Brendan Hoffman, Getty Images
Brendan Hoffman, Getty Images
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An Augusta Mom has been charged after her four year old daughter left the house during a snowstorm to walk to the store to buy ice cream. The girl went to a local Circle K and when she got there to make her purchase the clerk gave her a Slush Puppie, and then called the police.

The mother claims she was busy and didn’t notice that her child wandered off.

This makes me wonder and want to ask you at what age is it OK to let your child walk to the store on their own or stay home alone? Currently there is no law in Maine to say at what age children can stay at home alone, so it is up to the parent/s.

I think four years old is too young to let a child walk a quarter mile to the store, especially in this day, but when we were young, we probably walked to the local corner store at maybe six or seven without issue.

I know when I was in school, I was home alone after school for an hour or so before Mom got home from work. I don't advocate for kids being home alone. I do know every community is different and every child is different-so safety varies from place to place. I even walked home after school in 2nd grade and that was at seven years old.

We let our 14 year old stay alone for short periods of time which I think is okay and once in awhile he’ll babysit Vikki, but our 12 year old Justin doesn’t get the same privilege. We’ll allow Justin to stay with Dylan if it’s just for a short period of time.

This has only been recent event in our live but I think at 14, Dylan is okay to be home alone so long as we have the cell and it’s for less than an hour.

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