When Brevitt was younger I took him to the grocery store to get marshmallows for camping and before we walked in his eyes widened and he whispered, “WOW, is this the marshmallow store?”
My friend was telling me that her ten year old twins would be staying home and watching her younger boys while she and her husband went out for a quick spell. I told her that I could NEVER trust my ten year old at home without me.
The first thing he would do? Get his brothers to hunt for the marshmallows so that they could eat half of them and blow up the other half in the microwave.
Then they would do the forbidden ten foot jump out of the loft, throw all of their stuffed animals off of the balcony into the living room and build a huge fort made with every sheet from every bed and every cushion from every coach.
If they got tired out they would proceed to the media room to watch bad television while licking their sticky hands.
I would come home to a layer of goo covering all the furniture, carpets and walls. Hopefully, my boys would be unbroken and sitting like zombies on the coach at one with the tv.
Perhaps when he is thirteen I’ll be able to leave him alone but it is very difficult to imagine.
Jillian's Real Life 
I think 13 is a good age to leave them alone…maybe
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My parents used to leave my two older brothers and I alone starting when they were 13 and 11 (I was 7). Of course, my parents also instilled a fear of God in us, so we never dared do anything to incur the wrath of mom. We did NOT want to see her upset, since she ran such a tight ship and would flip if we even had a pillow out of place. Then again, being the youngest and only girl, I was a good tattler if I needed to be. Maybe my parents left us alone because they knew I’d confess any misdoings?
That’s a tough one, but trust your gut! You don’t need a layer of marshmallow goo all over everything, that’s for sure! (I totally laughed when I read that!)
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Mashmellows and messes to clean up? Ha! I would kill for that. Just wait – in a few years will have to worry about U-tube where everything in the world can be accessed the minute you leave the house. You name it, they can get to it. And do.
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I am struggling VERY MUCH with this concept. My stepson is 11, nearly 12, and he’s home alone for just a few minutes in the morning before catching the bus, but alone for at least 1.5 to 2 hours AFTER school. So far, he appears to be doing his homework, eating his snack, and then calling before getting into trouble. He calls to ask if he can get on the computer or watch TV, but I have a feeling he’s doing either of them before he calls.
Hubs has left him alone with our 5 year old for approxmiately 20 minutes a few different times, but it’s been early evening when the 5 year old is headed to bed and Hubs is coming to “escort” me to my car from wherever I might be. He’s such a scaredy cat for ME he’d rather leave the boys alone at home. Strange.
I would worry that they’d wrestle too much and end up with concussions. They would think the other is faking and not call for help.
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It all depends on the kid, my 10 yr old could stay home for up to an hour by herself or 30 minutes with the 5 year old.
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Honestly I don’t think I’d trust Princess Nagger to be home alone until she’s at least 12 or 13…and even then it might be iffy, based on some attitudes that are coming out right now while she’s 6. 😉
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I cannot even fathom leaving my kids alone, EVER! Hopefully over the next 5 years I’ll change my mind. 🙂
It’s nice to meet you! See you in NYC!
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Jillian — Thanks for finding my blog — I think through Scary Mommy’s blog? Anyway, I actually only have one boy whose name, as you saw, is Rock. It’s my dad’s nickname and my dad is a fabulous person so we wanted to name our firstborn after my dad. And we’ve got another little one on the way but this one’s a girl so I can’t follow in your fun all-boy footsteps! I’m so excited to read more about your adventures though. Sounds like a wild and fun ride!
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p.s. I’m from a family of all girls and we were pretty bad when we were left home alone… Eating spoonfuls of brown sugar… or eating Tang in powder form… it’s all gross now but it was so fun then!
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Yikes! Leaving boys home alone at any age is a scarey thought!
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Boys are so funny. I think the only reason my parents ever left my brother and I alone for more than an hour was due to the fact that I was (okay, am) a giant square and would rat my brother out in a heartbeat.
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I was left home alone all the time, well not alone, I was responsible for my two younger brothers (twins & holy terrors), always and forever from a very young age. I grew up in a very rural community and you could do that. I know people who would leave their small kids at home alone and go out for the evening! I live in a suburb of an urban area and NEVER could I imagine doing this! First off, my kids would be frightened. Although they are still young. I am highly (HIGHLY) neurotic and do not see this happening even at age 18 (peals of giggles)
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