Do you feel that your child is old enough to be left at home alone? Legally speaking, a child must be 12 years or older before he or she can be left unsupervised at home. Even then, several children are not emotionally prepared for the responsibility of being alone at home. How can you prepare your child to be left alone at home? Here are a few tips.

• Train your children to stay at home by leaving them alone for short periods of time while you run to the grocery store or take the dog for a walk. Start with short time periods and gradually increase the time you stay away.

• Teach your children the basics of staying home alone. They should know when to call 9-1-1, not to answer the door when you are away and not to let strangers over the phone know that they are alone.

• The safety of your child depends on a great extent on how secure your home is. Install burglar alarms and fire alarms in your home, ensure that doors and windows are in good condition and can be locked securely.

• Make sure that your child knows safety procedures like how to administer CPR, what to do in case of injuries and the like. You can enroll your child for a class on first aid so that they know what to do in case of emergencies.

• Provide your child with your contact number, address and other details. Also provide them the phone numbers of at least 3 other responsible adults whom they can approach if the need arises.

• If you leave siblings alone at home, there is bound to be conflict. Sibling rivalry is fine when you are around to handle the situation, but it can get out of hand if there is no adult to supervise. Assign roles and responsibilities to your children on the basis of their age, so that they know who is responsible for what. This way, you will be able to eliminate power struggles and the like.

• Your child should be old enough and responsible enough to know how to deal with the challenges of staying home alone. For instance, he or she should know what to do in case they are hungry or in case a stranger is calling. The best way to create awareness in your children is by being a role model for them. Let them see how you deal with certain situations so that they emulate the same.

• Make clear cut rules at home. It is all well and fine to leave your children unsupervised but they ought to be aware of the house rules. Your child should know the dos and don’ts of staying alone at home. For example, they should know that friends of the opposite sex are not allowed to visit when you are not at home.

• A major factor that determines whether it is safe or not to leave your children at home is the neighborhood. If your neighborhood is safe and your home is secure, there is no reason for undue concern. However, if you live in a locality that witnesses a high rate of crime and violence, you might want to think twice before leaving your kids alone at home.

It is alright to leave your kids alone at home once you are sure that they are mentally prepared for the challenges and responsibility of staying alone. It is even more important that you feel confident enough to leave them unsupervised. These simple tips will help you and your child arrive at that point.

Jason Ladock

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