Can she handle adult decisions?

While chatting with a friend yesterday, I found out that she had left her 9 year-old home alone while the rest of the family went out to eat.  I was very shocked to hear this as this seems very young to me, but she felt peace about it.  She told me that she trusted him and didn’t worry about it at all.  I then started wondering if I were an overprotective mother, because I was baffled.  However, I did grow up home alone at an all-too-young age and will probably always overcompensate for that.  But still, what age is okay to be home alone?

Children obviously develop and mature at different rates, so I suppose an appropriate age would depend on the child.  My oldest, who is 10, is very mature and smart for his age, but I still can’t image leaving him home alone for any length of time.  What adult decisions would he be forced to make on his own, and could he handle those decisions at 10?  Sure, it’s nice to think that everything would run nice and smooth, but what if something went wrong?  Let’s be realistic, having a telephone nearby doesn’t always save the day.  What if someone knocks at the door and says, “Your house is on fire!”  Should they believe it?  What if the house really is on fire?  What if the child gets hurts and can’t get to a phone?  Are the cable tv and internet safety locks on when they’re alone?  What about guns & alcohol?  There are so many scenarios that run through my mind…

I think we have to be careful in assuming that our mature children can handle grown-up situations.  Is it fair to put them in those situations?

I would love to hear your thoughts.