When Are Kids Old Enough to Stay Home Alone?
Age guidelines for staying home alone, is a very gray area for most people. Just because Macaulay Culkin who was eight years old at the time was able to stay home alone in the hit 1990 movie Home Alone, doesn’t mean that it is the right thing to do. Each state has their own laws about the appropriate ages to be left at home without supervision. The child’s age and their maturity also play a huge part in whether or not they can stay home solo. Basically, it comes down to discretion and the law.
Home Alone with Home Security
First, you want to have good home security in place to ensure your child has extra protection. If something goes wrong, the authorities can be alerted. This will give you added peace of mind.
There are also many guidelines that you as a parent should follow if you are thinking about leaving your children at home by themselves:
- Age of the child
- Maturity level of the child
- The length of time the child will be home unsupervised
- Are other children being left home with your child
- The safety of the neighborhood
- Are there neighbors that can check in on the child
- Does the child feel safe staying home by themselves?
Guidelines considering the age range for leaving a child home alone:
7 & Under: children that are seven years old and under should never be left alone at home for any length of time. This also includes never leaving them unattended in the car, at a playground, or the backyard.
8 to 10 years old: Children that are 8 to 10 years old can be left home only during daylight and early evening hours but only for no more then 1.5 hours.
11 to 12 years old: Children that are 11 to 12 years old can be left home for no more than 3 hours at a time and not overnight.
13 to 15 years old: Children that are 13 to 15 years old can be unsupervised for long periods of time but not overnight.
16 to 17 years old: Children that are 16 to 17 years old can be unsupervised and can stay home overnight up to two nights alone.
Keep Your Family Secure Through a Rochester Home Security Company
If you have children that are age appropriate and are ready to stay home alone consider contacting SPS Fire and Security at 585-770-0348 to learn about a security alarm that would be right for your home.
