Is Your Child Ready to Be Home Alone?

It is a big step for parents and simultaneously a liberating experience for the youngsters. It gives your child their first sense of independence and you are letting them know that you see them as responsible. What is it you ask? Leaving your child home alone for the first time. But the hardest part is how to know when they are ready for the jump.

Approximately 18% of children ages 5 to 14 are left home alone regularly for an average of 6 hours a week. This does not mean they were all prepared when their parents first let them stay home by themselves.

The way to know a child is ready is by taking cues from them and analyzing their readiness from that. If your child confronts you about leaving him/her home alone multiple times, then you can begin to consider. Responsible children that do their chores and are generally obedient can be left alone, but in contrast, rowdy children that always cause havoc will need more maturing time. Children who are rebellious when their parents are around will be even more rebellious when their parents are gone. This might equal a fire in the kitchen, or a broken vase.

One way to ease the transition is to let reliable neighbors know and for them to be readily available if anything were to happen. Setting ground rules will help your child prepare for being alone such as: not answering the door or sit near any windows as well as using only certain household appliances. Making your child memorize your cell phone number is also very important. If your child has the maturity and comprehension level to fully follow directions, the may be ready to be left home alone.

There are three very important factors that one must weigh when deciding to take the leap. Your personality, your child's, and the area you live in. If you are anxious or paranoid, it might be more difficult for the process to run smooth. Is your child responsible and trustworthy? And is your neighborhood notorious for crime and are your neighbors reliable?

The age of your child is also in knowing when he/she will be ready. Usually, parents begin leaving their children home alone at the age of 10 or 11, but often there are children that are older that are not mature enough and children younger than that that are mature enough. The age issue also ties into how a child may answer to what if statements you should pose.

What if you see or smell smoke? What if the doorbell rings? What if the person behind the door says that they know your mom? What if someone calls the house? What if you see a strange car in the driveway? These are all good questions to test your child out to see if they are ready.