- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- iparenting canada articles
- iparenting canada q&a
- community & groups
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
From Our Sponsors
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home Alone
Preventing War Between Siblings
By Kendeyl Johansen
Kathie Jones, a Chicago mom of two teen daughters, agrees. Her daughters pleaded to stay home alone while their parents attended a business conference in the Bahamas. Feeling apprehensive, Jones called home just before boarding the plane. "A boy answered the phone! I could hear a party in the background and our plane hadn't even left yet." Jones would have postponed her trip but her mother agreed to go stay with the girls.
Jones' teenagers had to adjust to having their grandmother baby-sit. "They weren't happy and it took me a long time to trust the girls again. Luckily, when I finally did, they behaved."
Jones faced a crisis with her girls. But what if you return home from an errand to find milk congealing on the counter, your kids mesmerized by HBO and popcorn ground into the carpet? Pawel suggests preventing problems by evaluating your children's maturity for staying home alone, stating rules clearly and teaching safety. If a problem does occur while you're gone, plan your response to your kids instead of just reacting. Pure, angry reaction could escalate the situation. "Take a deep breath and figure out what your issues are," Pawel suggests.
The next thing to do is acknowledge the other person's feelings. "Give the child an opportunity to explain. In a non-accusatory tone of voice, ask questions like: 'What happened?' and 'What would you do if faced with the same situation in the future?'" Use questions to help kids figure out their own answers so they won't tune out a lecture.