Young Children Left Home Alone for Extended Periods of Time

My question involves child abuse or neglect in the State of: Oklahoma

I am wanting to know what I should or could do about this issue.

My ex-husband is leaving my 12 yr old son home alone with my 9 yr old daughter and his new wife's 6 yr old daughter for more then 8 hours a day, 5 days a weeks.
Is this legal? Can I get an emergency child custody order because of this?
What should I do about it?

Is there a reason to think the 12 year old is not responsible enough to handle minor emergencies? Do they have a neighbor or close friend ready to come over if called? Has the 12 year old taken a babysitting course?

I'm one of the more liberal posters here, and I might have a problem with a 12 year old being left in charge of a 9 year old and a 6 year old...for extended periods.

However, it would also depend on the circumstances.

What exactly are you talking about? Are you talking about "for the next two weeks before school starts"? "Dad and stepmom both work nights and this is how it is, more or less constantly"?

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Quoting Flores83

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My question involves child abuse or neglect in the State of: Oklahoma

I am wanting to know what I should or could do about this issue.

My ex-husband is leaving my 12 yr old son home alone with my 9 yr old daughter and his new wife's 6 yr old daughter for more then 8 hours a day, 5 days a weeks.
Is this legal? Can I get an emergency child custody order because of this?
What should I do about it?

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12 year olds make great baby sitters for younger children.

Might be a little much all day every day.

If you really think there is a danger to the children call CPS and let them investigate.

We started our 11 year old babysitting at home alone watching her little brother. We had her take and pass the Red Cross Babysitting class, which at the time was an in person class, first. Now they offer it online. The only concern we had is our lack of a home security system, but the G's live 3 minutes down the road and she had a phone number list for the neighbors.

http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class...ing-caregiving

(this is a non profit organization)

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Quoting Disagreeable

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We started our 11 year old babysitting at home alone watching her little brother. We had her take and pass the Red Cross Babysitting class, which at the time was an in person class, first. Now they offer it online. The only concern we had is our lack of a home security system, but the G's live 3 minutes down the road and she had a phone number list for the neighbors.

http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class...ing-caregiving

(this is a non profit organization)

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I also babysat at 11, but that was many, many years ago. I am not sure that I would be comfortable with an 11 or 12 year old babysitting these days...at least not for 8 hour stretches.

So is the 12 year old sitting for 8 hour stretches 5 days a week? (and if so, why are they not in school?)

Once a week?

Once a month?

Occasionally?

It would make a difference to how I addressed it.

If you're asking if Oklahoma has a law about the minimum age for a baby sitter, no, it doesn't. Age 12 is generally the minimum age threshold for things like CPS caring or the court raising an eyebrow, so unless there are some special circumstances where one of the children under the care of the 12 year old needs special attention, injectable medication, or some other reason, such as the 12 year old having a history of blackouts, psychotic episodes, seizures, or other problem where they'd be physically unable to provide oversight, this isn't going anywhere. It appears that even your ex's new wife is comfortable with the 12 year old watching HER 6 year old. So to the court, TWO adults deem the 12 year old responsible enough to babysit. Until and unless there is some incident that casts doubt on that ability, the courts aren't going to over-ride those two parents just based on unfounded concern of one parent. You can always make a report to CPS, but if the ONLY issue is the age of the 12 year old, then the case will be shut as quickly as it is opened.

(I was baby sitting a 6 year old and a 2 year old at age 12.)

My kids were 10 and 8 when they started staying home alone for several hours after school.

I suspect that the OP is just looking to pick a fight with her ex and if this doesn't do it, she'll find something else later.

He is left 5 days a week for 8 to 12 hours each day to watch the younger girls. Their dad and Step mom both work and his dad doesn't want to pay for daycare. My son is left alone with the girls for 40 to 55+ hours a week. and its been going on for a month and a half now. I told the judge and he just set a date for November to hear my case. Its like they don't even care.

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Im not looking to pick a fight. I am looking out for my kids. He just took them fro the town where they have grown up in since they were born and moved them away from all family and friends. They do not know anyone there and I feel that it is not okay to leave any child under 16 for more the 4 hours max if they are 12 to 13.
My kids are in grade school still and they are left alone from 6 am to about 530 or 6 pm Monday thru Friday. They are outside during this time to walk the dogs as their dad has told them to do 3 to 4 times a day while the parents are gone.
I could understand a lot better if it was just a few hours after school but not an all day everyday thing.
My 12 yr old should not be placed in the role to be a parent he is a child and should still be living the life of a child not caring for other children more the a regular adults work hours. Most adults are exhausted after working an 8 hour day how do you think a 12 year old feels after cooking cleaning and taking care of 2 younger children everyday.
He doesn't get time to be a kid and is being forced to be a parent to the other children.
He is not allowed to hang out with friends or do any other things like sports.
I have also researched the area where they now currently live and there are 15 registered sex offenders living with in 5 miles of them and of that 15, 5 are registered for molestation of children. What to say that when my daughter 9 goes out to walk the dogs that one of these people grab her and rape her and kill her. She has to go out alone each day to walk the dogs.
Or what if someone kidnapped all of them and did horrible things to them??
I feel like they are being but at risk to be harmed.
My son also does not have CPR or first aid training so what is he going to do if he gets burned cooking or if one of them gets hurt badly or even if my son get hurt and cant help himself what are the girls going to do? They are 9 and 6 do you think that they will be able to stay calm enough to help for burns or bleeding or any type of emergency??
Theres a lot that can happen.
There is no land line where they live and my son doesn't even know the exact address when he was asked by the lawyer he showed him a google map with a drop in that is marked 4 miles from there home. So if he needed 911 to find them they would be looking for house while one of them could die.


To the person that was beyond rude saying I am just looking for a reason you are way off and you shouldn't judge someone for asking for advice with something that is a real concern.