With coronavirus spreading and some schools closing down for two weeks, parents may face the possibility of having their kids home alone. This is a concerning prospects for many parents, as many may not be able to take off work to care for them.
When should you leave your children home alone? It’s a tough question with many different variables – it depends on the child, the family, and more.
There are also laws that govern when you can leave children home alone. In Arkansas, there are no legal limits for this, but many schools do not allow kids to get off the bus without a parent present.
According to a 2017 Washington Post article, the decision is dependent on the child’s personality and the responsibilities they have shouldered. Boston-area psychotherapist Michelle Visser told the newspaper that these personality traits will help parents determine if children are capable of being left home alone.
Safety would always be considered when leaving children home alone. Will they have all of the supplies that they need and will they be in a safe environment?
This is obviously a difficult decision, and it is one that should be approached with a healthy dose of common sense.
