When can my child stay home alone?
STAY HOME ALONE: I am often asked what the legal age is for a child to stay home alone. If you ask the police they will tell you there is not a legal definition. I was told by an officer that the MINIMUM age suggestion is 10 years old IF the parent is certain the child is mature enough to handle any situation that might arise. However, even if the child is 15, if they do something illegal, the parent can be charged with non-supervision of a minor. As parent it is our job to protect our children. Children feel more secure with other people. So if you are going to leave your 10 year old home alone I suggest the following
1. Have discussion with them about the expectations and what is and not allowed by them.
2. Have them take a class at your park district on safety when home alone
3. Quiz them on the “what ifs” so you are certain they know how to handle any given situation
4. Only leave them for short periods of time (less than an hour) at this age.
5. I do not think a 10 year old should ever be left home alone for a whole day. It is not fair to them. It is better to get them into a class, or have them go to a friend, or hire a sitter.
6. Children should not be left home alone at night or while sleeping ever. Make sure a responsible adult is present.
WATCHING SIBLINGS: I was told by the same officer that the minimum age a child should be left alone to watch a younger sibling is 11 year old. And again that is only if the child is mature enough to handle it. And should only be for short periods of time (an hour or 2 at most). I was told this week about a 10 year old that was being required to stay home all day watching her younger siblings while mom works. This is not safe and not fair. A 10 year old is a child, not an adult. If we as parents need full day child care we need to hire an adult or older teen. As a mom of 4 grown kids, I can tell you that my oldest daughter said it was much easier babysitting other people’s children than watching their own kids. An older sibling does not have the authority with their siblings. I personally think the age for watching siblings should be 14 not 11.
BABYSITTING: The same officer told me the minimum age for babysitting other children is age 12, if the child is mature enough to handle the situation. Before I allow my 12 year old to sit I enrolled her in a babysitters class at the park district. This helped her prepare for many situations. In the beginning I had her do her babysitting at my home so I could watch how she interacted with the children. It was a great learning time for her and I. Then slowly she started sitting in others homes for short periods of time. At age 12 4 hours is probably the limit for how long they should sit at one time. As the parent of the sitter it is up to you to decide what your child can handle. Personally I do not think a 12 year old should have to work an 8 hour day without breaks and some help.
ALONE OUTSIDE: Another question I often get is, “When is my child old enough to pay outside alone?” I personally think a child should not be outside unsupervised before age 10. Of course, in their own fenced back yard is different. We continue to see mall children ages 3-5 alone out playing on the street without supervision. It is a scary ime to be allowing that. When my kids are over age 10 and playing outside I still require them to be with a buddy, never out alone.
WAITING IN THE CAR: I would suggest the same age 10 minimum for letting kids sit in the car waiting for you. Again that is if they are mature and know how to handle the situation. The car door should be locked. And they should not be left in a hot car. I had a friend leave her sleeping child in the car while going into a restaurant to pick up food. The child was in the parents view the whole time. A police officer came by and told her she could be charged for leaving the child even that long.
These are simply my suggestions for child safety as a mom of 4 and a nana of 3. We want to keep our kids safe. And the world today is not as safe as the world we grew up in. Lets be responsible and keep our kids safe.
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Date: August 20, 2009
