Child Supervision

Leaving kids unsupervised?

At what age can a child be left alone?

Leagally: Various state by state.
In Washington state the recommended age is 10 years old

Most states leave it up to the parents to determine if the child is mature enough to be left home alone.

Here are a few guidelines on the subject.

• Is the child mature enough to not cause cause havoc, chaos, and destruction?
• Does your child have access to a telephone?
1. Can your child destinquish between an emergency or question?
2. Does the child know at least 2 adult phone numbers?
3. Does your child know 911 and most importantly when to use 911?
• Is your child mature enough to babysit a younger child?
• Does your child know not to eat/drink unknown foods/liquids?
• Can your child be mentally capable of not being tricked into opening the door for strangers?

These are questions a parent/guardian must ask themselves before leaving a child home alone. Can your child answer yes to all these questions?
This is only a small set of questions you must ask yourself. To the right are two links on what a parent/guardian must know! Tips for parents
More tips for parents

As a parent/guardian it is up to you to educated yourself on how best to handle this situation.