Parents are thinking about babysitting as the school year comes to an end and kids start to look forward to summer break. You might think about leaving your child at home alone if they are not one of the 447,723 kids who are in paid care.
There is no rule in Ohio that says you have to make this choice. However, the Ohio Department of Children and Youths says that parents decide for themselves what age is appropriate to leave their child alone.
Parents are the only ones who can decide if their child is old enough to be left home alone; there is no official minimum age.
In what ways does a child become mature?
The Centre for Parenting Education says that a child’s development is not just based on how old they are. There are a few other things that can affect whether they are safe enough to be at home alone.
- Cognitive development—being able to understand and use knowledge is a very important factor.
- Emotional growth—being able to recognize, control, and talk about your thoughts in a healthy way is a big part of growing up.
- Social events, like interacting with family, friends, or adults, can be very important for a child’s growth.
- Previous responsibilities given — It could make a big difference if they have been given responsibility in the past and know how to take care of themselves without being told to.
Watch out for the punishments for bad results.
There are penalties for parents who leave their kids at home and something goes wrong, even though the law isn’t very clear about such things.
Parents could be charged with child neglect or harm. Under Ohio law, carelessness means the following:
- Loss of control.
- Lack of proper parenting care because of mistakes or bad habits of the parents, guardian, or in charge.
- Not giving or failing to give the child the care they need for their health, morals, or well-being.
- Not giving or refusing to give the child the extra care that their mental illness needs.
- Not following the rules for adoption when placing or trying to place a child.
- If you don’t take care of a child and hurt them physically or mentally, it could hurt or threaten their health or safety.
- Neglecting a child while they are in out-of-home care.
Parents could get thousands of dollars in fines, more than a year in jail, or both if they are found guilty, based on how bad the crime was and how often it happened.
Get your kids ready to be alone at home.
The Wellspring Centre for Prevention says that if you decide to leave your older child home alone, you should go over the steps below with them to make sure they are ready for an emergency.
- Make a specific emergency plan that will help you.
- Make them remember at least one emergency number.
- Protect anything in the surroundings that could hurt you (a gun, water and pool safety, etc.).
- Show them what to do when you’re not around (don’t use the cooker, answer the door, etc.) that is proper for their age.
- Make sure the child knows how to call the chosen emergency contact, and go over the steps with them before they go home alone.
