Keeping kids safe at home, without supervision from an adult, can be challenging. Depending on where you live or the activities that your child is participating in, their age may impact whether they can stay home alone or not. Even if your child is mature and responsible, it’s best to check with child services or your local department of human services before allowing them to stay home alone. If you feel that your child is ready to stay home alone – either for short periods of time or for more extended stretches – it’s important to establish some ground rules and expectations first. This will help ensure their safety as well as keep them accountable for chores, homework, and other responsibilities. Here are some things you should know about before letting your kid stay home alone…
How Old Do Kids Have to Be to Stay Home Alone?
While child services don’t have a blanket rule on this, you should certainly look at your child’s maturity level and ability to make mature decisions before letting them stay home alone. For instance, if your child is involved in extracurricular activities that run late in the evening, you might want to consider letting them stay home alone on those days (with supervision on evenings when they don’t have activities). Or if you live in a rural area and your child needs to stay home alone for a few hours each day to take care of pets or livestock, this may be considered a responsible enough task to let them do it on a regular basis. By and large, however, the best age to let your child stay home alone is between 13 and 16 years old. At this age, they are responsible enough to handle most situations that come up, yet still young enough to benefit from the supervision and oversight of an adult.
What Are the Rules When Kids Stay Home Alone?
When you are letting your child stay home alone for the first time, it’s important to establish some rules and expectations. This will help them stay safe and also ensure that you don’t receive a visit from child services. When it comes to staying home alone, there are a few specific rules that you should always follow. The first rule is that your child should never let anyone into the house that they don’t know. Keep in mind that even if the person is a friend or family member, your child should always ask you for permission to let them inside. The second rule is that your child should never answer the door for anyone. Again, regardless of who is at the door, they should never approach the door or open it. And the third rule is that your child should never leave the house while they are home alone. This is especially important if you live in a neighborhood where it might be easy to miss someone walking around.
How to Stay in Contact With Your Child While They Are Home Alone
If you are letting your child stay home alone for the first time, you might be a bit nervous. It’s understandable, but there are a few things you can do to stay in contact with them. These include talking to your child about setting up a routine for what times of day to check in with you and providing a way for you to check in with them. It’s a good idea to set up a schedule for how often you want your child to check in with you while they are home alone. You can do this through a simple app like a phone call, text message, or video call. Another method for staying in contact is to have your child leave you a voicemail message every few hours. This will allow you to know that they are safe but won’t require a lot of attention on your part.
How to Teach Your Child to be Safe While Staying Home Alone
The first step in teaching your child to be safe while staying home alone is to talk to them about the rules and expectations. This will help them to feel prepared and responsible, which will go a long way toward ensuring their safety while home alone. You should also simulate scenarios and discuss potential dangers with them. This will help them be better prepared in the event that something actually happens. For example, you should talk to your child about what they should do in the event of a fire, break-in, or other emergency and how they should remain calm while they are waiting for help to arrive.
Conclusion
Even if your child is mature and responsible, it’s best to check with child services or your local department of human services before allowing them to stay home alone. If you feel that your child is ready to stay home alone – either for short periods of time or for more extended stretches – it’s important to establish some ground rules and expectations first. This will help ensure their safety as well as keep them accountable for chores, homework, and other responsibilities.