UPDATE: |NSPCC advice on what age you can leave your children at home alone News

The children’s charity has advice on whether leaving children alone at home is appropriate or not

Trying to tackle taking care of your family, working a job, maintaining a social life plus looking after your home can be an extra challenge during the Easter holidays when the children are at home.

On top of that, finding childcare isn’t always an easy task. So you might be asking the question of whether its appropriate or safe to leave them at home on their own.

While there is no specific law regarding what age you can leave your children alone, it is an offence to leave them alone if it puts them at risk. But what exactly does that mean?

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) explains that there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to what age you can leave your children alone. The children’s charity suggests that you should build up your children’s independence gradually and ensure that they feel safe before leaving them at home alone.

As a general rule of thumb, the NSPCC says that children under 12 are rarely mature enough to be left alone for a long period of time, children under 16 should not be left alone overnight, and babies, toddlers and very young children should never be left alone.

The NSPCC says: “Infants and young children aged 0-3 years old should never be left alone – even for 15 minutes while you pop down the road.” This includes leaving them in the car while you pop into the shop, the charity says.

When it comes to primary aged children, aged 6 to 12 years old, the NSPCC does not recommend leaving them home alone, particularly for longer periods of time. The charity suggested that if you need to leave them home, it’s worth considering if you can leave them with a friend or find childcare.

The NSPCC advises that when your child reaches high-school age (12 to 18 years old), you should talk to them about how they would feel being left at home alone.

The charity said: “Just because your child is older doesn’t necessarily mean they are ready to look after themselves or know what to do in an emergency. Remember – you should never leave a child home alone if they don’t feel ready, or if you don’t feel they’re ready.”

Instead of getting a babysitter or childminder, parents might be tempted to leave their younger children under the care of their older siblings. Again, there is no set rule for whether this is allowed – there is no legal age a child can babysit, but you should think carefully before leaving them alone together.

If they are likely to argue or disagree or not listen to one another it may not be a great idea to leave them alone together. And remember that if you leave your children with someone under the age of 16, you are still responsible for their wellbeing.

Should you make the decision to leave your children alone, you should ensure that they have a list of contact numbers and provide clear house rules. On top of that, ensure they know what to do in an emergency such as a house fire or what they should do if someone comes to the door.

On the gov.uk website, it says: “Parents can be prosecuted if they leave a child unsupervised ‘in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health’.”