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When Can You Leave a Child Home Alone?

Having to leave a child home alone isn't an easy decision, even with a fully capable child and when your trip to the store is just going to last a few minutes. Depending on where you live, there may be laws in place to help you make that decision and to know where the state draws the line at neglect. In this article, you'll learn about laws for when you can leave a child home alone, including helpful guidelines covering:

• when children can be left home alone by age;
• when you can tell whether a child is capable of being left home alone; and
• safety tips for when you leave a child home alone.

Only a couple of states specify a legal age to leave a child home alone, including Maryland (age 8) and Illinois (age 14). However, most states have guidelines with the Department of Health and Human Services or other child protective agencies that test a child's ability to be left home alone. Factors may include the child's age and maturity, the overall safety of the surrounding area/circumstances, and arrangements made to secure the child's safety.

Below are general guidelines to follow when considering the age range when can you leave kids home alone:

• 7 & Under - Should not be left alone for any period of time. This may include leaving children unattended in cars, playgrounds, and backyards. The determining consideration would be the dangers in the environment and the ability of the caretaker to intervene.
• 8 to 10 Years - Should not be left alone for more than 1½ hours and only during daylight and early evening hours.
• 11 to 12 Years - May be left alone for up to 3 hours but not late at night or in circumstances requiring inappropriate responsibility.
• 13 to 15 Years - May be left unsupervised, but not overnight.
• 16 to 17 Years - May be left unsupervised (in some cases, for up to two consecutive overnight periods).

It's important to note that no two children are alike, and parents must decide on a case-by-case basis what's best for their child. Therefore, in addition to the general guidelines listed above, a parent or caretaker should consider the following before they leave a child home alone:

• The age and maturity level of the child;
• The length of time the child will need to stay home alone;
• Whether the child works well independently and follows directions;
• The age and number of other children being left at home;
• The safety of the surrounding neighborhood;
• Willingness of neighbors to check in with the child during the day; and
• Whether the child would feel "safe" staying home alone.

Finally, if leaving kids home alone is a necessity -- at least where older children are involved -- you can follow the following recommendations:

• Have the child memorize their full name, address, and telephone number.
• Post a list of emergency, local, and long distance numbers to call in the event of an emergency.
• Call the child several times during the day while you are away.
• Teach the child how to work the locks on windows and doors and to lock them when at home.
• Tell the child not to go into other people's home (even neighbors) without your permission.
• Designate a "safe house" to run to if the child ever feels that they're in danger.
• Never allow a child to work the oven or stove without a parent or adult caretaker.
• Consider programs offered by schools, organizations, and churches as an alternative to leaving a child home alone for extended periods time.

In addition to the suggestions listed above, it's always a good idea to inform immediate neighbors that your child may be home alone on some days. Not only can a neighbor be a good resource in the event of an emergency, it can help alleviate potential calls to child protective services by unaware neighbors.

Is your child too young to be at home alone? That question is never an easy one to answer, but the law in your state does provide guidance. Because your child's safety is of paramount importance, speak with a legal expert who can provide you with a clear answer. A family law attorney in your jurisdiction will be able to explain the laws of your state and help you understand how to comply with them.

from what age is it possible, parental responsibility, fines and criminal article, memo

Tamara Skokova

specialist of the guardianship and guardianship authority

Author profile

In 2020, 1339 children fell out of windows in Russia, 145 of them died.

Danger lies in wait for children everywhere - in ponds, transport, on the playground, at home. Tragedy can happen due to a combination of circumstances, but there are times when adults are to blame, who did not carefully look after children. For example, in January 2022, a four-year-old boy died in a fire due to the fault of a drunk mother, and in February, a six-year-old girl. nine0003

Parents, adoptive parents and guardians of minors are responsible for their life and health. And if a child gets hurt, they will be held accountable. How and for what legal representatives of minors can be punished, I will tell further.

What you will learn

• What are the responsibilities for parents
• What are the conditions considered dangerous for a child
• When can children be left unattended

How to raise children and not go broke

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Responsibilities for parents

Administrative. By law, parents have many responsibilities towards their children. For example, they must support them, educate, educate and protect their rights and interests.

If parents do not fulfill their duties, they may be held administratively liable. Then they face a warning or a fine - 100-500 R.

