Lawmakers Debate ‘Home Alone’ Age for Illinois Children [VIDEO]

What age do you think it should be?

When I was growing up, back in the 80s and 90s, I remember always being referred to as a latch key kid. If you're not familiar with the term, a latch key kid is a child who returns from school to an empty home because their parent or parents are away at work, or a child who is often left at home with little parental supervision. For as long as I can remember, probably for most of grade school, I wore a yellow ribbon around my neck and tied to it was my house key.

It was, for the most part, much safer for children to stay home alone back then; now, not so much. So, how young is too young to leave your child at home? My mom started leaving me home alone at the age of 5; in the eyes of the law, it's anyone under 14.  Now, there's a new bill proposing that that age requirement be lowered to 10.

Presently, if you were to leave any child, 13 and under, at home alone, you could be in some trouble. You could be charged with neglect or child endangerment.

At what age do you think it's OK to leave your child home alone? It obviously varies from child to child; you know yours better than anyone, but I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this.  Some parents might not have a choice because they have to work and can't afford day care (that was me), other parents could never trust their 10 year old at home alone. What about your child?

Are you for or against lowering the "home alone" age to 10?