Can I leave my child alone at home
WHEN A CHILD CAN BE LEAVING ONE? DO I HAVE TO LEAVE IT? AND IF YES, HOW TO TAKE IT OUT?
But sooner or later, the parents have a question: should they leave the child at home alone? Mom forgot to buy bread for dinner or urgently need to pay for the phone. Well, think, sit a little baby at home alone. Our grandmothers left their children at home for the whole day - and nothing. Many, for sure, still have no doubt that a one-year-old baby can be left at home alone. And his roar for an hour will bother except compassionate neighbors.
Perhaps psychologists will disappoint us by replying that children under the age of seven years alone cannot be left at home. And in some countries there is a law that prohibits leaving children alone under the age of 12 years at home. Otherwise, careless parents face serious trouble. Agree that we are still lucky.
Of course, the neighbor girl, who remains alone at home from the age of five, is simply clever. But all children are different. And age is just one of the conditions. First of all, you need to decide whether your child can be left unattended. It depends on his character. Some children are independent from an early age, and even ask their parents to leave them at home. So they feel like adults. Others and at school age are frivolous, clinging to her mother's skirt.
If the baby is afraid, and even more crying, in no case can not forcibly leave him alone at home. Otherwise, it will take a very long time to rid him of fears, and for a very long time he will not be able to be alone even in the next room.
The kid must give his consent to stay at home alone. For the first time you can be absent no more than 10-15 minutes. This is enough to jump into the store for bread. Also remember that the time one child stays at home should be increased gradually. Psychologists do not recommend leaving seven-year-old children for more than one hour. Then the child may just get bored and find entertainment that will not please the parents.
The baby must necessarily know where, why you went and when you return. At this age, children already know how to use the clock, so show where the arrows will be when you come. And be sure to be punctual - do not even linger for a few minutes. After all, the baby may become nervous or think that once the parents are undisciplined, it means that it can be so.
Of course, it is not enough to close the child and tell him to sit quietly and not come to the door. The baby must necessarily know what to do in an “extreme” situation. Leave a phone number where he can call “if anything happens” and explain what he has to say. It is best of all if it will be cards on which telephone numbers are large written.
Your instructions should not overload the child - do not go there, otherwise a current will hit you and ..; don't go out to the balcony, otherwise one boy came out like this ... The child, for sure, heard all this already. Take all necessary precautions (turn off the gas, close the balcony, secure the sockets), and formulate your instructions very briefly.
It’s best to give the child a task at this time that he will be carried away by and fulfill with pleasure. “When I come, you will show me your drawing, and we will surely hang it on the wall.”
When you return, ask what the kid has been doing all this time. And if he still nazalil, do not judge him strictly, but be sure to explain why this can not be done.
Some mothers love to check how the child fulfills their mandates. And they resort to the “forbidden” method: they come to the door and start calling, do not respond when the baby asks fearfully: “Who is there?” Maybe once and for nothing. But the child will get used and at the most inopportune moment decides that this is again you are playing him.
Psychologists do not recommend leaving the older child with the younger, if that one is very small. Yes, and with a friend, a neighbor is also not always useful. You do not know how he will behave when he feels that he is alone and in a strange apartment, where his own mother does not “threaten” him with anything.
Psychologist advises
Do not leave the child alone at home until the age of seven.
Your first absence should not last more than 10-15 minutes.
Elzy leave the baby alone without his consent.
If the child is too shy, then you should not hurry to teach him to be independent in this way. Let a little grow up.
Be sure to come back on time! The kid must be confident in you, then he will also become more disciplined.
Recently, a woman came to me at the reception, where a break with her husband was brewing. Family life did not go well with them, divorce was the only way out, but nevertheless the woman was terribly afraid of being alone. Why? We had a long conversation with her on this topic. Did she depend on her husband financially? No, the woman made a successful career, earned good money, whereas her husband did not have a permanent job and he was interrupted by odd jobs, while he drank away his poor prey. He was not engaged in raising children, did not know how to repair electrical appliances, and did not like to hammer in nails with the word, “it couldn’t be called a support in life”. Nevertheless, there was a panic fear that her husband would leave and leave her alone. After a long conversation, I finally managed to find out the reason. When this woman was six years old, her mother went to work on the night shift, and the girl remained alone at night. She was very afraid. She curled up in bed with a ball, clung to a corner of the blanket, as if it were someone's tail, and, looking at the wall, lay all night in an embrace with this tail and waited for her mother. Childhood fear of being alone at night, she transferred to adulthood.
