How Young is Too Young to be Home Alone?

This morning while watching a new show the question was asked: How young is too young to be left home alone?  This is not the same situation as the movie "Home Alone" where the young boy was left by accident as their family took off on vacation with extended family.  This situation refers to parents choosing to let their children as young as five-years-old stay home alone.  This may be after school, while running errands or while having dinner with their spouse or a date.   Now, this is certainly a controversial issue when you look at all the horrible things that can happen to a child left alone.  But when you look deeply into the subject you find that there are other situations for letting children stay home alone. There are children who are left home alone because their single mother is working and is working more than one job.  They may be left home alone as their parent could not afford a child care program or sitter.  There may not be any family that could fill n the gap.  There may be an illness that takes the parent away from the home to the hospital for their own care.  The parent may be with a sibling in the hospital.  Then there are parents who leave their children home while they are scoring some drugs.   Yes, there may be after school care that is only a couple of dollars a day or sometimes free for the child.  But many of these programs expect the children to be picked up by 6:00 p.m. What if the parent works until seven or eight at night?  Who picks up the child then?  It is easier to check your child at home for those few hours than it is to find a ride from strangers to bring their child home.  What if a parent does not meet the financial requirements for free child care but does not have enough money for the fees.   There are classes for latch-key children as young as 5-yeas-old to learn how to be safe while home alone.  It is never ideal for children to be left alone at young ages.  But with support and education the child can remain as safe as possible.  But here is an idea, if you know your neighbor has children that are home alone while they are working, make friends with the mom.  Let her know you will be more than happy to help her children out when she is gone.

Taking care of the written word,
dannielyn