Do you remember when your parents started leaving you at home alone? Do you remember the day that they let you stay at home unsupervised because they either had no choice or because they trusted that you’d be safe? This is usually a massive turning point in our lives and it requires us to start fending for ourselves. Whether it be making our own food, finding our own entertainment or even speaking to strangers that come to the door, we start to gain a sense of independence when our parents begin to leave us at home alone.
But it’s understandable that many parents would prefer not to do this. They’d prefer it if they could stay at home and watch over their children all the time, but we all know that this isn’t something we can do for the long term. Sooner or later, we have to be able to trust that our kids will be able to stay safe at home without our assistance. But how can we facilitate this transition? How can we make sure that we have peace of mind when we leave our kids at home alone?
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Get in touch with your neighbours and have them watch over them now and then
If you and your neighbours are on good terms then you can always ask your child to stay at their home for a while. However, if you want to train your child to be a little more independent, then you can always ask your neighbor to watch over them now and then from their own home. This can mean looking at who comes to the door, seeing if your child goes outside, and occasionally checking up on them.
Speak with a locksmith and get the locks checked and a spare set of keys made
Make sure you speak with a locksmith to have all of your locks checked. This includes locks for windows and not just the front door. You can also speak with an emergency locksmith to help you get a spare set of keys if you need to leave your child at home on short notice. It’s good to eventually trust your child with their own set of house keys.
Teach your child what to do in an emergency
Give your child some kind of emergency plan to follow should they be in trouble. It could be calling your number or contacting a family member, it could mean going to a neighbour, or it could even mean phoning emergency services. Write down important numbers in a book and tell your child to phone them if they need help or if something has gone wrong.
Things are usually a lot different when your child has an older sibling at home. It requires less baby and toddler proofing around the house and it means you have someone to contact in order to check up on your kids. However, if your child is the only child, then we hope that these tips have given you some idea on how you can get more peace of mind and trust your child to stay at home alone.