One of my sponsors, JuiceBoxJungle, wants to know what we think is the right age for a child to babysit. Does it depend on the age of the child? State law? The child's level of responsibility? It's certainly an interesting question! Before I answer the question myself, I thought I would check to see what, if any, laws there are here in Michigan about babysitters. I found a blog written by Jeanne M. Hannah, a Family Lawyer in Traverse City that addresses this issue. Ms. Hannah says that while there is no specific law related to babysitting, "Michigan child support orders provide for child care reimbursements up the a child's 12th birthday. While I could not find any law on point, this seems to be the age at which the courts deem a child old enough to stay home alone." Whether or not a child is really ready to be left alone at age 12 is totally dependent on the maturity level of the child. My oldest son was responsible enough that I could have left him home alone for short periods … [Read more...]