How old can a child be home alone in california

How young is too young?

School’s out for summer, and many Bay Area parents are left facing a quandary.

Just what should they do with their little ones all day? If grandparents aren’t an option, if both parents work crazy hours and if money is tight, the norm in this land of astronomical housing costs, that can be a real stumper. Summer camp is the usual route, but that can set them back a bundle. The average day camp, according to the American Camp Association, costs about $304 per week, while an overnight camp averages about $700 a week and specialty camps run even higher.

That’s the point at which Bay Area parents may start asking themselves a tough question: How young is too young for latchkey kids?

Dubbed “latchkey kids” because of the telltale key hanging around their neck, these children go home to an empty house after school, or in the case of summer, end up staying home by themselves. Some states, such as California, offer little guidance, with no minimum age set for when children can be left home alone. The majority of states with laws cite 12 years old as the cutoff, while some states lean younger, including Maryland and Georgia at 8 years and Kansas at six.

Of course, the notion of leaving a first-grader alone at home strikes some parents as insane. Unless you want to come home to find the cat wearing high heels and a hat.

“Whaaat? That’s crazy,” says Bethany Cardwell, a mother of two under the age of 7, who lives in Discovery Bay. “I can’t see leaving any children younger than 10 alone. I can’t imagine doing that.”

On the opposite side of the issue, 28-year-old Cody Cook stayed home alone after school starting at the age of six because his grandparents, who raised him, both worked. He was fine with it.

“People think that we live in a whole new world now where scarier things can happen,” says Cook, who lives in Milpitas, “but I think if you can teach your kid the responsible things, like don’t blow up the house, how to use the keys and how to call emergency services, it would not be too much of a big deal. ”

In fact, he thinks that waiting until 12 is waiting way too long: “Parents who wait until 12 are over protective.”

In the age of helicopter parenting, it can be hard to know when to let go. Hovering is hard to resist.

“I’m probably one of those moms who would freak out about leaving my kid home alone,” says Joy Steuerwald, a Fremont mom who has a spunky 6-year-old boy, Harrison. “Twelve seems like it might be just barely OK.”

She jokes that 34 might be a good cutoff age. But she definitely plans to wait until he’s at least in high school. Any younger,  she said, and she’d worry about a stranger realizing he is home alone and taking advantage. Of course, she also points out that leaving teenagers to their own devices also can be a recipe for disaster. Anybody remember “Risky Business?”

Tamsin Ing, who has two children, Ollie, 6, and Charlotte, 10, knows all too well the challenges of being left home alone. Because she spent her childhood as a latchkey kid of a single mother, she decided not to put her kids through that, too.

“There were times it was scary,” says the Fremont mother, “I understood my mum needed me to look after myself and I generally felt I could. I just read a lot and watched movies. But there were times when I’d hear noises outside and be scared.”

Ing says there are far too many things that could go awry.

“You can tell a kid to not answer the door but it’s possible they’d do it anyway,” she says. “I’d worry about something electrical catching fire… or the toilet getting blocked up and overflowing.”

Another East Bay mom, Liz Shipsides, once left her 9-year-old son at home alone briefly, while she dropped his sibling off at school. She came home to find he had barricaded himself in his room out of sheer terror.

The key point is that every kid is different and each will reach the independence stage at different ages. That’s one reason why child psychologist Lisa Whitfield recommends encouraging autonomy in children. This might include leaving them alone for short periods starting as young as 6 and gradually increasing duration as they age, but she cautions against any expectation of routine self-care.

“Even if you would leave your 10-year-old home for an hour while you are at a doctor’s appointment, there are reasons you would not want that same child to have to stay by (himself) every day during the summer,” says Whitfield, professor of developmental psychology at Santa Clara University. That’s “a lot of self-monitoring to ask of those kids.”

She also warns that kids who stay home alone will miss out on a lot of educational and social growth via summer activities and lose a sense of connection to a wider community beyond their parents.

Deborah Lohse was left home alone after school with her two brothers, starting at about fourth grade. She remembers a lot of bickering and a “boatload of Brady Bunch.” She and her brothers were also entrusted with getting dinner ready before her folks got home. But she doesn’t feel good about letting her 10-year-old daughter do the same.

It “just feels wrong and scary,” says the Campbell mother, “I leave her for 10 minutes when I take the dog to pee, and even then we use walkie talkies.”

Societal expectations are a factor, too. Cardwell, the Discovery Bay mom, recalls how neighbors reacted to learning about a 5-year-old girl being left home alone. Although the child appeared comfortable with the arrangement, many of the neighbors felt compelled to keep an eye on her.

This it-takes-a-village approach often becomes the solution for parents not yet ready to leave their children home alone. Options include co-ops with multiple parents, shared nannies or parents juggling work schedules so one of them is always home with the kids.

Experts say one of the simplest ways to tell that a child might be ready to go it alone for a short time is to ask.  Most children will answer truthfully. Signs that a child is scared, and not yet ready, include wanting to turn on all the lights, blaring the television or having nightmares.