This case is quite typical. Very often adults have problems precisely because in childhood they were left alone. Is it really impossible to do this? It all depends on the age of your child.
Before the year of the child it is advisable not to leave one even in the room. A nursing baby does not understand that Mom has gone to the kitchen. His world is limited by the space of the room, and he thinks that the world ends at the door. If mom left the room, then she was gone forever, so immediately a heart-rending cry was heard. Try not to leave the child during this period, if you are peeling potatoes or washing the floor, let the child be always nearby. Only when he sleeps can you leave, but not for long: what if he wakes up and you are not around? Believe me, this is a real tragedy for the baby.
After a year, the child can be separated for the night, let him sleep alone in the nursery, if, of course, your living conditions allow. But it should be just a nursery, not a grandparents' room or a living room. The nursery, with his toys, with his things, with his furniture. At this age, he needs a cozy soft toy bear, doggie or squirrel, which will replace his mother in those moments when she is not around. This toy is a completely living creature for your baby. You can say a toy: "Bunny, I will go to cook dinner now, and you see that Sasha behaves well." And Sasha, you say: "Do not hurt the Bunny. I will come and ask him how you behaved." With this toy, children can easily let you into the kitchen to cook dinner or chat on the phone with a girlfriend. With it, they will easily fall asleep without fear of staying in the room at night.
But if you need to leave the apartment, then leaving the child in the care of the toys is not enough - an adult is needed. And not a casual adult, but a close, well-known friend whom the child trusts in the same way as you. This may be a grandmother, a long-time neighbor, a well-known nanny, but not the one you invited yesterday in an ad in the newspaper.
Leaving the child alone, it is very important to understand how you return, how you meet with the child. Often, the mother, coming home from work, throws the bags, in a hurry to cook dinner, and from the child simply shrugs away, do not bother. Here I will put you to bed in the evening, then I will read a fairy tale. And now I have no time. This is a very dangerous mistake that many adults make, and then they wonder: why do their adult children reject aged parents? Why do not care about the elderly? Yes, because the old people in their youth planted a time bomb. There is nothing more important than a child no dinners, no phone calls. And no matter how busy her mother is, first of all, when she comes home from work, she should kiss her child, pat her hair, ask how he spent that day without her. This will take you no more than 10-15 minutes. Then do borscht, laundry, cleaning. But only then.
At the age of 3 years, the psychological birth of a child takes place, and it is during this period that the foundation of your relationship with him for the rest of his life is laid. It is during this period that you should be extremely attentive to your child.
At the age of 5, the child enters a new stage in his development, the imagination is formed, fears appear. At this time, it is also very dangerous to leave him alone: he is afraid of falling asleep alone, he sees pictures of beeches and bjaki, and these fears must be respected. Here again a favorite toy will come to the rescue, but your presence is also necessary. It is desirable that it is the mother, not the grandmother, who is near during crisis moments in the life of the baby, if she wants to maintain good relations with him for life. Grandma is another person. If the mother is busy all the time, leaves the child at crucial moments, he has the impression of being useless. And this impression remains for life. Believe me, attention to the child does not physically take much time. The main thing is that it is constant and timely. The moment of falling asleep is very important - be at this moment with him.
When a mother leaves home for work, leaves the child alone at the dacha, then it is important to trace how he meets her. If he does not run to meet, and continues as if nothing had happened to play in the sandbox - this is a bad symptom. So, the baby was offended, although it does not show. If he threw a tantrum, his offense is obvious. But if he plays peacefully, let the mother not calm down: she urgently needs to change something, rebuild relations with the child.
