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What age is too young to leave home?

234 Answers
Last Updated: 03/25/2022 at 9:23pm
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Top Rated Answers
gracefulPalm90
July 28th, 2018 8:12am
that's a great question. The legal age to find independent employment is about 18 years of age. Before the age of 18 years of age, there are laws to protect minors and this allows parents to make decisions. It is wise to wait until the legal age to leave home that you will be able to make legal decisions without adult help. However, if there is something that is happening at home and you need help then ask a guidance counselor at school.
Silverrose25
August 8th, 2018 3:44am
To young would be under 18 maybe different depending on country legal age limit unless the situation your in requires it to be sooner especially situation such as abuse
Anonymous
August 8th, 2018 2:48pm
I left home when I was 18. In my own point of view it’s always too young if your still not ready...
Anonymous
August 11th, 2018 6:35am
If you're immature then you should never leave home even if you're 60. When maturity hits you and you are ready to be on your own and build on your own that is the time to be independent and it doesn't necessarily mean leaving home.
MissLisa
August 24th, 2018 4:20pm
Every young person is different and it is dependant upon a variation of factors. For instance maturity plays a big factor as oppose to age. We as individuals mature at different rates depending on our upbringing and gender. Just because someone turns 18 doesnt mean they are mature enough to live by themselves whilst another 16 year old may be very mature and able to live by themselves. Another factor is whether this person is able to provide for themselves? I feel there is no age limitation you can place on this question and it is rather a case by case decision.
rainydaycupoftea
September 9th, 2018 9:28pm
In my experience, any age below 18 is too young to leave home. If you leave home at too early of an age, you risk not receiving the kind of guidance you may have had if you stayed home. I left home too early and was not prepared financially; nor did I have enough experience. There are many lessons you learn from living with parents or your caretaker that you may not realize you are learning. You always risk not having the security of being at home to fall back on. If you leave too young and are not financially secure, you risk being homeless. Or worse ending up in a bad situation.
Anonymous
September 13th, 2018 12:44am
13 and younger. If you are going to leave children 13 and younger at the house alone then you as a parent should go over do's and don'ts just so the child is aware what to do if something was to happen. Make sure that they have an emergency kit, and a list of telephone numbers to call. Get introduced to your neighbors just in case you may have to go to their house. Show them how to fix temporary meals, make sure the doors and windows are locked at all times and their phones are charged completely.
EmilyN2012
November 2nd, 2018 7:48am
I think my opinion on this is different from most peoples. I left home when I was 16 because I was forced to due to being gay. And even though it was hard I ended up with 2 degrees and speak 3 languages. I don't recommend this to anyone but, if you are having problems at home reach out to someone. There are so many resources now that can help you overcome these obstacles. It can be so scary and so tough at times, but it is possible to become your best self. Always live authentically and it will all work out.
Brittneym101
November 24th, 2018 4:18am
Well, that depends on your location. Usually, if you are in the united states you legally need a guardian if you are under the age of 18. When you turn 16 though and some places if someone has agreed to take you in like a family member or something you can choose where to go. I am not sure if that's the case today, but some years ago yes. I do not and I repeat I do not recommend or suggest that you leave home if you are not of a legal adult age. That's Super Dangerous! Not smart!
Anonymous
December 5th, 2018 1:56am
I see that it is never too young to leave home for your home is where you hang your hat. And I would never ask my family to leave it when the memories of the house have been yours for over 20 years or more. I would never want to kick my children out of the house when they been so good to me. I do not see this happening in my case here. But the question is not a good question because people do different things at different time of there lives here. And to me that is a hard question to answer.
Freedomtochoose
December 8th, 2018 2:34am
What age is too young to leave home? I think it depends on your circumstances. Do you want to leave cause you don’t want to follow rules and have the means to support yourself? Or do you need to leave home because you’re in a toxic household? People leave for various reasons so I think the question can be a bit tricky. I know people who left home as early as 15, cause they came from an abusive household and others cause they felt the need to be self sufficient at 19. I say if you’re in a happy home, don’t rush to grow up, bills can be overbearing.
Anonymous
December 28th, 2018 8:46am
Age has nothing to do with when you should leave home. When you leave home you should be prepared to find a place to live and find a job so you can support yourself. maturity and age are two separate things and maturity should be the deciding factor in when you leave home because when you leave home you will be on your own. Leaving home can be rough and draining, you need to be ready for being on your own. you will know when you're ready to be on your own when you can fully rely on yourself and you don't need anyone else.
Anonymous
January 12th, 2019 1:24am
I believe that maturity is a very wide spectrum.. I know 18 year olds who are more mature than some 30 year olds. This being said, I believe that as long as a person has a job, knows how to manage finances in order to be able to provide for themselves, and is ready to make the commitment to sign a lease, that’s what matters. I think anyone under the age of 16 definitely should still be at home. In most states, you’re not even old enough to work unless you are 16. Being 16 years of age also means that you are of age to carry a drivers license. If you are of age to work, and of age to drive, and you know how to manage money well enough to take care of yourself, you could very well be just fine if there was a reason for you to leave home. However, I personally think that it’s a good thing to take advantage of staying at home and not having to pay rent as long as possible. The real world is a tough place!
