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At what age is it acceptable for your child to be left at home alone? This is a complicated question and the answer is different for different families. Whilst at some ages, you would expect a child to be responsible enough to stay home alone for a few hours at a time, it depends on a lot more than a number for when a child is truly ready to be left alone without supervision. Leaving your child alone is a difficult decision to make, given that there is no one size fits all answer to when they are set for this big change. What you need to be looking at is maturity and responsibility. How well do they respond to the unexpected? These are the types of questions you need to ask yourself. Here is some advice from this boy’s prep school on if your child is old enough to be left at home alone.

Things to consider
It is common knowledge that an infant cannot be left at home alone. But it is also quite clear that a 16-year-old can be left at home without any concern. So, at which point are they ready? You need to consider the type of person your child is and their surroundings. Are they mature? How do they respond to unexpected situations? Can you trust them to take care of simple tasks in the house? Are they reckless? What kind of neighbours do you have? Is your area safe? It may sound overwhelming at first, but rest assured, asking yourself these questions now will save you a lot of time later on.

Do a practice run
If you have confidence that your child will be okay at home alone, start by doing a practice run. This could be as short as 30 minutes to an hour. Leave them with a set of ground rules, a contact list and a stocked-up kitchen. Be sure to stay close by so that you can come home quickly if they need you. When you return, discuss what your child did, how they felt and what needs to be taught and changed for the next time.

Handling the unexpected
It’s all good and well if your child can be trusted to stay at home alone, but are they capable of handling an unexpected situation? Before leaving your child alone, you should teach them how to call the police or a neighbour in case of any situation that makes them feel scared or threatened. Show them how to lock doors securely and remind them what to do if there is a fire or a power outage. These are all the things that will ensure your child can be left at home alone without any worry.