Art. 63, 64 SK RF

Parents can be fined in different situations. For example, if they kicked the child out of the house, do not buy the necessary things or products for him, do not send him to school, or do not follow how he attends it and how he studies. I will give real examples from my own and judicial practice later in the article.

Parents can also be punished if their child under 16 uses alcohol or drugs. Fine - 1500-2000 R.

In addition to federal administrative responsibility, there is also regional - in the laws of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation there may be additional offenses and punishments for parents. For example, in St. Petersburg, children under 14 years of age cannot walk large dogs without adults - with a height of 40 cm at the withers. For this, parents can be fined 1000-5000 RUR.

Part 2 8_1 of the Law of St. Petersburg on administrative offenses

Cases of administrative offenses of parents are considered by the Commission on Juvenile Affairs (KDN) - this is the main body in the system of prevention of neglect and juvenile delinquency. We talked in detail about what CDNs are and how they work in an article about dysfunctional families.

Criminal. Parents who not only do not fulfill their duties, but also treat children cruelly, commit a crime. Here is what the court can impose:

1. fine - up to 100,000 R or in the amount of the convicted person's annual salary;
2. compulsory work - up to 440 hours;
3. correctional labor - up to two years;
4. forced labor - up to three years;
5. imprisonment - up to three years.

The Family Code states that maltreatment of minors includes physical or mental violence against them and an attack on their sexual integrity. And the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child additionally lists other situations from which children need to be protected:

• all forms of physical and psychological abuse;
• insults and abuse;
• neglect and neglect;
• abuse and exploitation, including sexual abuse.

ref. 5 st. 69 SK RF

In practice, child abuse can be considered situations when parents deprive him of food, lock him up somewhere for a long time, systematically humiliate and insult him, mock him or beat him. nine0003

Parents who leave their children in danger can also be held criminally liable: that is, they do not help the child in a situation that threatens his life or health. In this case, the threat must be real, not abstract, and the child must not be able to cope with it himself. For example, if he fell and was badly injured, left alone in a deep place in the river or in the middle of a street with busy traffic.

Art. 125 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation

Why the child got into this situation does not matter. The main thing is that the parent did nothing to help him, although he could. For example, he saw that the child swam too far, but did not pay attention to this and continued to sit on the shore. nine0003

At the same time, the parent is not required to thoughtlessly sacrifice his life to save the child. He must choose a method that will not harm anyone. For example, if a child is drowning and his mother cannot swim, she will not be punished for not jumping into the water to save him. But she must help him from the shore - call the rescue service, call passers-by.

Punishment for leaving a child in danger can be:

1. a fine of up to 80,000 R or in the amount of the convict's six-month salary; nine0018
2. compulsory work - up to 360 hours;
3. correctional or forced labor - up to a year;
4. arrest - up to three months;
5. imprisonment - up to a year.

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For one of the parents, a mother, there is a special article in the criminal code: the murder of a newborn child by a mother. It is used if the child died due to the fault of the mother within a month after birth. Moreover, this can happen not only because of the actions of the mother, but also because of her inaction. For example, if she leaves a newborn alone on a cold balcony for a long time or simply does not feed him. nine0003

In my practice, there was a case when a mother was sentenced to two years in prison for strangling a three-day-old baby with a robe belt. The girl was 18 years old, after giving birth she was left alone with the child and could not cope with the fact that he screamed a lot. In court, she said that it was the only way for her to go out for a smoke, and now she is free.

Civil liability is borne by parents when they need to compensate for property damage caused by a child. Under the law, until the age of 14, the legal representatives are responsible for the child. This means that if a child throws a stone at the window of someone else's apartment, then his parents will pay for the repairs. nine0003

Art. 1073 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation

The same responsibility is borne by organizations that have to look after children - kindergartens, schools, hospitals. And nannies who look after children under agreements with their parents.

I will give two examples from judicial practice. In the first case, three guys launched a quadrocopter, which at some point landed on the roof of a building and never took off again. The children tried to hit the quadcopter with stones and accidentally hit a car parked nearby. The owner of the car estimated the damage at 153,000 R. The parents of the children refused to pay, but they had to do it by court order. In addition, they paid an additional 20,000 R for state duty, postage, damage assessment and legal services. nine0003

In the second case, while shooting from an air pistol, a boy hit a girl in the eye with a metal bullet. Surgeons had to remove it, and after the operation, scars remained near the eye. As a result, the Moscow City Court ordered the boy's parents to reimburse the girl's parents for the money they spent on her treatment, as well as moral damages.

