Christian book store to buy stickers when I had money.
I was a latch key kid by 1st grade and then at 8 my mom was working night shift and we stayed alone all night pretty much every night. My sister is only 15 months older than I am so she wasn't exactly a baby sitter.
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post #13 of 13
9/16/05 at 4:43pm
I was 7 or 8...I used to watch my sister when both parents were working day work(dad worked shift work), and even when dad was home he was usually drunk or sleeping. I would even babysit the neighborhood kids. We also walked all over the town. I didn't stay in the house, we just did what we wanted.I was 11 the first time I stayed alone all night.....some creepy guy came banging on the door and windows yelling for my mom....scared the pee outta me! By the time I was 12 I was babysitting for my aunt and uncle all summer. I really can't imagine leaving Josh(8) with Jake(4) , and definately not Jesse alone. Josh does have to stay alone for about 10 min on MON,WED,AND FRI after school while I pick up Jake....he has a ton of rules as well...lock door...stay in...don't answer phone or door, etc....

Anna is 11 and we have left her alone and with the boys for about 30 min when DH was running late and I had to be at work. Coarse DH spent the whole time on the phone with her and they still had all those rules...lol.
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