Is My Child Old Enough to Be Left at Home Alone?
/If you are considering leaving your child home alone for the first time, but you are unsure whether they are ready, then hopefully this blog can help.
The truth is the age to leave a child home alone is different for every parent. Surprisingly there is no legal age requirement to leave your child unattended at home. However, child protection experts say that ‘it is an offence to leave a child alone if it places them at risk.’ Therefore, it is vital to evaluate your child’s readiness.
To help you decide if your child is ready to be left home alone, here is some great advice from a pre-preparatory boy’s school in London…
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Trust your instincts
When making your decision about leaving your child at home it is important to trust your instincts. Take into consideration your child’s maturity level and problem-solving skills. How do you think they will cope and what do you think they will get up to without any adults around? You should also discuss their feelings about being left on their own. If they feel concerned then you should wait until they feel ready.
How to prepare:
Talk about emergency situations
Make sure your child knows what to do in case of an emergency. Discuss potential situations, such as a power cut, a fire or a stranger at the door and explain what they should do in each scenario.
Leave more than one contact number
Let your child know what time you’ll be back and who to call in an emergency. Leave all your contact numbers including family and neighbours in case they can’t reach you.
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Plan their meals
Ensure that your child is capable of safely preparing food and drink on their own. Can they confidently use your kitchen appliances without adult supervision? If they can’t or you would prefer they didn’t whilst you are out, then you should prepare their meals or snacks in advance.
Staying safe online
Finally, it is important to discuss what they are going to do while you’re out. For example, if your child has access to the internet or social media channels, it is important to explain online safety and ensure that they do not mention to anyone online that they are going to be left home alone.
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.
