And seeing a Pg-13 movie not unless I am in the room or at the movies and it depends what show is watched.

I don’t let my girls go to see PG/PG-13 movies unless my husband and I see it first. In this day and age the content of a PG-13 movie is equivalent to an R rated movie from the 1970’s! I get a lot of “Aww Mom” responses, but I feel it is my responsibility as their mother to protect their innocence. Once their innocence is gone, you can never get it back.

I won’t let my oldest daughter babysit until she is at least 13. She is very mature and responsible for her age, so I know she would be able to handle it. Next year she starts middle school and will arrive home from school 30-minutes to an hour before her dad. We are comfortable letting her be alone for that period of time and have established some non-negotiable rules for the time that she is home – lock the doors, call me as soon as you get in, don’t answer the phone, don’t use the stove, etc.

They can remove child permently from your home. I know a girl who went thru this.

I myself have 6 children total. 3 that are mine and 3 that are my husbands. They are ages 16, 15, 11, 10, 9 and 5.

I know it can be tough with the younger ones and just running in for a minute just to pay for gas. But for the safety of your child, you and the well being of your family. I would just take them into the store.

I know when I have to run into the gas station even just to throw ten dollars at the cashier to pay for gas. As much as I want to leave them in the car because you are only in there for 3 minutes, to hear the whining can I have “this, that or other” can be a real pain in tush.

I would just take them in with you. My children have embarresed themselves many times throwing there tantrums in the gas station because I wouldn’t buy them something!

Also in Michigan. It is legal to leave a child 11 years old and up to stay home alone. Without babysitting younger children of course. And of course that would reflect on the child’s responsiblity level

~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

One day, a good friend of my husband’s happened to be down this way and we chatted for a few minutes then I told him to go on out and see the boys while I finished paying. I unlocked the car and unset the alarm with my clicker when he got almost to the car door. I finished paying and walked out to see him knocking on the window and laughing his head off. My oldest (7 at the time) had taken off his seat belt and the middle boy’s belt. He had Zack (middle boy 5 at the time) and the two of them were almost sitting on the baby. Oldest had his arms around both and was hollaring “NO! NO! NO! NO!”

Poor thing, he was terrified, but I was really surprised at his actions, because we had never really had the stranger talk! I would leave him at home, he is mature.

DH said I might as well finish the story. I unlocked the car again (Oldest had locked it back) and went through the “proud of you” stuff and explained who the guy was to them. Then, I said… “Son, this is actually your Godfather!”

Zack (5 at the time) was completely in awe and said in a stage whisper… “AHHHH TRIPP, IT’S GOD!”

stay in the car while you run an errand?
I will only leave my girls in the car if I can go in the gas station and drop my money and walk back out. Just about 30 seconds to 2 minutes. I f i have to be more that that (never any more than 4-5 minS max) my car is parked wher i can see them both, otherwise they are going in with me. And probably will for another year AT LEAST. And this is not because my daughter is not responsiable but because of other people, you never know what some idiot is going to do. they may hit your car, akd you child a question to gain access, pretend you sent them to bring the child in where you are…and my daughter knows the doors stay locked until I unlock them unless the need to get out for their own safty.
go on a date?
I was allowed to car date at the age of 15, i am unsure about when i will allow my daughter to but its funny because i tell her she is not allowed to date until she gets married and she cannot get married until she is thirty! it used to be a no discussion thing but as she ages she now tells me she has to date first to get to know the person she wants to marry! so i changed it to all the same except i get to pick her husband. It is truly hilarious! I am guessing if I HAVE to give an age I would say 15 1/2

see a PG-13 movie?
my daughter does not go to the movies without me and never has. even at home we watch them together and she usualy only gets the g/pg movies. But she has watched pg-13 already (with me as the PG suggests)
babysit for the neighbor’s children?
hmmm this is interesting because at the age of 10 I was watching cousins and my brother. And I was mean to them as kids are generally. So i think about 12-13 i might let her, depending on the child being watched too.

And last but not least HOME ALONE…
I an guessing that by the age of 11 or twelve she will be able to stay home alone, and since there is a sibling involved it wont be for more than an hour or 2 tops. Of course things and circumstances do change so none of this is written in stone!

mothers and other caretakers please use your BEST judgement when leaving children home alone and with siblings, i have had a pesonal experience where a friend left her 10 year old with her 6 and 2 year old and the house burnt to the ground. The children excaped unharmed thanks to their own smarts, and the mother was only gone for a short amount of time (she sayes), but she has lost custody of all 3 children and the oldest then 10 is now 14 and she still does not have them back.

love your children and respect the age appropriateness of what put on their small shoulders to carry as responsibility. Too many children are forced to grow up too fast, let then be a kid as long as you can!

They will be follow the same rules I had on dating growing up. So they won’t be group dating until 16.

As I see it, PG-13 means nothing these days. Some might as well be R rated. So really it would depend on the movie and I would have to screen it first.

As for being left at home alone??? Really you would leave them home alone before the age of 14??? Maybe I grew up in a house where everyone of my homes practically was broken in to, but I wouldn’t think about leaving my kids alone until they are at LEAST 14.