As a busy parent, you may find yourself in situations where you have to leave your children alone at home. Since finding a babysitter isn`t always a viable option, you can leave the responsibility to your older child. However, one question most parents ask themselves is at what age a child can stay home alone with a sibling. Age is not the only deciding factor in determining whether the child is mature enough to care for siblings, as different children mature at different rates. Dr. Pierrette Mimi Poinsett, Certified Paediatrician and Medical Advisor for Mom Loves Best, explains: “There is no legal age that dictates the minimum age for a babysitter. A good rule of thumb for a minimum age for siblings who sit for short periods of time is between 11 and 12 years old. Younger siblings should be over two years old. On the other hand, the recommended age for an older sibling to spend the night caring for siblings under the age of two is 16. If a father under the age of 18 wishes to exercise parental responsibility over his child, he must be married or in a registered partnership with the child`s mother. A father under the age of 18 cannot be declared an adult by a court.
If the child`s mother is also a minor and is not responsible, a guardian will be held temporarily liable. If the father is 16 or 17 years old, he can recognize the child. So he is officially the father. *The age shown is the recommended minimum age at which a child can be left home alone instead of a minimum/legal age. Eventually, if things go well, you can start leaving your kids alone for a few hours. Whether they come home home alone after school while you`re at work or in the evening when you go out to eat with your partner for a date, you`ll figure out when they might be ready, based on how things went with the previous babysitting. In this article, I will let you know at what age a child can babysit their siblings and consider other factors, such as their maturity level and how to prepare them to be alone. An 11 or 12 year old may be willing to babysit in the afternoon or evening. But babysitting at night is a very different situation, for which they are not quite ready in terms of maturity.
Before you let your child babysit, you can enroll them in basic safety courses such as those offered by the American Red Cross. You can also look for institutions that train children, suffocation, breathing, CPR, etc. (4). Start by making sure they feel comfortable being alone and being able to take care of their younger siblings. You don`t want to impose that on them if they feel overwhelmed. Read this article to learn more about factors to consider when allowing older siblings to be babysitters, how to prepare them, and at what age they can start. If you are a mother who has reached the age of 18, you are of legal age and automatically assume responsibility for your child. This applies unless responsibility has already been transferred to the father or guardian (voogd). In this case, you can ask the court to give you responsibility for your child. Most states do not have laws that stipulate the age a child must be to stay home alone.
The decision is therefore left to the judgment of the parents. It`s pretty obvious to most parents that a 5-year-old is too young to be left home alone. But what about an 11- or 12-year-old? Finally, be sure to also discuss specific policies if they are home alone. For example, decide whether or not they can have friends while you`re away. It`s also important to talk about what they`re allowed to eat, how much they can watch TV, talk on the phone or use other devices, and any other house rules. One way to look at the situation more objectively would be to consider the types of reinforcements your older child needs to get through a school day. If your child has an IEP (Individual Education Plan) and needs accommodations at school because of the above issues, this will be fairly well explained in their IEP. Checking the goals set by the special educator will help you determine if your child has the required skills or is still working to achieve them, in which case it is best to wait until they are a little older. How do you know at what age it is acceptable to leave your tween alone at home? And when will your children be old enough to start babysitting? Experts say the answers to these questions depend on your child`s maturity and situation. You must have developed a good degree of foresight. It`s the ability to look to the future and determine “if I do this, this and that could happen or not.” This is a primary executive function and something important that you should teach your children from an early age. However, this part of the brain does not begin the maturation process until the age of about 12.
With the right example and advice, these skills can be well developed in the second decade of life.