In the UK what is legal age to leave a child home alone?

There is no legal age for leaving children at home alone, you must use your discretion as a parent and the child's own maturity.

The typical age is 13.

There is also no legal age in regards to babysitting and it is up to the parents who they choose to be responsible for babysitting, i would expect at least 16 but depends on relationship/closeness to the family i guess.

There is no legal age to either leave your children, or babysit. But if the authorities feel that any child is in danger, then the parent can be charged with neglect. It's pretty vague really. I suppose it would depend on how long you were going to be, if anyone else was in the house and how mature the child was. I leave my 13, 14 and 15 year old alone sometimes, like if they're off school ill and I need to go to the shop, or even if I'm going to work. My man is at home at his breaktime and dinnertime anyway, and they can phone if they need me. I've also left my 14 and 15 yr old looking after my 9 or 11 yr old too. I wouldn't leave them all together incase they started arguing or fighting, but 1 or 2 of them together are ok exept the 2 youngest, I'd want them supervised. Mind you I can remember babysitting from the age of 11 or 12. I think I was a bit more mature at that age. Mine are all boys exept the youngest!

I was left home alone in the morning when my mom had no other chance but to go to work.... I was about 6 or 7, but I remember how scared I was. So I'd suggest to start at 13 or 14, depending on the child's maturity.

The legal age (UK) for babysitting is 16 years old.

There is no legal age for leaving a child home alone. It is down to a parents judgement as to whether that child can look after themselves.

The child must be competent enough to be able to contact the emergency services is needed. The child must be in a safe and secure environment with provisions available.

However and this is the most important bit, If the child become hurt physically, emotionally etc from being left alone the parents can and will be charged with child neglect.

NSPCC definition of neglect is

Failure to provide a childs basic needs eg food, warm clothing ect...

Leaving children alone or unsupervised.

Failure to provide love or affection.

Basically the law is trusting parents to use their common sense.

Personally when it comes to my own child I leave nothing to chance. He is the most important person in my life and I will do nothing to place him in danger. He even comes round the corner to the shop with me if I have to go and my son is (10). I trust him to be able to look after himself while I go to the shop but as I have no control over outside influences so I don't take the chance. I would never forgive myself if I caused harm to my son.

IT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO LEAVE A CHILD UNDER 16 IN CHARGE OF OTHER CHILDREN.

There's no legal age in the UK for leaving your child alone. It's basically up to the parents, but it's an offence if it places them at risk.

There is no legal age limit for leaving a child on their own, but it is an offence to leave a child alone if it places them at risk. Parents can be prosecuted for neglect if they leave a child unsupervised ‘in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health’ (Children and Young Person’s Act).

The most important factor to consider is how mature the child is. For instance, it may be okay to leave a very mature or ‘grown up’ 12 year old alone for a day while you are at work, but not a 13 year old who is not mature.

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) advises that:

children under the age of thirteen are rarely mature enough to be left alone for a long period of time

children under the age of sixteen should not be left alone overnight

babies, toddlers and very young children should never be left alone

there definetly is no legal age as my neighbour regulary leaves her 8 year old child at home for hours at a time when she goes shopping or whatever and sometimes even when she goes to work which is usually 4 hours. I tried to report her as we live in a dodgy neighbour hood i wouldnt even leave a 12 year old lol but i was informed that provided the mother felt she is mature enough they had no cause for concern, i presume if she was much younger they would have intervened but my personal opinion is that 8 is way to young.

Surprisingly enough it is not against the law in the UK to leave children on their own in the home nor is there a minimum age requirement for babysitters but the downside to this is that parents be charged with 'wilful neglect' or considered 'negligent' if any harm should come to the children while they are home alone, or when they are in the charge of a babysitter who is under 16.

16

In the UK the law says that its ok to leave someone on their own as long as they are 14 but to sit for someone you have to be 16.