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I was allowed to stay home alone when I was sick starting at about age 10. That situation was considered okay because I was alone--no brother--and sick. My mom only worked from about 10am to 3pm, and so she wouldn't be gone the entire day, plus she would call to check in at appointed times. My brother and I weren't allowed to stay home alone together until I was 12, because we would beat the crap out of each other if we were, so we always had a babysitter if Mom was going to be gone more than half an hour (the time it took to drive back and forth to the one market of size on the island). Of course, we lived in a rural neighborhood where everyone knew everyone else, and if we had a problem we could always run over to our next door neighbor's house, or further down the street to our babysitter's house.
I started babysitting other kids at around age 12, but never my brother. He was just too much of a handful, and there was too much sibling rivalry.
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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau
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