Military Wives

Well I agree with her intent, but not her methods.

My daughter stays home alone for brief periods of time.  However:  she went to a Red Cross all day class called "Home Alone" and was taught a lot of things I wouldn't have thought about.  She role played many scenarios, and afterwards, the two Red Cross teachers met with me individually to discuss her strengths and weaknesses.  She took the class when she was 9.

At first she was only home while I walked around the block with my friend, and I would check on her unannounced.  If the door wasn't locked, etc. like I instructed, she would have to leave what she was doing and come with me.  She learned quickly that she liked her independence.  Then, I would drive to the store, calling my neighbor to check in on her unannounced (she is NOT to answer the door) and eventually, I would check with her via phone every 15 minutes.

I still do not leave her alone for more than an hour or so.  Not b/c she can't handle it, but b/c she really doesn't like to be alone that long.  She MUST have our dogs in the house with her, and if she breaks any rules, she loses privileges.  She knows how to use the alarm to call fire/police, and she knows how to use the easy to use Tundra fire extinguisher.

I feel it is my responsibility to teach her how to be home alone.  I would never put her outside in public like Izzy was.  Until they are 12-13, they don't have reasoning skills to avoid harmful situations in public.

I have to agree with Jenna. I am the mother of a nine year old and I do not leave her alone yet at all. I do, on occasion, run to the corner store with my 11 and 9 year olds home. I am gone maybe 20 minutes if the line is long, and they stay in the house with the door locked. They also know my cell number and what to do in case of fire or something. I only do this during the day.

My kids want their independence too. They have wanted it since they were three. We are working on teaching them to be home alone but I can not even imagine letting them loose by themselves in the city, any city.

I don't have children so my comment might not count but I can't believe she did that, I myself wouldn't even want to walk back to my house or use public transpartation alone in a big city.  There are to many wierdo's out there that you can't trust and anything could have happend to him.

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously, I won't even let my 8 year old go to the park behind the houses to the side of us alone. If I can't see her from my house, she doesn't go without me... PERIOD, NO exceptions!!!! If I leave my kids in my house alone, it is ONLY to go to the mail box or run next door to borrow something.

She did this in New York City!!!!!! Is this woman out of her flippin' mind?!?! I think she should be turned in to CPS for that crap. No decent mother would do that. Yea, kids are always going to want their independence. They ALL do. It's in their nature. She should feel VERY lucky that she still has a child to want independence. There are too many things that could happen to a child that young in such a large city (in ANY city actually) for her to just let him go off on his own.