It often happens that mom feels guilty and begins to curry favor with the child:
Are you really not offended? Are you offended by mommy? I'm not guilty that I was not, I work.
The kid will never say that he was offended by mommy, this is how the human psyche works, but the resentment will get even more stuck in his heart. And let the mother not be surprised if sometime, later, for no reason, no reason, the child will call the mother some offensive word.
And my mother is actually to blame for the fact that she works, but this does not mean at all that she should quit her job or experience a guilt complex. She should apologize to the baby for her (even if the most fair) absence and somehow compensate him. That is, not to get rid of him with sweets and toys, but again to give him time and attention: play together, read, go to the circus with him or visit friends. Then, over time, the child will gain a certainty that you are not really leaving him, and in fact, it is not your fault that you leave for work. Children like working mothers - they are proud of them. But it is always necessary to remember: it is necessary to give the child timely attention.
In 6-7 years old you can already leave a child alone. Totally single, without grandma. It even needs to be done in order to instill in him a sense of responsibility and independence, but this must be done very carefully. Start gradually Q. First you can leave the child for a short time. Its duration depends on the characteristics of the child. For some, five minutes is a lot, but someone will sit quietly for half an hour. But before you leave him, you need to prepare a child for this. For a few days you have to say: “I’ll go to the store for half an hour on Friday. Do you mind? Can you stay alone? Or is it better to call your grandmother?” And only if the child agrees, you can start the experiment. He will certainly agree if you have normal good relations. At the age of 6, the child has a need for independence, and your care meets this need. But only if you really have a normal relationship. If the child does not trust you, he will never let you go. In such cases, you should seek advice from a psychologist.
So, you begin gradually, each time with preparation, to leave the child at home alone, gradually increasing the intervals. Americans do not leave their children at home until the age of 12, they are prohibited by law, but there is a completely different life. However, we should not leave the child for a long time alone your "holidays" cannot last longer than three hours. Always leave the phone where you are and the phones of other relatives whom the child can call. Because even if he is independent, he still misses.
For parents, it is very important to keep the promises accurate. If you said: I will come at six, you must arrive at exactly six minutes and not later. First, you will thus achieve that subsequently your son or daughter will keep the promises to come from a walk on time. They will get used to being late is unnatural. Secondly, at the age of 10-11, the child has a fear for his loved ones. He already knows that the world is cunning, that around a catastrophe, an accident, a danger. He is worried that you may be in danger, so he is worried about you. Do not give him cause for concern. If you can’t guarantee the accuracy of your arrival, call him a different, later time, you better come back sooner than make him nervous. Even phone calls to the child will not help here - after all, you promised, he will certainly demand that you return home as soon as possible. He is really worried!
LEAVING A CHILD ONE, MOM IS NECESSARY TO FULLY TRUST IT, AND DO NOT REMOVE EVERY MINUTE, CHECKING: ARE YOU GAS OFF? YOU'VE DONE YOUR HOMEWORK? YOU DON'T LOCK THE CAT IN THE CABINET? DIDN'T YOU SET UP A SHORT CIRCUIT OR A SMALL FIRE? OR WE TRUST OUR CHILDREN, OR ... WE HAVE OUR OWN PURE ADULT CHALLENGES WHICH WE SOLVE WITH OUR CHILDREN, AND THIS IS ALWAYS ANOTHER THEM.
Sooner or later, this question arises before all parents, because there are different situations in life, for example, grandmothers or grandfathers are not around, and mother needs to leave for work urgently.
Up to six years: Mom's nerve cell test
The first time I had to leave my daughter when she fell ill. She was 10 months old, she had a fever, and the eldest needed to be taken to school (at that time he was already in first grade). By the time she came out, she fell asleep, because in the dream the babies are recovering, I ran the elder at my own risk. Thank God, nothing happened, and my heart sank in the heels, but my beauty still peacefully snuffled in her crib.
A couple of times left the five-year plan for an hour. He was with the phone. Every 10 minutes called. He had a great time, and my nerve cells would not recover.
