October will soon draw to a close which means that not only is Halloween fast approaching but so is half term. Whilst the majority of children may be looking forward for time away from school millions of parents are bracing for a familiar juggling act: how to cover childcare while balancing work, costs, and logistics.
This can prove to be a headache for some parents for many, the solution may involve leaving their child at home unsupervised, at least for part of the day. And many may be wondering at what age their children can be left safetly at home. This is not an easy question to answer as every child develops differently and some are always more grown-up than others,
There is no UK law stating the age a child can be left home alone. Instead, it’s up to parents and guardians to make the decision based on their child’s maturity.
The NSPCC says there is no “one size fits all” approach to when the right time is to leave youngsters at home on their own as every child matures differently.
However, the children’s charity does have some helpful age guidance for parents to follow. The NSPCC says it would not recommend children under the age of 12 being left home alone, particularly for longer periods of time and says children under 16 should not be left overnight.
The charity stresses that babies, toddlers and young children should never be left alone—not even for a quick trip to the shop or to collect another child from school.
The key phrase from official government guidance is that parents “can be prosecuted if they leave a child unsupervised in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health.”
The NSPCC recommends talking to your child about whether they feel safe being left unattended and to understand their concerns if they don’t feel comfortable.
“Even if the child is aged 12 or over it is still essential to check they are comfortable with being left unsupervised and to also map out together what they will be doing while you are away and what they should do if something goes wrong,” says Kam Thandi, head of the NSPCC’s Helpline.