But both parents and organizations that temporarily looked after children can avoid liability if they prove that the harm was not their fault. It is more difficult for parents to prove this: they are responsible for the upbringing and behavior of children, therefore, if a child has done something, they are to blame by default. To prove innocence, you will have to confirm that, for objective reasons, the parent did not raise the child. For example, if the second parent does not live with the child and participates in his life only financially. nine0003

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One schoolboy harmed another. Who will pay: parents or school?

Organizations, on the other hand, are usually only to blame if they did not look after the child closely enough when he harmed someone. And they are not responsible for his upbringing.

Children between the ages of 14 and 18 are responsible for the harm they cause. But if they do not have money or property for this, then the debt will be collected from the parents.

Art. 1074 Civil Code of the Russian Federation

In this article, I will call the deprivation and restriction of parental rights family law responsibility. So only the court can punish the parents. But lawsuits about this are usually filed by guardianship authorities. And, as a rule, this happens with those families that are already registered with the KDN.

Another variant of family law liability is when a child is immediately taken away from the parents due to the fact that something threatens his life. This happens according to the act of the guardianship authority, which, within 7 days after that, must go to court with a claim to deprive the parents of their rights. nine0003

There is no special rule that parents cannot leave their child alone one or more times. You will have to answer only if they deliberately left the child in danger, something happened to him or could happen to him, or he did something himself.

What conditions are considered dangerous for a child

There are many dangers in apartment for a child. For example, household appliances and electrical cables, sockets, sharp corners, doors and windows, household chemicals and medicines. And parents are obliged to ensure that the child does not suffer from all this. nine0003

But if a child just hits a corner and gets a bruise, parents won't go to jail for it: anything can happen, the main thing is that they are there and help in time. But if a child was seriously injured due to the fact that they did not fulfill their duties - for example, slipped in the bathroom and broke their arm when the parents were drinking with friends, they can be brought to administrative or criminal liability. And, in my experience, the rare cases where a child falls in the bathroom end without consequences for the parents. Although each situation is individual, and each authorized body will be studied separately. nine0003

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How to make your apartment safe for children

Children also often fall out of windows. For example, according to the statistics of the Tver Children's Regional Hospital, from 2020 to 2022, 43 children fell out of windows in the region. And in the Moscow Region, in just 6 months of 2022, more than 50 children fell out of windows. Often accidents happen because of unreliable mosquito nets on windows - they can't even withstand cats, let alone children. And this usually happens when the adult has fallen asleep or is distracted - even for a short time. nine0003

Parents may also be held administratively or criminally liable for such an oversight. The more severely the child is hurt, the harsher the punishment will be.

In my practice, there were also such cases. For example, in the Belgorod Region, a two-year-old girl once fell out of a window - she climbed onto the windowsill, the window was open, and the mosquito net could not stand it. It was lucky that the apartment was on the first floor, and the girl survived. But nevertheless, she suffered quite badly - she received a concussion and a fracture of the temporal bone. nine0003

As a result of this incident, the girl's mother was brought to administrative responsibility under Art. 5.35 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. This is a punishment for her carelessness and shortsightedness.

Children are often injured or killed in fires. For example, according to the statistics of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, in January-March 2022, 90 children died in fires, and 360-390 children die every year.

Fires can be caused by children playing with matches or lighters that adults have left in an accessible area. Or because the parents themselves created a fire hazard situation - for example, they dried clothes over a gas stove, did not fix the wiring in time, or used home-made household appliances. It is especially dangerous when children are left alone in locked rooms: in the event of a fire, they will not be able to go outside. nine0003

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For example, at the beginning of 2022 in the Volgograd region, two children — eight and two years old — died in a house fire. The house caught fire because one of the guys found her lighter in the kitchen where her mother was smoking, started playing and accidentally set fire to the curtain. The fire quickly spread. Mother was not at home at that time.

In such a situation, parents may be held criminally liable for causing death by negligence - under Part 1 of Art. 109of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, if one child died, and under part 3 of the same article - if two or more.

