Is My Child Old Enough To Be Left At Home Alone?

*This is a collaborative post.

When the time comes to start leaving a child at home without adult supervision, many parents struggle to know what the rules are and if they are doing the right thing. The truth is the decision is different for different families and it really depends on a variety of factors. I have teamed up with a senior school in Cardiff to explore in further detail.

What is the Legal Age for Leaving Kids Home Alone?

Frustratingly, there is no clear-cut law about the age requirements for leaving your child home alone. This makes it difficult for parents to know if they’re doing the right thing on not. Experts in child protection claim that it is an offence to leave a child home alone if it places them at risk, but this is up to a parents’ judgement.

Knowing if Your Child is Ready to Be Left at Home Alone

As a parent, you know your child better than anyone, so it’s up to you to decide whether or not your child is ready to be left unattended. Consider their level of maturity. Are they calm and level-headed when challenges arise? In other words, would they be able to deal with any problems if something happened while you were away? Are they capable of preparing food and drink without you? Ask them how they feel about being left at home without you, and if it makes them uncomfortable then perhaps the time is not quite right.

How to Prepare for Leaving Your Child Home Alone

It might help if you practise in short bursts before you start leaving them alone for significant amounts of time. You could even just go outside and sit in the car for ten minutes or take a walk around the local area so that you’re not far. Then you can start building up the time so that it feels less daunting when you do need to leave them for several hours. Make sure your child knows what to do in various situations, like the fire alarm going off or a stranger knocking on the door. You should also ensure they are given various emergency contact numbers in the event that you are unable to take their call right away.