AD| Is My Child Old Enough to Be Left at Home Alone?

It’s perfectly normal to feel anxious when considering leaving your son or daughter at home, unsupervised, for the first time. What makes it harder is that there are no strict laws about what age is appropriate. Since every child matures at a different rate, it would be impossible to have a “one size fits all” rule, which leaves it down to your judgement. Here’s some advice from a private school in London.

Essentially, if leaving your child at home alone places them at risk, then don’t do it. Children under sixteen should never be left at home overnight and children under twelve shouldn’t be left at home for long periods of time. However, if you think your child is mature enough to handle themselves and stay safe, then it shouldn’t be a problem. Ask them how they feel about it and if the idea frightens them then they’re probably not ready. If this is the case, then it’s probably worth looking into alternative childcare options. 

Think about whether or not your child will be able to take care of themselves, like preparing food without setting the house on fire or hurting themselves. Consider how they would react if a stranger knocked on the door. What are their problem-solving skills like? Are there dangerous objects in the house? Does the heating and electricity work? 

It might be helpful to have a few short practise runs, in which you nip to the shop for ten minutes or even just sit in the car down the road for half an hour. This will help them become familiar with the idea of being alone. Prepare a list of rules and make sure they have a few contact details of people they can trust, in case of an emergency. Talk through some possible scenarios and solutions so that your child is prepared for certain situations.