Sometimes you can't avoid leaving your children at home by themselves. (It is generally believed that children under the age of 12 should not be left home alone regularly or for any length of time.) If you need to leave your children home alone while you are working or away for other reasons, discuss aspects of safety and what to do in an emergency to promote self-care skills. Setting rules and limits but increasing levels of responsibility will build your child's self-esteem, confidence and competence. These suggestions can increase your child's safety and ease your mind while your child is home alone:
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Teach your children to memorize their full name, address including city and state, and telephone number with area code.
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Teach your children how to call 9-1-1 for emergencies, what constitutes an emergency and what information to give the operator.
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Teach them how to make a local call, a long distance call, a collect call and how to reach the operator.
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Leave important telephone numbers posted--where you can be reached, relatives, trusted friends and neighbors, doctors, fire and police numbers.
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Agree on household ground rules. These can include homework; chores; pets to take care of; telephone use; TV, video game or computer use; having friends visit; what to do when someone is at the door or the phone rings.
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Talk to your children about their concerns about being home alone and cover all the issues.
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Teach your children never to go into your home if an exterior door is open or a window is broken.
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Always call and let your children know if you are not going to come home at a scheduled time.
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If they will arrive to an empty house, call and check in with them or teach them to call you and check in with you as soon as they arrive home.
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Enroll them in a safety procedures course for children so when they are home alone, they will have some knowledge about how to protect themselves and what to do in an emergency.
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Teach them how to lock your home's doors and windows.
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How to get out of the house quickly in case of a fire or other emergency.
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Tell your children to avoid walking or playing alone.
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Teach them that a stranger is someone neither you nor they know well and to never talk to or go anywhere with a stranger--adolescent or adult.
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Teach your children never to go into anyone else's home or vehicle without your permission.
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Establish a family code word to use if you have to ask a third party to pick up your children--this way, they will know the person is safe to be with.
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Teach them that if they think they are being followed on the way home to run to the nearest public place with people or to a neighbor's house to ask for help.
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Tell your children that they should always tell you about something that happened while they were away from you that made them feel uncomfortable in ANY way--especially asking your children to keep a secret, accept a gift or money, or asking them to take their picture.
