Home Alone – a parent’s self help guide

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What age can you leave your kids home alone?
  By EK Wills

At the end of the school year, we found ourselves with unallocated childcare and the dilemma of deciding what to do about it.
We wondered whether our kids were old enough to be left at home alone and, if so, whether it would it be legal?

Australian Law
It turns out that the law in Australia is not clear cut and seems to be state based.
In Queensland, if you leave a child under 12 years old unsupervised for an ‘unreasonable’ period of time it can be classified as a misdemeanour with the possibility of gaol time of up to 3 years!

NSW Law
In NSW, there is no minimum age per se but parents are expected to provide adequate safety and supervision. This all comes down to what is ‘reasonable’ in the eyes of the law.  Do you think they are old enough or responsible enough to take action in an emergency? Do they know what to do and where to get help? What if they have their head buried in an electronic device? Will they notice? Or will it mean children will be less likely to get into trouble because they are glued to a screen?

How long you are away will play a part in what you decide to do. Home alone all day could be more of an issue than a quick trip to the shops (unless you are a sole parent and something happens during that trip).

Unaccompanied minors
If you want your child to fly to nana and granddad in another state, they are classified as an unaccompanied minor under the age of 12. Even if the older sibling flies with them, they are not considered fit to supervise younger children if they are under 18.

Older sibling care
So what does this mean if you want your teenaged child to supervise your younger child at home?
If the supervising child is under 18, it will depend on the maturity of that child. It is their capacity to care that is considered in deciding whether a parent is negligent for leaving the younger sibling in their care.

This has ramifications for teenaged babysitters, too, because you as the parent could be responsible for the teen because they are under 18 and therefore technically in your care.
 
link to site below
The time has come
When your child is confident enough, or asking, to stay home alone is a very different situation. You can start with small amounts of time with provisions in place:

1.     Have a phone available to contact you or a nominated person for help
2.     Check they are able to use the phone and practice while you are out
3.     Have rules in place like whether the toaster, stove or bath can be used while you are away.
4.     Be clear who is in charge and what activities are allowed eg whether they can swim in the pool or play outside
5.     Make sure they know who to contact in an emergency.

If you are considering leaving your child or children home while you are out, further information can be found here:
www.parentlink.act.gov.au

In the USA each state law varies as much as from 8 years old to 12.
One Californian mother made a guideline chart for age appropriate time home alone. See what you think:
https://www.thirtyhandmadedays.com/guidelines-for-leaving-kids-home-alone-with-printable/

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