Is your child ready to be left at home alone?

For most parents, the prospect of leaving their child at home for the first time is a daunting one. Concerns about their personal safety and comfort are likely to be at the forefront of your mind and you’ve no doubt had worst-case scenario situations running through your mind.

What if they invite loads of their friends over? Will they start to feel anxious as soon as I leave? Might they forget to turn the oven off after they cook?

It’s completely natural to ask yourself these questions and your worrying is justified, so read this blog for some guidance on how to assess whether your baby is grown up enough to stay home alone.

It’s not a one size fits all situation

Just like riding a bike or learning to read, there isn’t a specific time or age when being left home alone will suit every child. It’s important that you consider the emotional capability of your child and evaluate how they act in situations where they are required to act independently.

Remind them of the importance of safety

Any home is filled with potential dangers for children so it’s important that you take steps to remind them how to keep themselves safe while you are away. Teach them about the reasons for not climbing on high furniture to reach things or running near the stairs, both of which can lead to injury.

Unless you are completely happy with your child cooking alone you should also ask they that stay away from preparing hot food in the kitchen. To ensure that they don’t get tempted to do this, leave them some snacks in the fridge. Chopped up fruit and sandwiches are both good options.

Start off small

Before you throw your child in at the deep end and leave them at home while you spend the whole night out with friends, consider leaving them home for shorter amounts of time and see how they get on. Perhaps leave them by themselves while you pop to shop for milk or visit your friend down the road for half an hour. A child that calls you straight away and seems nervous when you get home probably isn’t ready to be left alone for longer durations.

Make sure they know how to deal with an emergency

In the worst case scenario, an emergency could arise that would mean your child would need to call the police. Make sure that they know how to do this and have easy access to a phone. You could leave notes by the telephone to remind them about this.

Tags: safety, children, home alone, emergencies