Unfortunately, there is no clear-cut rule about what age a child can be left home alone, which makes a parent’s job a little trickier. Essentially, it comes down to your best judgement, as you know your child better than anyone. Here’s some additional advice from an independent prep school in London.
You will need to determine whether or not you think your child is emotionally mature enough to handle being left at home without supervision. Children under the age of 12 rarely are, especially if it’s for long periods of time. Babies and toddlers should obviously never be left alone and children under the age of 16 should not be left alone overnight.
If you feel that leaving your child at home alone will put them at risk of danger, then you’re better off looking into different childcare options. You will need to ask your child if they feel comfortable being left at home without you and if they feel safe. If the answer is no, then don’t leave them. If the answer is yes, then make sure they are fully prepared.
Make sure they have a list of emergency numbers of people they can trust so that they can call if they encounter any problems whilst they are home alone. It might also be worth preparing a meal or snack for them in advance that they can heat up in the microwave, rather than messing around with knives or the stove.
What’s more, make sure they have the WiFi password or whatever else they might need whilst you’re gone. It would be wise to talk to them in advance about what they plan to do during their alone time, so that you can give them all the resources they might need to make that happen.
Another good idea is to practise what to do in an emergency situation, whether it be a fire or a stranger knocking on the door. The more prepared your child is, the more comfortable they will feel.