She was forced to leave her son at the age of four and a half, and immediately for three hours every evening. Everything went well. When he was six years old, when he went to study, he could independently overcome the way home from school. She started leaving her daughter even earlier, at three and a half years, at 30 minutes in the morning. She coped perfectly. But one of the ugly neighbors sounded on social security, and the problems were above the roof, and this despite the fact that in Germany there is no law that says how old children can be left alone at home - only the recommendations of psychologists and educators.
Just today, the eldest daughter of five years left one, she has a severe sore throat, she urgently needed medicines, a little one - in her arms and ran to the pharmacy. My favorite cartoons on the tablet turned on and told me not to go to the door, but during the absence - 40 minutes - I’ve all worn out. If it were not for such a necessity, I would never have done it like that!
Frame from the movie "Home Alone"
From the age of six: preparation for school
From the age of six, the son stayed at home for a while, while my husband and I went, for example, to the store, gradually increased the time, but the child was on the phone. At seven, in the summer before the school, I had to leave it for the whole day. I came only to feed dinner. But there were no problems: the son walked, played at home, read, or they went to visit each other with friends.
Elder began to leave one with six years. Preparing for school. He went to school and from school afterwards. Allowed to do everything. Usually, the son was watching TV or playing at the computer. Could warm up something in the microwave. I called and asked what I was doing. Worried only the first two times, then stopped.
My child is six years old, leaving him alone for half an hour, if you need to go somewhere without him. We started from 15 minutes, explained that it was impossible to do (in our country, especially under the ban, to climb on a chair, then on the closet), leave the remote control to him so that he could turn on the cartoons, on his little table - water and some goodies so that he would not I did not take it anywhere. He knows about the sockets for a long time, I always close the windows and he does not know how to open them yet. But when I leave anyway, of course, I worry so far.
From the age of seven: develop independence
From the age of seven began to leave. We have wonderful neighbors, we are watching them (we do not often turn to them), the doors are open both for them and for us (a joint platform for two apartments). Well, the phone is next.
From the age of seven, I went to the first class. At first there was darkness, of course, but now it’s completely independent and will eat it itself, it will vacuum it, take out the garbage, wash it after itself, and even walk the dog during the day.
Frame from the movie "Home Alone"
It does not always depend on age
Son left one already with four years, but not for long, naturally. He is a very independent guy, responsible and so calm. From the age of six he could already go to the store for bread. From 10 he goes to the hairdresser. And the daughter cannot stay at home alone, but she is eight! Not for a minute, not for a second. Everywhere you have to take with you ...
I think, first of all, you need to focus on the child himself. We have two sons: 11 and 7 years old. The older one was left at home from six (first for a short while and kept in touch by phone), but the younger one is not yet left (only if it is with a brother). Perhaps it’s just “the youngest syndrome”, everyone is afraid to let him go “into adulthood”.
Statistics
If we talk about advice, the most important thing is that the child always has a connection with you. So that he can always call you if something happens or questions arise. The second is to leave him free food and drink: something simple that does not need to be heated in a frying pan, turn on the fire (preferably). The third is to organize his leisure time, so that he has how to spend his free time while you are not at home. For example, to get an album, pencils, to teach to include cartoons, to put in a prominent place any other toys for his hobbies.
And also as a matter of course - to teach all the safety rules, to speak all situations that may arise. Tell your child where he can get help, besides his parents, contact his neighbors, call special services (of course, numbers should also be learned). And finally, my personal opinion, you can never lock up a child and not leave him the opportunity to even get out. He must have the keys, and he must be able to use them. Maybe I'm a reinsurer, but suddenly a fire? And the child should be able to immediately run out. Of course, if he has keys, then he should be taught that strangers cannot open the door, etc., but this is already part of the general safety rules.
Frame from the movie "Home Alone"
Before the son was left at home alone, he was given full instruction. Test drives conducted:
1. If the fire detectors squeak, take the keys, open the door and go outside and ask for help. Do not look for smoke and fire, it is not his business.
