Home Alone - Is Your Tween Ready?
How do you know when your tween is ready to stay at home alone? This is the Weary Parent Touchy Subject of the Week. There is no clear cut answer to this question as laws vary from state to state and city to city, not to mention that every child is different.
In our area, the government says I can leave my child home alone for short periods of time at age 8. There is no way my 8 year old is ready to stay home alone - she doesn’t even like to go upstairs alone. However, my 10 year old is very comfortable with and capable of staying home alone. I started letting him stay home alone last summer for 30 minutes at a time.
Once you have determined what age your local government says its okay for your tween to stay home alone (google department of human services for your local area), how do you determine if your child is ready?
Consider their independence level. Does your child need to be told what to do next at every turn or can you give them a task and they will get it done on their own?
Is your child comfortable speaking up for themselves? Does your child feel comfortable picking up the phone and dialing your cell, a neighbor or relative, or would they be confident enough to call 911 if needed?
Consider your child’s decision-making ability. Does your child tend to make responsible judgements for his or her age? A child who tends to make poor decisions at school or in everyday life, may not be quite ready.
Once you have made your decision, be sure to set ground rules and expectations. Start with short times of independence and work up. For some techniques and guidelines for leaving your tween at home alone, here is a good article at Focus on Your Child.
So, my readers, how old were your tweens when you started letting them stay home alone? How did you know your child was ready?
Tags: home-alone, staying-homeRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Communication, Pre-teens
4 opinions for Home Alone - Is Your Tween Ready?
Karen
Feb 20, 2007 at 4:30 am
I don’t remember what age I was when I was left at home. My brother is 3 years older than me, so I may have been young. I was a pretty responsible kid anyway.
Gayle
Feb 21, 2007 at 3:28 am
My daughter was 12, when I started letting her stay home alone, while I went on short trips (no more than 30 minutes) or close trips (just at a neighbor). I was 12 when my parents let me stay alone.
V-Grrrl
Mar 26, 2007 at 8:50 am
The Army has a policy on “Supervision of Children” and you can’t leave a child alone or let them play out of your sight until he/she is 12. Um, yeah, everyone abides by that one.
Karen
Mar 26, 2007 at 9:23 am
12 years old? That really seems extreme. I mean, come on, I was in 8th grade when I was 12. The government really gets me sometimes with their rules. You can’t go outside and play by yourself until you’re 12, but in just a few more years you can serve your country and fight for freedom.
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