Sitter or no sitter: When are children old enough to watch themselves?

We know that the safety of your child is your most important priority as a parent. Parents spend a lot of energy assuring that their children are cared for when they cannot be with them, but there comes a time when children can be responsible for themselves. The question is: When are children old enough to watch themselves? The answer to this question varies and depends on the individual child and the child’s desire to gain independence.

The University of Illinois’s Child Care Resource Service suggests assessing four aspects of your child’s personality to determine readiness to stay alone:

• Desire for independence
• Responsibility
• Communication skills
• Decision-making ability

The University of Illinois has also provided an evaluation of child readiness for self-care that you can complete in order to determine your child’s readiness. If your child shows signs of readiness in the four categories above, then you can consider allowing them to watch themselves for short periods of time.

Start this process with a trial run. Trial runs are a simple way to ensure that everyone is comfortable with the arrangement. You and your child should agree on a short amount of time for you to be away, such as going to the grocery store, going out to lunch or dinner, or shopping. Be sure to take your cell phone with you and stay near your house so that you can get home quickly if needed.

Even if children show signs of readiness for self-care, they need to be prepared to handle various situations, such as: being locked out of the house, an emergency, if their siblings are not behaving, etc. Discuss what you would like them to do if there is an unexpected knock at the door, if they smell smoke or gas, or if there is severe weather or an earthquake.

Communicate to your children the rules that you expect them to abide by while you are away. Make sure to write them down so that there is no confusion. Any time that you leave the house make sure to leave emergency information on hand. The University of Illinois created printable emergency information sheets that you can fill out and leave with your children or sitter.

If your child will also be watching siblings, or is interested in babysitting, it is a good idea to enroll your child in an American Red Cross Babysitting and Child Care Training class. This class covers many topics related to caring for children and includes CPR training.

Finally, the National Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) suggests that you make sure to check with your local police department or child protective services agency regarding the age of children allowed to care for themselves or others. Currently, there is no national law identifying an accepted age. HHS provides an informational packet entitled “Leaving Your Child Home Alone,” which includes links for state-specific resources.