Mary0000
February 14th, 2019 11:59pm
Age is no bar. Age is nothing other than a number. Leaving home is just an example. Anything can be done without thinking of the age. Our world is full of people who did not respect their ages and went on to do great things. The best example can be non other than the world's second richest man in the world, Mr. Warren Buffett. This man started investing at the age of 11. May be the youngest investor of the world. The field of computer science is the best example of age no bar, we can find many people doing stuff more than their age. For example, I just saw this website http://codesmash.tech/ which say the boy learned codes at the age of 11 and has made websites and helping the world to make their own. So these examples say that, if kids are capable of changing our world then changing or leaving home is not a big deal for them. But to be more specific they should leave home only after they are capable to take a stand for themselves. May the joy be with you :-) !!!
M0lly123
February 22nd, 2019 8:52pm
The legal age to leave home is 16. However, some people at 16 will not feel mentally mature enough and that is okay. Not many people leave home at 16 because they are in education and need the support from their families. But those that do are able to support themselves. People come from all different backgrounds and move through life at different speeds. If you feel as though you are ready to leave home at 16 and your parents allow you then you should be able to leave but, if you are not ready that is also accepted. Some people never leave home and always lean on their parents for support. It just depends on whether you believe you are ready.
DelicateButterfly78
March 27th, 2019 5:50pm
I'm not sure what you mean by "too young". So I will answer this as if you are asking "How old do you have to be before you can move out of your parents' home"? I think it all depends on what the legal age limit is in your country. Here in the U. S., the legal age is 18 in most states. So, I would stick with the legal age for your country. Another factor would be is if you were kicked out of the house, then I would say there would be no legal age there, but it would have to be really bad for parents to kick their minor child out of their home.
caringWinter88
May 1st, 2019 3:40pm
What would a person need to live alone? I know of people leaving young and people that were alone because their parents died young. I have seen people manage from 12-14 all alone but a lot If times with someone from 16 and up. Children on the street in India can be 2 years old and alone and working. So what does a person need to manage all the the things to survive by them selves? I have also seen old people still needing money from their very old parents. Not able to live alone. And people that now and then go back to their parents because some things are easy all allone when nothing happends and some times can change, life gets to hard and then some people need their parents again.
Anonymous
May 30th, 2019 6:19pm
In my opinion, any age under eighteen is too young. You’re still a kid and you still rely on your parents for the basic necessities of living, such as food, education, money, etc. Honestly, until you’re able to provide for yourself, I wouldn’t recommend leaving home. And honestly, even though it may feel like you can’t wait to get the heck out of your parents’ house, it’s really not something to rush. You need to try and savor every single moment of your childhood. Believe me, you won’t regret it. You’ll cherish those memories for ever and ever.
Midnightcry998
January 16th, 2021 9:06pm
First of all, this is no right or wrong answer. Most people leave home when they're ready to be independent and emotionally unstable. That is a lot of different ages. It might be 20 or 40. It really depends on the individual. Personally, I left home when I was 19. I had a baby on the way and I was ready to start my own family life. However, if there is any kind of abuse going on and you don't feel safe, then age is never a concern. You should seek help if that is happening. So, in conclusion I don't think there's ever a "too young" person to leave the home taking circumstances into consideration.
Anonymous
March 31st, 2021 3:23pm
'd say 10-17 years olds are too young to leave home. That's the puberty period,a child grows up to be a teen, a teen grows up to be a young adult. It's an important bend in the road that we call life. A child's mind comes to form into a shape within this timespan. So many things occur at once, physical changes, psychological maturity... A good family can walk a kid thru this time, patiently. If that doesn't happen properly, if the kid doesn't have proper guidance and care, he/she is destined to divert from the path of destiny. It's tremendously important. One single mistake- and your child is scarred for life. And sometimes those scarred for life kids just can't take it anymore. The family stress, the drama... it all feels like a heavy burden on their shoulders. And as they are kids, not mature enough and no mature one to teach him enough- he thinks running away is the best answer. Running away from home, which is the root of it all. Escaping the situation because they are too young and naive and impatient to deal with it all.
Latika01
March 18th, 2021 7:48am
Honestly I would say 15. You would be at a point in your life when everything become unnecessarily difficult. Staying home would relieve some of the stress that's built up. Of course each person experience things differently so it would all come down to what you believe to be best for you. However, while thinking it over do keep in mind that your brain is technically not fully developed yet and your hormones are going everywhere. Though it may seem hard or difficult remember that things will get better. If you know that the house your living in is doing more harm then good then I don't think leaving at 14 is too young.
