I answered your poll, but the longer answer is that I started leaving him at home for short periods (corner store, moving the laundry at the laundromat to the dryer - about 10-15 minutes) when he was around 8 or 9. By the time he was 10 I was leaving him at home for half an hour.
It's so interesting for me to think about because I hadn't considered it at all before. We talked about it last night and K and I were both sort of on the same page. I guess it's hard to contemplate given N is in a clingon stage where he won't even be left in a room alone (while he is awake) without kickign up a fuss and following us into another room.
I read the NY times article about the kids left home alone, and the thing that bothered me was at the end the girl and her FIFTEEN YEAR OLD BROTHER could not figure out how to clean up the dog's diarrhea? Really? I think they just preferred not to. Of course, my mom gets dry heaves over any bodily fluid, so I had to clean up the dog vomit/diarrhea and my own vomit from a fairly young age.
I totally would have done that. And then my mom would have bopped me on the head and called me stupid and made me clean it up anyway.
I babysat for other people's kids, including babies, by 12. What where they thinking? I look at 12 year olds now and wonder how they'd handle my kids. I've never hired a sitter under 16!
When I was 12 or 13 I worked as a sitter in a racquetball club where my mom was the pro. I watched kids for an hour or two at a time while their parents worked out. Granted, there were always other adults just on the other side of the nursery door, so no big.
Shir, do you want red shoes or could you go with a neutral?
When I was maybe 8 or 9, my grandmother left me home for a little bit with my grandfather. That was too young, since he was a quadraplegic, and I was just old enough to know how little I could do if anything went wrong. Home alone, I would have been fine.
Well, in charge of yourself is different than in charge of someone who might really need you!
Shir, do you want red shoes or could you go with a neutral?
Doesn't have to be red. It's just for fun, I'm not planning buying anything online, but going back to the store and ask them about it.
Although, I have to say I'm somewhat boggled by people who aren't into the Olympics at all, and I've come across several lately.
It's a sporting event. Therefore, I don't give a fuck. Whatever it is that makes it fun to root for a team and feel that whole group-bonding thing that I guess happens... I don't get it. To me, it's either boring or creepy.
My friend Marcia spent a while saying "But it's the Olympics, how can you not care at all?" I don't understand why she does care. I particularly don't understand she keeps telling me about it when she knows that I don't.
I don't particularly care, but I will watch if it's on.
I can't wait until football season really begins though.
I'm the exact opposite of DJ. I love the olympics and make an effort to watch. But football season? Don't care at all.
Although, I have to say I'm somewhat boggled by people who aren't into the Olympics at all, and I've come across several lately.
I'm not at all. I really don't care. I'm not into sports or anything and the added bonus of jingoism (in my perception) pretty much turns me off. I think watching sports is boring. It's a very YMMV thing, don't see why it's boggling.
