When is your child ready to be left alone?

Well Staying home and that too alone is a major milestone for both the kids and their parents. India does not have a minimum age at which you can legally leave your child home alone and the decision is totally upon you as parents. So how do you know and perceive if your child is ready to stay home alone?

Make Sure Your Child Is Emotionally Ready

Staying home alone sounds very exciting to some children and especially if they have seen the movie ‘home-alone’. Then when they’re left alone and the four walls being the only thing surrounding them inside become a very scary place.

Try to Make sure that your child is emotionally ready to stay home all alone. Can they emotionally handle the isolation of being the only one around? If they’re too young, being alone can terrify them.

Ask Yourself whether Your Child Is Physically Ready

Does your child know how to dial emergency numbers if required? Can they follow the family’s fire safety plan if they need to evacuate the house? Are they prepared for a life or death emergency?

Ask yourself if your child is physically and mentally ready to stay alone before leaving them at their own will. They may insist that they’re ready but that may all change when they see your car backing out of the driveway or you leaving out the door and then they suddenly realizes they’re all alone in the house and by themselves.

Make Sure That You’re Ready Too

You being a parent are part of this equation too. And even though the idea of being able to run some daily errands alone may be appealing, the reality of “what if this happens and what will I do if this happens?” is enough to make you wonder if you should ever let them stay home alone.

Be very sure of the fact that you’re ready for your child to stay home alone. Don’t give in just because it’s what they want. You would not want to spend all of your time away from the house speed dialing your child every five minutes to ten minutes to make sure and console yourself that they’re okay.

Well it’s true that you can’t possibly be ready for every situation, but you can still prepare yourself and your child for that day when they can start staying home alone.

Devise a Foolproof Plan

Don’t ever leave your child home alone without devising a good plan first. Your child should very well know what to do if someone suddenly comes to the door and what to do in case there is an emergency. Also, you should be clear about what’s allowed and what’s off-limits.

You wouldn’t want to come home and find out your child prepared some fancy dish on the stove and invited closest friends over too. Make your rules known very clearly, even putting them in writing,and stick them on the wall or on the refrigerator.

Have a trusted Neighbor Check In

You would always want to trust that all will go the way you want when you leave your child home alone. But there’s nothing wrong in having a trustworthy neighbor to check in. It’s nothing less than a smart move to make.

Give your neighbor adequate amount of notice so they can be sure to check in on your child while you’re not around. Let your child know that the neighbor will be checking in too, frequently. As another layer of security, inform your neighbor know your child won’t be answering the door and will come to the window and wave or probably pick up the call on the telephone. That way, your neighbor can see and know your child is okay and talk to them without your child having to open the door. Be mostly sure your neighbor has your phone number so they can call you in case needed.

Start with Quick Trial Runs

It’s always better to begin with quick trial runs to help your child gets used to being home alone. Initially, try to take a quick 20-minute drive to the dry cleaners or some other quick run and come right back home. You may increase the time with every errand you run so you’re not leaving your child home alone for anything more than two hours you head out.

Be Willing to Come Home at Any Time

You receive a call from your child. It may be broad daylight but she’s suddenly scared of being home alone.

Being home alone is a big deal. The child may have been fine with it the first few times but for some unknown reason now if he/she’s crying and wants you to come home. Be willing to leave whatever you’re doing to come home at any whatsoever time. The child will be ready to be home alone again some other day but the child needs reassurance that you will be there should he/she needs.

Set Proper Check-In Times

Establish strict entry times with your child. With today’s technology, it’s much easier to stay in close touch with your beloved kids.

The frequency of entry times is completely dependent on you. Some parents want check-ins every few minutes. Some may stretch it out to every hour or more. Ask them to call, text or even send a picture to let you know they are all right. You should set your own rules and make sure that they follow them to give both of you the peace of mind that you’re just a few pushes of a button away.

Using High-Tech Baby Monitors

You may not want to be a spy but today’s world makes it important to keep an eye on your children. Good quality baby monitors would allow you to pop into your home very conveniently without being anywhere near it.

This transition is difficult enough. Your child may turn out to be an amazing helper with other children but let them fly solo at home for a little before you add babysitting duties. they might be ready for the responsibilities that come along with being home alone but you should give good things time and such things, trials. You want them to grow into independent and enjoy their home alone time without suffering and thinking too much.

You’ll be kid-free for errands soon