2. If water has poured (no matter where), re-leave the house and ask for help.
3. If you are knocking or ringing an intercom, do not approach or answer. If something is suspicious, then call your parents.
4. Cellular always with you. If the call is not answered twice, it will be bad: mom, dad, riot police, NATO will arrive, ground and air transport will arrive with police and firefighters, and after all it will be deprived of cartoons for three days.
5. In case of loss of cellular communication, the numbers of the parents and all services of the Ministry of Emergency Situations hang in large numbers on the landline phone.
A question that worries all parents - because everyone wants as soon as possible to get the opportunity to at least go to the store, not to mention the longer absences ...
The site tells not so much about how many years to leave the child alone at home (because there is no single suitable age), but about how to track the moment when your child is ready for it.
How to understand that the child is already able to stay at home?
Here the question is more connected not with age, but with psychological maturity. If you ask people familiar with the children, there will definitely be a fearless early supporter who says, “I’m leaving my own since I’m three years old - and nothing!” And a “crazy mother” who doesn’t dare to leave even a ten-year-old unattended.
There is no such age when you need to teach a child to stay at home alone at any cost if you see that he is not objectively ready. What is psychological readiness?
- The child is sane and more or less obedient (that is, he adequately fulfills the requirements and requests, is able to listen, remember and do what he was asked to do). If he even “flies into one ear, into another ear,” and you are never sure that he will do what he has been talking to, then there is no guarantee that he will behave correctly without you.
- He has no causeless or provoked by biased causes of panic attacks, or other strong emotions, during which he has little control over his behavior. Small children can really be afraid of being alone, crying and feeling strong emotional discomfort.
- His usual behavior and actions are more or less predictable, he rarely creates obvious nonsense and strangeness.
- He is able to secure for himself at least minimal household comfort — go to the toilet, take food where it was left for him, get dressed, if it is cold, open the window, if it is hot, wash, if it gets dirty, etc.
What does the law say about whether to leave a child alone at home?
The law is strict - both in the Russian Federation and in Ukraine it should not be left without the supervision of parents or other responsible adults (close relatives, teachers) of children under the age of 14 years. In other countries of the world, this age ranges from 12 to 16 years.
What does this mean in practice?
If something happens to a child under that age while he is alone at the place of actual residence, this incident will be considered the result of the negligence of the parents and their violation of the law, and not just an accident.
How to prepare to leave the child alone at home?
It is not enough to issue kilometer instructions in writing and read the two-hour notation. Important:
- Ensure that the child is able to behave safely.
- Make every effort so that there are no potential sources of danger around him.
How to implement it in practice? Before you leave your child truly alone at home, make several test attempts:
- Say that you leave for a certain time (for example, half an hour), but go back supposedly due to unforeseen circumstances or behind a forgotten thing in five minutes. See what happened during your absence and what your child is doing.
- If there is a possibility of remote monitoring of the child - great. Install a webcam and watch the movie “Home Alone” with your child in the lead role, without departing far from the apartment.
- During a trial absence, arrange for a child to check one of the alarm situations that you instructed him about. For example, the doorbell rings (ask someone from your friends to play this role). Or familiar - say, a neighbor. How will the baby react according to the instructions, or will it begin to improvise?
But deciding whether it is possible to leave a child at home alone, you still can not rely only on his obedience and responsibility. Do everything to minimize the number of potential hazards.
- Put knives, scissors, sewing utensils, matches and lighters, etc. into a really inaccessible place.
- If there are products that the child really cannot be - hide them, lock them up, or try to make sure that there are no such products in the house by the time you leave. Children really suffer from gastronomic restrictions, and usually sincerely believe that "if I eat a small piece, it will be unnoticeable."
- Keep away medicines and alcoholic beverages. Not always, but sometimes the crazy idea is to try for the children to try, and what adults are drinking.
- If you are not sure that the child knows how to use the stove well, turn the water taps on and off - it is better to simply turn off the gas pipe valve and the valves on the water pipes before exiting. Of course, leave with a supply of drinking water and water "technical" (for example, for washing hands - in a basin), and some food that does not require warming up.
