At what age can kids be left home alone, if at all? One mom thought her kids would be fine, but probably now regrets her choice.

While on vacation in Rehoboth Beach, DE, Susan Terrillion, 55, of Maryland left her 8- and 9-year-old kids in their getaway rental when she went to pick up food five miles away. The action resulted in her arrest, USA Today reports. She was charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of her children.

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A stranger discovered her children were home alone when the family dogs ran in front of his car and he got out to help the kids secure the pets. The witness called the police to report the incident, stating that the kids had been left alone for 45 minutes. Neither the children or dogs were injured, and the mother was later released on $500 bail.

While her charges may seem like an over-the-top response, parents can be arrested for leaving their kids unsupervised depending on state laws, according to Scary Mommy. There are no federal laws on the matter but some states indicate an acceptable minimum age for kids to be left alone. Delaware's state website says police can take action on case-by-case basis. "While there is no law in Delaware regulating an appropriate age for a child to be left home alone, the Division of Family Services will accept for investigation any report of a child under the age of 12 being left alone," the website explains. "DFS will also accept reports for children age 12 and over if there are any extenuating circumstances (e.g. developmental delays, physical disabilities)."

It's a universal debate — how young is too young to be left alone? Does maturity play a role? What about family circumstances and duration of time? For many areas, there are no hard and fast rules, but parents like blogger Mique from Thirty Handmade Days have tried to create guidelines. She lists a chart on her blog indicating at what age and for how long children can be left without supervision, as well as the laws in each state.

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[h/t Scary Mommy

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Jessica Leigh Mattern Web Editor Jessica Leigh Mattern is a web editor and writer who covers home, holiday, DIY, crafts, travel, and more lifestyle topics.

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