There are times when children's pranks turn into hooliganism. For example, for the sake of entertainment, the guys launch burning airplanes from the roofs of houses and balconies, set fire to mailboxes, door trims of apartments, throw lit smoke bombs into the entrances. For such behavior, children from the age of 16 are punished for intentional damage to property, and their parents - for dereliction of duty.

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In addition, parents can be held liable even if they simply left their children at home alone for a long time and they were not harmed, but could be. Such behavior of adults is classified as a threat to the life and health of children.

Here is an example from my practice. In 2007, in the Belgorod region, parents left three children - 7 years old, 4 years old and 4 months old - alone for three days. Neighbors called the guardianship authorities when they saw that the older girl was collecting dry branches in the yard to kindle the stove and warm the younger ones. nine0003

When we arrived, we found out that the adults had gone to a relative's funeral in a neighboring farm. They left only milk and bread for the children. And all the children survived only because their older sister took care of them.

Having found out everything, we immediately drew up an act and a resolution on the selection of children. We also placed the children in a juvenile rehabilitation center and deprived their parents of their rights within seven days.

The court satisfied our claim because the parents deliberately left the children in a situation that threatened their life and health. Children, due to their age, could not take care of themselves and miraculously did not suffer. nine0003

Since six months later, the parents of these children had not regained their rights, they were placed in a foster family.

And parents will also be responsible if the child lives in potentially dangerous conditions. Even if he has not suffered yet, but due to the conditions in the apartment or house, he may suffer in the future. In this case, family law liability measures will apply.

Here is an example from my practice. The school turned to us for guardianship - the class teacher said that the brother and sister had not been going to classes for a week, and their parents had not been in touch. Together with the police and the KDN, we went to their house and saw that the children were living in a house without heating, running water or sewerage - due to debts, gas and electricity were turned off for them, and water was only in the yard in the well. nine0003

The children's parents drank and did not cope with their duties - they fed them only bread and biscuits, did not wash them, did not wash their clothes. Under such conditions, the boy developed enuresis.

We offered the mother to temporarily place her children in a social rehabilitation center. In the meantime, they are there to solve everyday problems and improve the situation at home. But she refused. Therefore, we prepared an act on the selection of children and forcibly took them away.

The next day we learned that something terrible had happened in the house — the children's grandmother had died from carbon monoxide. The mother was saved. It all happened because they kindled the stove with wood and, in order to keep the heat in the house, closed the chimney damper. nine0003

We subsequently restricted the mother's parental rights. But even after that, she did not change her lifestyle. Therefore, in the end, we deprived her of parental rights.

/prava/prava-deti/

Rights of children under 18

In the car. By law, it is forbidden to leave a child under 7 years old alone in a vehicle during a stop and parking. But adults sometimes forget that any car, even with the engine off, is a source of increased danger. And a child can fall into a deadly trap at any moment. nine0003

For example, on a hot day in Izhevsk in 2015, a young couple decided not to wake their two-month-old baby and left him in an air-conditioned car with the windows slightly open while they went to the store. When the parents returned half an hour later, the child was no longer breathing. As a result, the police opened a case under Part 1 of Art. 109 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - causing death by negligence.

In 2013, in Krasnoyarsk, three eyewitnesses reported to the police in turn that a one-year-old child had been sitting in a closed car in 30-degree heat for more than an hour. The arriving squad broke the side window of the car and pulled the already suffocating child out of the car. A case was opened against the mother under Art. 125 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - leaving in danger. nine0003

In 2015, in St. Petersburg, a mother left two children in her car in the summer — a four-year-old boy and a two-year-old girl. She didn’t just run into the store, but left for three hours. The children were saved by passers-by - they opened the salon, after which they called an ambulance and the police. The result for the mother is a criminal case under Art. 125 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for leaving in danger.

But a child in a car can suffer from more than just the heat. In 2013, in the Ulyanovsk region, parents left their daughter in the car. The window was open, the girl stuck her head out and accidentally pressed the power window button. The power was turned on in the car, so the window regulator worked and strangled the girl. The news does not indicate what responsibility the parents were brought to, but probably under Part 1 of Art. 109Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for causing death by negligence.

clause 12.8 of the SDA

For violation of the rules for stopping and parking a parent who was driving, or, for example, a school bus driver, may be held administratively liable under Part 1 or 5 of Art. 12.19 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. A fine in Moscow and St. Petersburg is 2500 R, in other regions - 500 R. And if something happened to a child in a parked car - he was injured or died, the perpetrator will be prosecuted under article 125 or 109UK RF.

