by Aanya Rose

Created on: January 23, 2011   Last Updated: January 24, 2011

Deciding when to allow your children to stay home alone

There is no one set standard of criteria that define the correct time to allow children to stay home alone. In the United States few States have any legal minimum age guidelines with the exception of Maryland, Oregon, and Illinois whose state agencies have specific agencies published in their laws.

Many social service agencies however provide guidelines that suggest how old a child should be before a parent leaves them home alone, and for how long

[i]. Most studies recommend that children remain under supervised care until they are between 11 to 13 years of age. Some state guidelines however, allow for children as young as age 8 to remain home alone without an adult present in the home.

How do you know if your child is ready?

A lot of whether a child is ready to stay home alone has to do with their maturity level and responsibility. Some children can be left alone at younger ages, depending on their decision-making capability and confidence. If your child knows the house rules, is comfortable spending time alone, and can contact someone in the event of an emergency, you might try leaving them for short periods of time to test their preparedness.

Here are some additional guidelines for deciding whether or not your child is ready to stay home without supervision.

*Determine whether your child is capable of following the rules you make for your household, and whether your child can make good decisions. If a child can follow rules, then set rules for when you are not at home. If something goes awry, you want to be sure your child is able to make good decisions and problem solve so they can handle unexpected situations.

*Is your child comfortable when they are alone, or do they require constant attention? Some children are good at entertaining themselves, whereas others require round-the-clock attention and supervision. If you have a child with a good imagination and a mild manner, then they are more likely to do well when you are absent for short periods of time than a child that is accustomed to your constant attention and supervision.

*Does your child have good coping skills? If your child does not handle fear and anxiety or other unexpected situations well, they may not be ready to stay home alone.

*Does your child understand and follow the house rules? You should make sure your child is aware of what the house rules are, and follows them while you are home before you ask them to follow the rules while you

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