If you leave your child alone home

Every parent eventually faces the decision to leave their child home alone for the first time. Whether they are just running to the store for a few minutes or working during after-school hours, parents need to be sure their children have the skills and maturity to handle the situation safely. Being trusted to stay home alone can be a positive experience for a child who is mature and well prepared. It can boost the child's confidence and promote independence and responsibility. However, children face real risks when left unsupervised. Those risks, as well as a child's ability to deal with challenges, must be considered. This fact sheet provides some tips to help parents and caregivers when making this important decision.

Children left unsupervised or in the care of young siblings are at increased risk for accidental injury and behavioral and academic problems. Florida law does not have a hard and fast rule about when children can be left home alone, but instead expects parents to take all of the circumstances into account when deciding what level of supervision is needed.

If you do leave your child home alone, remember to do the following:

• Leave a contact phone number and make sure you can answer it right away
• Leave a separate contact list of people you trust, in case they can’t get hold of you
• Talk to your child before you leave about how to stay safe, and tell them not to answer the door to strangers
• Make sure dangerous objects like matches and knives are out of reach, as well as medicines and dangerous chemicals
• Leave clear instructions on what to do in case of an emergency (like a fire)
• Tell them what time you will be back, and don’t be late
• set some basic rules about what they can and can’t do while you are out
• Teach them basic first aid
• The following are some questions families should answer before making this important decision:
• Is my child comfortable, confident and willing to stay home alone?
• Does my child consistently follow my rules and guidelines?
• Has my child demonstrated good independent judgment and problem-solving skills in the past?
• Is my child able to stay calm and not panic when confronted with unexpected events?
• Have I brainstormed with my child about what unexpected situations could possibly come up while he or she is alone, and how to handle them?
• Is my child consistently truthful with me? Does he or she readily come to me with problems and concerns?
• Does my child understand the importance of safety and know basic safety procedures?
• Will my child make decisions to stay safe, even at the risk of seeming rude or overly cautious to other children or adults?
• Does my child have the ability to calmly provide his/her name, address, phone number and directions to our home in an emergency?
• Can my child lock and unlock the doors and windows of our home?
• Can my child tell time?
• Is my child able to work independently on homework?
• Have my child and I established a clearly structured routine for when he or she is home alone, with defined responsibilities and privileges?
• If I have more than one child staying home, have the children demonstrated the ability to get along well and solve conflicts without physical fighting or adult intervention?
• Have my child and I had some “dry runs” to allow him or her to practice self-care skills while I am at home, but purposefully “not available”?
• Is our neighborhood safe?
• Do we have neighbors that my child and I know and trust? 

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