- You are afraid that a child in the absence of parents will wander to some kind of site that is not in - turn off the Internet or set a password to enter the computer. Just keep in mind that visiting non-child sites can easily take place at a time when the child is not alone at home ...
Best of all - leaving your son or daughter for the first or second time in the life of one house, before you leave, hand him some gift that will surely take him: a new drawing album, a box of clay, a book ... or at least download a new game to him on the tablet. A child occupied with a new thing will not have time and enthusiasm for pranks!
On this occasion, there are different opinions. Very often there are situations when parents cancel their affairs in order to stay with the child, as there is no one to leave. There are supporters of children's independence. Supporters of the opposite opinion give their arguments: “the behavior of modern children is unpredictable - it is not known what will come to their mind,” “suddenly, someone will frighten a child, because life is dangerous today.” But children should be able to stay at home alone for some time, without experiencing anxiety and fear.
In life there are all sorts of situations in which the child must be able to make a decision himself, since the outcome of an event will depend on this decision. But do not go to extremes. Some parents, taking to teach the child independence, can be so overzealous that they will get exactly the opposite result. A two-year-old baby cannot be left alone in an empty apartment, as this is a serious risk not only for the baby’s health, but also even for his life. If a seven-year-old, insecure, anxious child is left alone at home for the night, he hardly learns courage and independence, but the fear will remain with him for life.
At what age can you start leaving the child alone?
Of course, we are not talking about a baby. An infant even for a short time should not be left alone. The baby must constantly hear tender words, feel the warmth of her mother's hands, all this helps him to grow and develop safely and gives a sense of security. When the child is one year old, you can leave it in the nursery for the night, surrounding the bed with fluffy toys. Gentle friends will keep the child company in the dark. But if parents need to leave, only toys will not be enough. To look after the child should someone from adults.
Children 5 years old already have a well-developed imagination, so they are experiencing the fears of cartoons and books in reality. Given this, it is dangerous for a five-year-old child to be left alone at home, especially if he is very impressionable. Especially important for a child at this age is the care and support of parents. A child may be afraid to be alone in the dark, it is advisable for a mother to be near him until the baby falls asleep. It is enough to hold the child by the hand, read a calm book, tell something pleasant.
Six-year-old child can already stay at home alone. It is necessary to gradually teach him to remain alone in an empty apartment. So the child will have a sense of responsibility and independence. But you can leave the child for no more than three hours. When leaving home, parents should talk calmly and confidently with the child. The child must leave their coordinates, teach him to understand the time on the clock. At home, one child is bored, and so he will know the waiting time. It is very important to come home exactly by the time you promised to return to. When the child is left alone at home, have him do something important, he is already an adult, which means her mother will be able to complete the task. For example, you can give him a task to bring order to the nursery, to remove toys and all things in their places, or to seal the torn books, ask them to water the flowers. The child needs to ask what he wants to do while the parents are not at home. In the DVD player, you can leave a new cartoon that will distract him while he waits for the parents to return.
10-11 years old Because of the long absence of loved ones, the child begins to worry, so he definitely needs to call and warn you that you are late. Subject to proper upbringing in 12 years, the child will be completely independent. Whether to leave a child at home, only parents decide. It is necessary to take into account the individuality of the child, his ability to occupy himself, the level of his independence.
Preparation for independence
First, the child is left for a short time in his crib, with time the baby is left alone in the next room. Even a six-month-old child can play alone for a while. The baby should be given the opportunity to entertain himself for some time, play with toys while his parents do their work. When a child plays alone, it is necessary to observe how he behaves, whether the baby is naughty when left alone. A child older than the first time can be left alone at home for a few minutes and absent, for example, to a neighbor. Just warn the child in advance that you are leaving for a short time. For the time of your absence, the child needs to take something, and to return exactly at the time that you promised the child. In this way, the child can be taught to stay at home on his own, he will know that you are absent, but will return on time, as promised. When you are absolutely confident in your child, then from the age of five, the baby can be left alone at home for a longer time. A child doesn’t need to promise sweets or a new toy for independence; he can quickly get used to it and will demand the promised gift all the time. It is better to use intangible ways to encourage the child. For example, go to the park with the whole family, go out of town, go to the circus, cook dinner together.
