Shreveport/Bossier Parents: What Louisiana Law Says About Leaving Kids Unsupervised

Most all school kids are less than two weeks from Christmas break, and while fun for the kids, it can be a tough situation for working parents.

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Bossier and Caddo Parish kids will dismiss for Christmas break which begins December 18. DeSoto Parish will have classes through December 18, with a "Flex Day" scheduled for December 19. Webster Parish kids will go through Friday, December 19.

For parents of school-aged kids, things get a little hectic during the break. Along with the normal responsibilities of their actual jobs, finding someone to watch the kids while they're out on break can bring on loads of additional stresses.

And that includes Christmas break, summer vacation, winter break, spring break and possible snow days. Hey, kids get a lot of time off these days.

READ MORE: Take a Look at the Newly Revamped Walter B. Jacobs Nature Center

The question rising to the top of the totem pole for many of these parents each year is, "Is my child old enough to be left at home alone or do I need to send them to daycare or get a babysitter?"

How to Handle Christmas Break For Kids If This Is Your First Experience With It

In a lot of cases, this might be the first time the parent has ever had the question. Last year it was obvious that the child wasn't old enough, but this year, there's a lot less certainty on the issue.

In my honest opinion, I believe that if you have to ask the question, it's much better to default to providing them with adult supervision. When they're old enough, you'll know.

However, you might wonder what Louisiana law has to say about the matter. According to imom.com, who quote the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services in stating that there is no minimum age for a child to be left unsupervised at home.

In fact, the source lists only 16 states with minimum ages and those range from 6 to 12 years of age.

What Do Parents on Social Media Say About Leaving Kids Alone?

I turned to social media to ask the question,  "How old does a child need to be before you'd leave them home alone?" Some of the responses I got could really help those parents who might be facing this dilemma for the first time.

My cousin, Kelly Poole, wrote, "Depends on the kids maturity level, do they have a sibling that can keep them company or are they all alone, the neighborhood you live in, do you know any neighbors they could go to in the case of an emergency or if they get scared, is it day or night & how long will you be gone … all factors to consider. Because my kids are a year apart I left them alone sooner than if they’d been only children. Plus we adjusted the age when we moved from Blanchard to the DC area. But I guess generally speaking 10-12."

Deegie added, "Depends on where you live, how mature the child is and what training you have given them."

Melissa was firm in her answer, "No less than 12 and depends on maturity!"

Chad and Kalie both stated that 13 was the golden age, but Kalie added, "..if they have the maturity to handle it."

Lots of those commenting agreed that times are much different now than when they were kids. Jordan wrote, "Nowadays around 12. When I was a kid, about 7."

I think I liked Rob's reply best of all, "Depends. Is the child old enough to load a shotgun?"

If you find yourself still unresolved on the issue, Dawn added some great advice, "It's gradual. I think we started at around 10 for 15 minute runs to the store or so. And it built. She is 13 now and babysits for others. I would not leave them overnight on their own until 17 or so. Depends on the child, where you live, who is nearby in case of emergency, number of kids, etc."

And that might be how it begins for you and your child. But assuredly, the most common denominator in the majority of responses was that it all depends on the child.

You know your kids better than anyone, so if you're comfortable with it, then it might be time for a test run.