For Cook, being trusted to be home alone taught him to rely on himself early on. He believes that gave him an edge in life.

“I think having that kind of environment as a kid helped me mature faster,” Cook says. “Learning independence young helps.”

Kids Home Alone? Distance Learning, Parents, And Safety – San Bernardino County District Attorney

With the start of the 2020 / 2021 school year, many parents face a real question; do they leave their children alone at home? We’re offering some safety suggestions for parents to consider when preparing their children and homes.

With COVID-19 impacting our communities and schools, everyone feels the effects of having to modify their regular routines. This includes households where both parents work, and they are used to their children attending school while at their jobs.

With school districts moving to distance learning, some parents may not be able to afford someone to watch their children or send them to a daycare type program.

If you are going to leave your children home alone, then take the time to do the following to ensure a safe and secure environment for your family.

ARE THEY OLD ENOUGH?

First, check with your local city to see if any local ordinances are specifying at which age a child may be left alone. In California, there is no specific law regarding the age a child may be left home alone. Factors should be taken into account, such as the maturity and emotional level of the child, and any medical or psychological issues or disabilities have to be considered.

GET THE FAMILY AND NEIGHBORS ON BOARD

Make sure everyone you trust is aware the kids will be home alone. In the event an adult is quickly needed, that retired neighbor will soon become your best friend. They can also keep an eye out to make sure everything seems normal, or they might be able to check in on the kids as well.

DO THEY KNOW HOW TO GET HELP?

If your children are unable to use the phone, can’t recite their address, and don’t know how to escape the house quickly, then they absolutely should not be left alone. 

They need to be able to call “911” and summon help in an emergency. They should be able to explain to the police or fire dispatcher what is happening and where they live.

Speaking of emergencies, kids have a different understanding of what an emergency is than us adults. Make sure they understand that something or someone which could harm them or the house is an emergency. Losing the password to their computer or wanting to buy something is not justification for calling 911.

Some scenarios you may want to discuss with your children are:

• A person rings the doorbell and will not leave
• A person looking into the windows or walking into the side or rear yard
• Strange noises which indicate someone has entered the house without their knowledge
• They see or smell smoke or a strange odor that won’t go away

WHAT ARE THE RULES

Take time to discuss with your children the rules when left alone. This includes covering items such as:

• Which friends may or may not come over if any
• What they can and can’t eat
• Whether they are allowed to go outside
• Rules regarding the use of the pool or outdoor play equipment
• What you expect of them while you’re gone, such as chores and school work

GUNS, ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, AND MEDICATIONS

How often have you watched a parent on television recollecting a tragedy and them saying something along the lines of not thinking their child would do this or that, or being in shock, their child did something?

• Store guns unloaded and locked in a manner consistent with safe firearm practices and state laws
• Make alcoholic beverages, tobacco products and medications inaccessible to children

THE POOL IS OFF LIMITS

If you own a pool, make sure you have taken precautions to ensure your children can not access it. Even if they are good swimmers, create a rule that there is no using the pool when mom and dad are not home. No exceptions.

LEAVE A CELL PHONE

If your child doesn’t have access to a home phone or a cell phone, they shouldn’t be left alone. Consider purchasing a “house” cell phone that doesn’t belong to the child, but rather, belongs to every member of the household, and is to stay at home.

• Make sure your child knows how to use the device
• If there is concern the password feature to access the device might cause a hindrance in the moment of an emergency, consider removing it.
• Make sure everyone knows how to use Apple FaceTime (iPhones) or Google Duo (Androids), so you can check in on them through a video call.

QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS?

If you have questions or suggestions, reach out to us using the chat feature on our website, or connect with us on social media.

SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND NEIGHBORS

At what age can a child be left at home alone in different states

The question of when a child can be left at home alone, sooner or later confronts all parents. Is it possible, say, to go to the store for 10-15 minutes? In California, for example, the law is not tied to age: it all depends on the situation, on the child, how ready he is, how confident you are that everything will be in order.

Each state has its own rules about when a child can stay at home. nine0005

In general, US law addresses the issue of home aloneness from different angles:

- A parent will be liable if a child is left in an unsafe environment or is not fed or dressed properly. 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 not entirely safe. The court takes into account the age of the child and other circumstances. nine0005

- For fire safety reasons, it is illegal in all states to leave a child under the age of 8 alone in an enclosed area locked. A residential building is one of these types of spaces. The iMOM community has created a reminder to offer to your children. If they are willing to complete all 10 points, they can be left at home unsupervised (unless it is against state law).

The chart below will help you find out what the law says in each state. If NONE is indicated in the table, it means that the age is not specified in the law, but there are CONDITIONS that must be met by parents. You can find out about these conditions in the responsible departments. nine0005

For example, in California, a child can be left alone at home if they have a means of communication (a charged cell phone or home phone) and have a list of their parents, emergency services, and relatives in a prominent place in the house. For more information, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 800.4.A.CHILD (800.422.4453)

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