Anonymous
March 3rd, 2021 6:45pm
This question has multiple answers depending on what is meant by "leaving home", and whether the question was posed with respect to legality or maturity. Legally, the answer depends on the location of the person (and the home they are leaving) and what laws or governments they reside under. In many places in the US, a person can seek to be legally emancipated from their parents and leave home as young as 17 years of age. However, if the question is more akin to "At what age is someone ready to leave home?" then the answer depends on the maturity of the person and their ability (or lack their of) to take care of themselves. Taking care of oneself usually entails attending work or school independently, paying for food, clothes, and rent, and maintaining good health and hygiene. If a person is under the legal age of emancipation, and/or is unable to maintain themselves in such a fashion, they are probably too young to move out. If, however, by "leave home" you meant "temporarily", such as for sleep away camp, boarding school, or similar pursuits, then if the person feels ready and is capable of independently performing basic activities of daily living (brushing teeth, brushing hair, getting dressed, bathing, using the toilet), then they are probably ready.
kindcherry2
February 26th, 2021 6:55pm
When you're too young to leave home. Well I would say you can leave at 18 but no earlier than that. Because you may not be mature enough to do things on your own. I understand you may think that. But it's wrong. If you act all crazy and things you should keep on living with your parents until you understand what responsibility and maturity is. I don't much on this but I know some people leave their homes before others. I think some may mature earlier than others and be able to go out into the big wide world. Some may not be though.
TheWonderlandSystem17
February 20th, 2021 3:36am
Well it's illegal to leave home before the age of 16 i'm pretty sure, but aside from that, I'd say 13 and younger is too young. This is not because I don't trust younger people, it's just that it's really not safe to leave home that young. If your home life is truly that bad, then go for it, but make sure you have a plan. But please remember that the streets are a very dangerous place to be, and don't live out there unless you have to. If you're thinking of leaving and living with someone else, I don't know if that's legal? And unless you know the person really well, that's a very sketchy offer for anyone to give.
Anonymous
January 27th, 2021 11:09am
I feel as if 18 is too young to leave home. The reason I say that is because once you’re out there on your own it gets hard. You have to figure out ways to provide for yourself as well as take care of your responsibilities and that could be a lot for someone at the age 18. It causes you to feel as if you need to get your life together faster and that can cause unnecessary stress and anxiety. It allows for young adults to feel as if they are failures as soon as one inconvenience pops up in their life.
CedarSapling99
November 14th, 2020 4:27pm
I think that the right age to leave home is all up to subjective experience. It's up to the individual to evaluate where they are in terms of their maturity level and decide for themselves as to whether they are ready to live on their own or not. It also depends on their current living situation. Some family homes are volatile and toxic spaces. If one's space inhibits their growth and ability to feel secure more than it enables their happiness, then it may be time for them to leave. Each individual must know themselves and their situation in order to make an informed decision in the end.
Anonymous
September 26th, 2020 6:03am
Legally you cannot leave your home until the age of sixteen, therefore any age under that would be considered "too young". If you are financially able to move out, and safely able to, sixteen is a perfectly fine age to move out at. You could also look at becoming emancipated. This is were you are freed from control by parents or guardians and you are considered an adult, but with several restrictions. To sum it up, if you are able to support yourself financially, and not need the help of others for your basic necessities, you can leave home.
BeginnerPsych
October 7th, 2020 10:57am
Personally, I think it is too young to leave home if you have doubts about living alone and don't have enough money for that. Of course, it's better to have an ID and some certifications or even a good job. So the minimum age might be 17 or even 19. I would say the later the better, but it depends on the living conditions and the atmosphere at home. Another important question is why? Do you want to live independently and make your own decisions? Or are just trying to escape from yourself or someone else and make a lot of mistakes?
Anonymous
October 22nd, 2020 9:35am
In general, most teens younger than 16 aren’t mature enough to stay home alone overnight. But it’s important to base your decision on your teen’s maturity level. When thinking about your teen’s ability to safely stay home alone, ask yourself these questions: * Can your teen resist peer pressure? * Does your teen know how to respond to an emergency? * Do you have anyone to check on your teen? * Is your teen likely to be fearful? * How well does your teen follow the rules? Also very important if you have more than one sibling. It’s one thing for a 16-year-old to stay home alone for the night, but it’s completely different for them to care for younger siblings. Consider finding a place for younger siblings to go while you let your teen practice being home alone a few times before having them babysit siblings overnight.
Anonymous
April 7th, 2021 9:01pm
it can depend on a wide variety of factors the legal age to leave home is typically 18 in the us and 16 in the uk however due to time constraints your ability to partake in education to the best of your ability would likely be hindered and age may be a large factor in terms of renting living space or filling out certain types of paperwork such as bills or insurance. due to the large number of people leaving home for university at 18 or 19 the number of people working full time jobs is higher so you would be on a more even metaphorical playing field. if you are considering taking an apprentiship at 16 then there would be less time constraints involved but there would still be the issues of accommodation and paperwork as with the issue of any future ambitions you may have that would require a levels. it really is only recommended to leave home at 16 or 17 if you are escaping from an unsafe or *tw* abusive living situation and even so it is still preferable to try to find other options. depending on your location you may be able to sign yourself into care.