Tips for parents
In order not to worry when the child is left alone at home, parents should quietly control it as little as possible. The child is interested in everything that is forbidden to him, so in your presence you need to give the baby a try, what are matches and electrical appliances. The child must be taught to use a computer or a microwave. After the child tries everything, he will have fewer temptations to do it all himself during your absence.
The child must be sure to know how much time you will be out. He needs to show the arrows on the clock, and always come at the promised time.
Parents should teach the child not to be afraid of the dark. It is possible that in the evening the child will need to be left alone for some time. It’s not necessary to frighten a child with any horror stories, leave the lights on so that he can play calmly even when it gets dark.
The child should be taught to use the telephone, he should know the telephone numbers of the parents and be able to call if necessary. It is necessary to explain to the child that it is impossible to open the doors to strangers and it is impossible to tell anyone that the child is alone at home.
Modern children are independent. Parents simply need to teach their child to behave properly and then, leaving the child alone, they will have nothing to fear.
The question of when the child can be left at home alone sooner or later rises before all parents. Is it possible, for example, to run to the store for 10-15 minutes? Many will say: it all depends on the situation, on the child, how ready he is, how confident you are that everything will be in order.
But more and more I meet acquaintances whose children are of the same age as my seven-year-old son:
And where is Dania?
At home, why drag him here, I'm 10 minutes. He is already half a year left, if I am briefly.
Friends I often ask: Are not you afraid to leave? Can he call you? But what if you didn’t return in time (stayed, got stuck in a traffic jam, got mobile, got stuck in an elevator, “Kondraty” was enough)?
In response, I get the usual:
Well, you make up. It's easier not to give birth to children at all.
I decided to google different countries. Russian-speaking sources say that “in most European countries you cannot leave a child at home until he is twelve years old, and in some states of America - up to fourteen years old, but upon detailed study this was not quite right.
1. USA.Each state has its own laws on the age from which the child can stay at home.
In some states there are well-defined restrictions: in the state of Arizona, a child can be left alone, beginning at 10 years old, in Maryland, starting at 18 years old, and in a few more states at 14 years old.
In general, the law of the United States from different sides is considering the question of the loneliness of a child at home:
The parent will be responsible if the child is left in unsafe conditions or not fed, not properly dressed. What specifically means “unsafe conditions”, “not fed”, “not dressed” - at the discretion of the court.
In the event of an accident, the parents may be found guilty if the court considers the situation in which the child is left alone is not completely safe. The court takes into account the age of the child and other circumstances.
For the purpose of fire safety, it is forbidden to leave a child up to 8 years old alone in a locked room locked. Residential building belongs to this type of premises.
2. Canada.The laws of this country more specifics than in the United States. In most states, it is forbidden to leave one child under the age of 10 at home. After 10 years and up to 16 children can be left no more than 2 hours. In order to leave the child for more than 2 hours, there must be a good reason and such security measures are taken as: notifying the neighbors, periodic calls to the home, provision of food and drink.
4. Australia.There is no age limit here. In case of trouble or accident, the court will decide how correct the decision was to leave the child alone. There are many prescriptive guidelines. Parents are not obliged to comply with them, but in case of problems, their behavior will be considered as erroneous.
6. France.The law in France states that a parent is responsible for ensuring that a child under 15 is completely safe. There is no clear time frame for how much a child can stay at home alone.
7. Russia.There is no clear age limit in the Russian legislative practice when a child can remain alone. There are several laws on limiting the presence of children in public places, but all of them regulate the independent stay of the child on the street, the question of staying at home is entirely within the personal preferences of the parents.
It turns out that in many countries, as in Russia, there is no specific age to which the parent cannot leave the child alone at home. And everything, really, comes down to the vision of this question by the parent.
How to understand if the child is ready to be left alone?
Take the test. If you answer "NO" more than 2 times - the child should not be left alone.