How old is old enough to be home alone?

I surely agree with happy resolution re single mom.

I'd be doing a freakola re my pet or pets, as I presume you are, Rg.

I don't want to get into the argument re humans and pets, interesting as that may be in all sorts of details.

David, everybody is not like you.

I hope that lady's 9-yr-old boy had a neighbor
like the author of this thread.

My husband was an only child.
He would have loved having a noisy family.

I think if the children are well-minded they'd be semi-fine alone.

It's a tough one, I would say that a kid can look after himself, is not going to put himself in danger, by the age of about ten. I know when I was at least 7 or 8 that I used to walk to and fro school no problem but my best friend used to be picked up by her mum without fail. You can teach kids safety and they are pretty sensible in not putting themselves in danger like not talking to strangers, for instance. I'm not a parent so I wouldn't know what fears go through a parents mind if the kids are left alone. I think the law in the UK is 12 but don't quote me on that. A lot of kids are sensible and well behaved but I guess you might think what if there's an emergency I'd like to be there but I don't think the house if going to burn down if your kids are taught properly. It's a tough one.

I remember kindergarten, at age 5 in NY (Queens),
all of the kids were left to walk to and from school.

That was ASSUMED, and taken for granted, as the state of Nature.

I remember kindergarten, at age 5 in NY (Queens),
all of the kids were left to walk to and from school.

That was ASSUMED, and taken for granted, as the state of Nature.

Do you mean it was taken for granted it was safe for the kids to walk home alone,

I suppose it was less dangerous for kids then,
like my Grandma always left her front door open.

Not sure what you mean as the state of Nature,
do you mean it was natural for kids to be free to walk home on their own.

Thinking about it my mum stopped taking me to school when I was 6 maybe even five
but I don't remember that far back, we were pretty independent kids
and spent a lot of the time playing away from home unsupervised.

Yeah kids can be pretty resilient.
I was glad for my freedom when I was a kid and my parents didn't stifle me.

But some would say they needed to tighten the reins,
everyone's different when it comes to their own kids.

Back in my day no-one battered an eyelid that a 6 year old walked to school alone,

can we say that now?

In London here in the UK, some of the kids are becoming more dangerous then any pervy adult,
carrying knives and wot not.

Feeling a little uneasy about being home alone (i.e., feeling defenseless)
I armed myself with a .38 caliber Smith & Wesson Model 36 revolver,
with a 2 inch barrel;

Feeling a little uneasy about being home alone (i.e., feeling defenseless)
I armed myself with a .38 caliber Smith & Wesson Model 36 revolver,
with a 2 inch barrel;

Bloody hell that really is arming yourself and you were only 8!?

I was home alone a lot, because we bought some furniture stores,
to whose administration my parents devoted a good deal of time.
Thay usually got home around 8 or 10 PM, 6 days a week,
so I was alone after school, and all the time, during summer vacation,
unless I went to the movies, or to visit friends.
David

I was home alone a lot, because we bought some furniture stores,
to whose administration my parents devoted a good deal of time.
Thay usually got home around 8 or 10 PM, 6 days a week,
so I was alone after school, and all the time, during summer vacation,
unless I went to the movies, or to visit friends.
David

Did you get lonely.

And you had to use your gun! Wow. What happened?

Caroline wrote:

Did you get lonely.

Not much, no; I called my mother when I wished,
with whom I had a very good rapport.

And you had to use your gun! Wow. What happened?

Not then, nor there.
Many years later, one hot summer nite I was alone on the road
around 12m or 1AM, driving very slowly, looking for something
on my right. I noticed an old car (judging from its paint job)
in my rear vu mirror. I knew that he coud pass on my left,
if he wanted to go faster.

It was hanging on my tail for a while.
I figured that possibly, he might be waiting to make a right turn.
As I was looking forward and to my right, I heard a gunshot
and I noticed a bullethole about 3 inches in front of my face
on my driver 's side window, with the old car driving abreast
of me, in the lane on my left. When I drew out my own .44 revolver,
I heard a scream, whereupon the other car departed hence, apace.
He must have had somewhere else to go.
I did not have time to line up a shot before he left.
I have a hunch that the perpetrators were disappointed
that their victim was armed and ready to give them a one gun salute.
I don 't claim to be a mindreader,
but its my feeling that thay wanted a more docile victim.

Many years before that, I had been counselled on the wisdom
of carrying brite silver-colored guns, especially at nite, for their in terrorem value.
This proved especially effective in this circumstance, because
there were low lite conditions, but it was very reflective.

Did you get lonely.

Not much, no; I called my mother when I wished,
with whom I had a very good rapport.

I still cant get over that you had a gun at 8
and seemed pretty responsible too.

And you had to use your gun! Wow. What happened?

Not then, nor there.
Many years later, one hot summer nite I was alone on the road
around 12m or 1AM, driving very slowly, looking for something
on my right. I noticed an old car (judging from its paint job)
in my rear vu mirror. I knew that he coud pass on my left,
if he wanted to go faster.

It was hanging on my tail for a while.
I figured that possibly, he might be waiting to make a right turn.
As I was looking forward and to my right, I heard a gunshot
and I noticed a bullethole about 3 inches in front of my face
on my driver 's side window, with the old car driving abreast
of me, in the lane on my left. When I drew out my own .44 revolver,
I heard a scream, whereupon the other car departed hence, apace.
He must have had somewhere else to go.
I did not have time to line up a shot before he left.
I have a hunch that the perpetrators were disappointed
that their victim was armed and ready to give them a one gun salute.
I don 't claim to be a mindreader,
but its my feeling that thay wanted a more docile victim.

Someone just took a pot shot at you for no reason?

Crazy, that's why guns scare me, you're lucky they missed the shot,

man death scares me and so do guns, just when I thought it wasn't like that in the US,
you tell me about this gun toting lunatic, and I run for the bedcovers, whimper.
Still at least you scared em off.

Many years before that, I had been counselled on the wisdom
of carrying brite silver-colored guns, especially at nite, for their in terrorem value.
This proved especially effective in this circumstance, because
there were low lite conditions, but it was very reflective.

Yeah I use my mobile phone to see in the dark sometimes.

I certainly was not the only kid in the naborhood with guns.
Thay had more than I did; at the beginning, anyway.

Someone just took a pot shot at you for no reason?

I suspect that a crime of profit was intended,
but for some reason, that did not come to fruition.

Crazy, that's why guns scare me, you're lucky they missed the shot,

They were probably trying to get my attention.Thay got it.

Many years before that, I had been counselled on the wisdom
of carrying brite silver-colored guns, especially at nite, for their in terrorem value.
This proved especially effective in this circumstance, because
there were low lite conditions, but it was very reflective.

Yeah I use my mobile phone to see in the dark sometimes.

Maybe I 'll see if I can take my .44 to a gunsmith
and have him rig it with lights.

I certainly was not the only kid in the naborhood with guns.
Thay had more than I did; at the beginning, anyway.

Christ kids with guns, I cant get over it.