babysitting age in virginia

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Babysitting Age In Virginia

Babysitting can be a great way for teens and older kids to learn how to be responsible while making money. However, before letting your child watch other people's children, make sure they are up to date.

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This article was written by Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers confirms the accuracy and completeness of the articles. The content management team closely monitors editorial work to ensure that each article is supported by reliable research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 92,511 times.

If your child has expressed an interest in babysitting, but you are not sure if he is old enough, assess whether your child can responsibly perform the tasks assigned to him. You can also think about how your child behaves alone or with his siblings when he stays at home. Give your child an easy start by only allowing them to watch children whose parents are busy at home. You can also encourage them to get certified in CPR and First Aid so they are prepared for any scenario. Scroll down for tips on how to make sure your child feels prepared and confident while feeding! At some point, every parent is faced with the question: "From what age can children stay home alone?" When my oldest reached that age, I quickly realized how difficult it was to know how to find a good, safe (and legal) age to stay home alone.

Remember the movie "Home Alone" where 8-year-old Kevin is accidentally left home alone while his whole family goes on vacation to Paris?

While the movie offers plenty of laughs and outrageous situations that Kevin somehow instinctively manages to handle, real life is sure to be very different!

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First, before you (and your kids) are ready to be left home alone, a great babysitter can get you out of the way when you need a date night, a meeting, or just need some self-care time. .

The next time you leave them home alone, use these essential Home Alone rules to keep them safe while you're away.

And make sure you teach them these 6 important things to prepare them to be home alone!

However, when it comes to leaving kids home alone, the answer to this question isn't as easy to answer as you might think. Are you wondering from what age you can leave a child at home alone?

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I did! As it turns out, only three states (in the US) have laws regarding the minimum legal age for children to be left home alone:

When my oldest was 9, it wasn't even on my radar that he was allowed to stay home alone. I knew that neither he nor I were quite ready. And honestly, I thought it probably wasn't illegal.

But we had friends who let their kids stay home alone for short periods of time to teach them how to do it safely.

This led me to research the legal age for children to stay home alone in my state (Colorado) for guidance.

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I was shocked to find out that there is no law regarding the minimum age for children to stay home alone.

The age restrictions regarding car seats, curfews, getting a driver's license, getting married and working are quite extensive.

Related: Do These 6 Things To Prepare Kids For Home Alone Top Safety Rules For Home Alone How To Find A Babysitter You Love

When I was 10, I started staying home alone (and babysitting my younger sister soon after). When I was 12, I babysat other children's children.

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My sister and I were encouraged to spend most of the day outside without checking in. We hardly spent any time watching TV (we didn't have cable) and we certainly didn't own any video games.

Now more parents than ever are helicopter parents - no way - I think for many reasons it feels like a much scarier world than it did when I was a kid (I won't get into it now).

Another challenge is that there are no clear guidelines (legally speaking) for parents about when it's okay to leave kids home alone because (at least here in the US) every state has different laws.

To clear up as much confusion as possible, I'm sharing with you the laws regarding leaving children home alone in each state.

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Again, only three states with laws specify a minimum age for leaving children home alone. The guidelines given in other states should be viewed more as suggestions.

The state has not set a minimum age for children to stay home alone. It also has not set a minimum age for babysitters.

Refers to the Alabama Child Neglect Act, which is defined as "neglect or abuse of a child, including inadequate food, clothing, shelter, medical care, or supervision."

Alaskado has no information on when it is safe to leave a child unattended, according to the state Department of Child Services. At the same time, parents and people caring for children should use common sense. Depending on their age and development, a child who is home alone for too long or too often may be at risk.

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The Arizona Department of Child Safety states that Arizona statutes (laws) do not specify an age at which a child can be left alone. “A parent is responsible for the decisions they make to leave their children alone. However, the law requires Arizona's Department of Financial Security, the Department of Child Safety (DCS), to investigate reports of neglect where a child is not supervised and runs an unreasonable risk of harm Leaving children alone falls into the supervision category.

DCS reports when a child who cannot care for himself or other children is left alone. When a call comes in at DCS, specific questions are asked to help determine if a child has a problem. These can be: Does the child know how to reach the parents? Does the child know how to get emergency help? Is there a neighbor to go to? Is someone watching the child?

Some public schools have rules about the age at which they can let a child off the bus without an adult, and many have those ages 9 and up, according to the University of Arkansas. In addition, many child welfare experts suggest that 12 or older is a safe age for more than an hour, while children between 9 and 12 can be alone for an hour or less.

Finally, there are no provisions for children to be in charge of siblings or others; however, it is not recommended to leave an infant or toddler with a sibling under the age of 13.

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California law doesn't specify an age, but the state provides a checklist of questions for parents to complete before deciding if their child is ready. Here's a small sample of the checklist:

Colorado law does not specify a specific age when a child can be left home alone. The state does offer a 12-year-old as a guideline around the age when it may be appropriate to leave a child alone for short periods of time.

The state of Connecticut has not defined any specific law or guidelines, but the State Department of Children and Families notes that "experts believe that a child should be at least 12 years old before being left alone, and at least 15 years old before it is able to care for a younger sibling. These are the minors. Not all children are ready then."

The site is also a great resource for parents, highlighting things to consider when deciding whether to leave children home alone. You will also find suggested rules and things to teach your child before you leave.

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According to the Delaware Division of Family Services, "It is best for parents and guardians to consider their child's comfort level, abilities, and general behavior and talk to them about potential hazards (fire safety, what to do if someone breaking the door, etc.) before making the decision to leave a child home alone."

Florida state child and family law has no hard and fast rule about when children can be left home alone, instead parents are expected to consider all circumstances when deciding what type of supervision is needed.

The site also references the national SAFEKIDS guideline 12 and provides a checklist of questions

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