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If the car was moving, got into an accident due to the fault of the parent and the child was injured, liability will depend on the circumstances. For example, if a child has suffered serious harm, this is Part 1 of Art. 264 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation with a maximum penalty of up to two years in prison.

You will also have to pay a fine under Part 3 of Art. 12.23 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation - 3000 R if you transport a child under 12 years old in a car without a car seat. According to the law, a child under 7 years old can only be transported in a car seat, from 7 to 11 years old - in a car seat in the front seat, and regular seat belts can be used in the back seat, and from 12 years old only regular seat belts can be used. nine0003

In the yard and on the playground , a child can also be injured. And whether parents will be punished for this depends on the circumstances of the incident.

How to keep a child safe on a bicycle, roller skates and a scooter

For example, if a child was walking with his mother, accidentally fell and received a bruise, then no one will be punished for this. But if he was engaged in physical education on a public sports ground and suffered because the equipment was broken, the municipality will have to answer, because he is obliged to maintain the site in good condition. nine0003

Here is an example from my practice. In the winter of 2017, a 14-year-old teenager died on a hockey rink in the Belgorod region. The boy wanted to pull himself up on the crossbar of the hockey metal goal, but they were not fixed, and the whole structure fell on him and crushed him. Later, at the request of the mother, the court sought compensation for moral damages from the municipality, because it was he who was responsible for this site.

Children can be on Street during the day - parents will not be punished simply for sending their child alone to the store. And even if something happens to him along the way, the person responsible for this, and not mom and dad, will be responsible. But their duty is to teach the child how to get home safely. nine0003

But if a child is alone on the street at night, then his parents can be held administratively liable - which one depends on the region.

For example, in Moscow there is a law according to which children under 16 cannot be on the street without adults from 23:00 to 06:00. For this violation, parents can be fined 100-500 rubles.

Part 3 Art. 3.12 of the Moscow Code of Administrative Offenses

If a police officer sees a minor without adults at night, he will act according to the circumstances. For example, if he sees a group of children in the central square of the city, which is looking at the fireworks, then most likely he will not do anything: the children are clearly not in danger. nine0003

But if a child without adults is seen in an industrial zone or a park far from residential buildings, police officers are obliged to find out if he is in any danger. To do this, they will approach the child, identify him, find out information about his parents - full name, contacts, place of residence, occupation - and try to contact them. If it is not possible to find adults responsible for the child, he can be sent to a specialized institution - a temporary detention center for minors, which is located under the Department of Internal Affairs. But this is done only to ensure the safety of the child. nine0003

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If adults are found, they will be able to pick up the child. But they can draw up and send a report on an administrative offense to the CDN - if it is established that it is the parents who are to blame. After that, the employees of the KDN will summon the parents to a meeting of the commission and make a decision to bring them to administrative responsibility.

If an accident happened to a child at night or he committed a crime, then the responsibility for parents will be different. I will give two examples from my practice. nine0003

In the first case, a child and his friends climbed onto a power line support at night. He was electrocuted and lost his ear and 80% of his vision. After that, he had to undergo several plastic surgeries and eye surgery. And his grandmother - she was the only trustee - was brought to administrative responsibility under Part 1 of Art. 5.35 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

In the second example, a teenager stole a car at night to ride with friends and had an accident - crashed into a tree. As a result, one passenger died. The driver was then already 16 years old, that is, he had reached the age of criminal responsibility. Therefore, he was attracted under Part 1 of Art. 166 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - taking possession of someone else's car without the purpose of theft and part 3 of Art. 264 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - a violation of traffic rules that negligently caused the death of a person. And his parents were brought to administrative responsibility under Part 1 of Art. 5.35 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, they were obliged to pay for the repair of a broken car and compensate for the costs of a funeral. According to the law, at the age of 16, the child himself bears civil liability, but he did not have money for this, so the parents answered. nine0003

You cannot leave your child unattended near the pond . This is not regulated by law, but adults should be aware that any body of water is a place of increased danger, and children regularly die while relaxing on the water and near water bodies. Even in the bathroom, a small child should not be left alone for a second: he can slip and get injured or even drown.

