With the increase of dual-income families, rates of unemployment, and women fighting to come to the forefront of industrialization, there are more and more children left home alone at earlier ages. Today’s children are more technically savvy, but less emotionally strong. The reason being, they are exposed to a lot more at a younger age, and can’t master it all. We’ve all heard the heated conversation that was prompted with the question “you left your nine year old at home alone?” With many dangers lurking in our world, the issues surrounding when it is safe to leave kids at home alone is increasingly pressing. Some argue that there is a minimum appropriate age kids can stay at home, but then people disagree on what age. The fact is that there aren’t laws in place that dictate this decision. So, where does that leave parents, children and society?
Questions and answers to think about:
What concerns are involved with leaving children at home alone?
Only after determining the threats can one possibly prepare their child for being left alone at home. Let’s consider some of the possibilities: strangers knocking on the door, cyber-bullying, and social media clashes, medical emergencies, telephone hackers, dangerous medications available to the child, just to name a few.
How old must a child be to be left home alone?
There is no magic age that makes it okay to leave a child alone. Only a parent can answer this question based on the maturity of their own child. An extremely mature twelve year old may be safe to leave at home while a less emotionally keen sixteen year old may not.
There are signs to look for like their level of emotional intelligence. Are they making good self directed choices? Consider all aspects of the child’s development. Consider how social media may have affected your child’s outlook on strangers. Depending on what kinds of friendships your children have formed through MMO games or through friends on facebook, they may not truly grasp the danger of strangers. Maybe they do have a good grasp on handling strangers, but what if someone posed as a police officer, or other government official or acted on your behalf? At what age can a child’s sense of curiosity about interactions, materials, education, and prescription drugs be a second priority to them following the rules? Only a good parent can determine the answers to these questions.
How should society deal with this controversy?
As a society and in our communities, we need to recognize that “one size fits all” is not true for this dilemma. Each child is unique. If you know your child is emotionally mature enough to stay at home, don’t worry about other people’s opinions. On the other hand, if you absolutely know someone else’s child is at risk left alone, you have an obligation to gently discuss that with the parents or in extreme cases report to officials. As a whole, we as a society would be wiser to try and prepare our children on a regular basis on the competencies that will make them viable and independent in our absence. Consulting with other care providers such as the child’s teacher(s), family members, etc. would lead to greater awareness concerning the child’s safety.
