There is no law that gives a minimum age for leaving a child at home alone, but it is an offence to leave a child alone if it puts them at risk.
Important things to consider are:
The age of your child
The maturity of your child and how much they understand
The place where your child is to be left
How long they will be left alone and how often
Locking doors is not the answer
You are the best judge of your child’s level of maturity and responsibility.
Here are a few points to guide you:
Babies
Never leave a baby alone either asleep or awake while you go out. Just think what could happen? There could be a house fire, your baby could choke or climb out of the cot and you wouldn’t be able to hear your baby if they became distressed.
Pre-school age
Toddlers and young children love to explore and they tend to get into everything. You should never leave a toddler at home alone as they could seriously injure themselves.
Falls, burns, scalds and poisoning incidents are common injuries in this age group, even when parents and carers are with them.
Remember it is not fair to expect older children, who are not mature themselves, to look after a younger child.
School age
Most 9 to 12 year old children are not mature enough for you to leave them on their own for more than a very short time, for example popping next door. Remember you can not expect them to be old enough to cope in an emergency.
Teens
Children under 16 should not have to look after themselves overnight. You need to think what might happen if a stranger came to the door or something happened to you while you were out.
Make sure they are happy with any arrangements and ask them how they coped afterwards.
Leave a telephone number where they can contact you.
Ensure they know how to contact emergency services if necessary
Always make sure you put all obvious dangers such as medicines and alcohol well out of reach or even locked away.
Babysitting
A few pointers to think about when choosing a babysitter:
Make sure they are over 16 years old
Don’t be afraid to ask for references and follow them up yourself
Follow your instincts – any doubts don’t use them
Listen to your child and talk to them about anything they are unhappy about
If they are unhappy choose someone else
If your teenager wants to start doing some babysitting there are courses available.
Southampton City Council