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Tragedies occur mainly due to the negligence and carelessness of adults, due to the fact that children cannot or do not swim well, swim in unidentified and unequipped places do not comply with water safety rules. nine0003

For example, in the Belgorod region in 2021, 175 administrative materials were drawn up for the improper performance by parents of their duties when their children were near the water.

In my practice, there was also such a case. In 2022, in the Belgorod region, a seven-year-old boy without adult supervision ended up with friends on a suspension bridge without handrails. One of the guys, according to eyewitnesses, pushed the boy off the bridge, he fell and drowned. He had no parents - only a guardian, who after this incident was removed from duties. They also punished a representative of the administration who was responsible for the condition of the bridge. nine0003

“Parents are not responsible for everything”

Dmitry Sergeev

retired police major

Author profile

I often come across the opinion that parents are responsible for literally everything that happens to a child. In fact, this is not so. Administrative and criminal liability can be brought only if the person is to blame for what happened. This also applies to parents - if they are not guilty of what happened to the child, then they cannot be punished and for nothing.

For example, a child slipped, fell and broke his leg. Mom is interrogated, and she gives explanations - she is guilty, she overlooked, she herself did not follow the child. She is brought to administrative responsibility. And then it turns out that it was the neighbors who spilled oil in the entrance, on which the child slipped. Mom couldn't foresee and prevent it. But she was already punished, based on her explanation. nine0003

That is why each situation needs to be dealt with individually. And the decision to hold liable should be made depending on the specific circumstances.

For example, a police officer sees a child without adults at night. This does not mean that parents will be held administratively liable. First you need to understand the situation.

Usually, when meeting a child, the policeman will find out why he is alone on the street at such a time. If a child says that he is just going home, where his parents are waiting for him, he, of course, will not be taken to a temporary detention center for minors. And there is no violation of the law in this case. If possible, the policeman will take the child home and this will all end - there is no threat to the life and health of the child, the parents are waiting and worrying at home, the law has not been violated. nine0003

If the child answers that he is just walking, the policeman is likely to look at his watch. You can still take a walk at 21:00 - anything can happen. But if the clock is 03:00, and the events take place far from residential buildings, he will clarify who let him go for a walk at night and how he ended up in such a place.

If a child, for example, starts to run away, the employee may assume that he became either a participant in the crime or its victim. And in order to find out everything, they can take him to the police and interrogate him in more detail. But this does not mean that parents will have to answer. For example, if a child is kidnapped, then the kidnappers will be held accountable, not the parents. nine0003

Another possible scenario is that the child will say that his parents kicked him out of the house and, for example, have been drinking for several days. A different algorithm will work here, because the parents put the child in danger. And that means he needs to be taken to a safe place - to the police department. And then information about this will be transferred to the CDN, and parents, most likely, will be fined and registered.

This means that simply letting a child go for a walk in the center of a metropolis in the evening is not yet a violation. But to send him barefoot for alcohol in winter is a violation. Because in this case, the child is in danger. nine0003

Let me give you a real example — a child went for a walk during the day. And as a result of this, his mother was deprived of parental rights. But this happened because he went for a walk without clothes and shoes at -40 °C. So the time of the walk does not always matter - the circumstances are more important.

Kindergarten or school. When a parent transfers a child to an educational organization - a kindergarten, school or circle, he also transfers responsibility for his safety. This means that from the moment a child finds himself in his group or class, an educator or teacher is responsible for his life, health and development. nine0003

part 6, 7 28, paragraph 8, part 1, art. 41 of the Law "On Education"

I will give an example from judicial practice. In 2019, during a morning walk in a kindergarten, a children's iron sports equipment fell on a child - a rainbow that was not fixed. Because of this, the boy received a fracture of the second metacarpal bone of the right hand.

The father of the child went to court to receive compensation for moral damage. He claimed that the educational organization did not ensure the safety of the child and did not provide him with the necessary medical care. nine0003

The court sided with the parent and granted the claim. He also pointed out that because of the incident, a teacher and a worker for the integrated maintenance of the kindergarten building had already been brought to disciplinary responsibility.

When can children be left unattended

At what age can a child be left alone at home according to the law. There are no restrictions and age limits for such situations in the legislation. In practice, this is more of a moral question than a legal one. nine0003

But in any case, parents are obliged to prepare the child for the fact that he will be left alone - to tell how to behave if a stranger rings at the door, how to heat up food or how much cartoons can be watched on TV.

