Home Alone

Is Your Preteen Ready?

By Kendeyl Johansen

Nine-year-old Annabelle Loudon of New Jersey pleaded to stay home alone. "Annabelle was tired of having to come on trips to the grocery store when her big sister wasn't home to baby-sit," says her mother, Margaret Loudon. "She's always been mature for her age and she knows she can call on her grandmother or neighbors if there's a problem." Loudon decided to leave her daughter home while she quickly ran to the store. Returning home, Loudon found a content preteenager with no problems.

Jody Johnston Pawel, licensed social worker and certified family life educator, has several tips for deciding if your preteen is ready to stay home unsupervised. She cautions against making the mistake of relying solely on age. Many 10-year-olds are ready for staying home alone; some 11-year-olds aren't mature enough, and some 9-year-olds are. Pawel recommends combining age with other criteria to determine if your own child is ready to be left home alone.

Make sure your preteen:

• Has been taught how to handle emergencies.
• Shows reasonable behavior when choosing independent activities.
• Is not habitually forgetful or oblivious to surroundings.
• Is self-sufficient (can prepare small meals and snacks).

If you're unsure how your child will behave when alone, leave him for short periods of time and see how he does. April Lee Schmidt of Alabama says, "I started leaving my 10-year-old daughter for five to 10 minutes to start with and gradually worked up to an hour or two." Pawel left her son alone – at first for only 15 to 20 minutes – when he was 10. But she didn't leave him home alone with his sister until he was 13 and had attended a Red Cross first aid and CPR class. At 11 1/2 her daughter is just starting to stay home alone.

Want to see more?

• Home Alone: Preventing War When Siblings Are Home Alone
• Home Alone: When and How?
• Life as a Latchkey Kid
• Talk about it!