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What to teach a child so that he does not become a victim of a criminal

They are also obliged to prepare an apartment for the fact that a child will be left unattended in it. For example, keep sharp objects away, securely close windows, turn off the gas, hide matches and lighters. nine0003

If something happens to the child while the parents are not at home, they can be brought to administrative or criminal liability, which I described above. But only if their guilt is established.

For example, if a child in the absence of his parents found his father's gun and shot himself, the parents are to blame: they left a dangerous thing in the access. And if a downstairs neighbor set fire to his own apartment, and other people's children suffered from this, their parents are not guilty and they will not be punished.

“It is better not to leave children at home alone”

Polina Koryagina

mother of two

Author profile

I have two children, 8 and 6 years old. It so happened that they grow up in a family where everyone works: both parents and grandparents. During working hours at home with children, I am alone - I work remotely.

When my son was 5 years old and my daughter 3, I had to leave them at home alone: ​​they were both sick, did not go to kindergarten, and I urgently needed to go to the pharmacy for a children's antipyretic, because the one who was at home had expired validity. I had no one to ask to marry me or be with the children, so I reminded the children not to touch the stove and go up to the windows, turned on the cartoons and left for 20 minutes.

Of course, I was terribly worried: there are many stories on the Internet when children were left alone for literally a couple of minutes, and a fire started, and so on. But everything went well: I found the children in the same place where I left them, and in perfect order.

And although several years have passed since that day, I still try not to leave my children alone at home, neither together nor alone. And every time I remind you what to do if everything does not go according to plan.

I think it does not matter where the family lives, in a big city or in a small village: I would not leave children alone for a long time until they are at least 12 years old. When I was 10, I did not go to school due to illness, and my parents were at work. On that day, a robber broke into our apartment through the balcony. I was lucky: he tried to fence the apartment above us, but the owners returned, so he went down to our balcony, broke the window and just ran into my room to jump out of the window on the other side of the house. But I was very scared. I remember how I hid behind the sofa in the living room and called 02, I remember how I said: “Please come soon. And then I’m 10 years old and very scared.” nine0003

Everything ended well, but I don't want my children to experience something like this, so I'll try not to leave them alone at home on a permanent basis for as long as possible.

“Staying home alone is good”

Tamara Gerasimovich

mother of three children

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I have three children — 12, 10 and 7 years old. The eldest daughter almost never stayed at home alone: ​​grandfather and grandmother inspired me that it was dangerous and scary. I tried not to convey these concerns to her, but she understood everything anyway. Therefore, she is still afraid to be alone even during the day and prefers to walk while no one is at home: she is calmer on the street. nine0003

I left my middle son at the age of seven and a half - he was sick, and I had to take my eldest daughter to school. Then he was a little nervous, but in general everything was in order. So gradually he got used to being alone. I was afraid for him, but he is calm, not playful, but on the contrary, too cautious, so now he is calmly sitting at home alone.

The youngest was home alone for the first time at the age of six - I needed to meet one of the older ones, and I left her at home with the phone. And so it happened. If she is very scared, she turns on the voice assistant Alice or calls me. nine0003

Now, if there are three or two children, they can sit alone most of the day. I can come in, check, bring groceries and leave again on business. They will be a little indignant, but on the whole they will remain well - without tears. The only thing is that they are afraid to sit alone at home when it is dark. And in winter it will be a problem.

I think that two points are important in this matter. The first is to look at the child: if he does not panic, can serve himself, for example, find a snack or pour water, then you can leave him alone for a while. This is a useful experience: to be alone, to be alert, to feel responsible. nine0003

Second - it should be safe in the house. When we lived on the 15th floor, I never left the children alone. And now we live on the first floor, we have a secure door, we have a mobile phone at home, I turn off the stove when I leave and check everything.

The question of whether it is possible to leave a child alone at night, is solved in the same way - this is not prohibited by law, but parents must ensure his safety, even if they are not nearby.

Is it possible to leave a child at home with older children. nine0032 This is not prohibited by law. But it is important to remember that the responsibility for children lies with their parents, not older children. Therefore, if a child suffers, it is the parents who will be punished - but only if their guilt is established.