Legal age kids can be left home alone during Easter holidays

Easter falls on Sunday, April 5 this year, so it won’t be long before the schools break up for a fortnight. The specific dates vary depending on your local council, but most areas get a two week break kicking off around Good Friday (April 3).

Your children might be at an age where they want more independence and freedom, but it can be hard to know when to allow this. Being left home without any supervision might not be suitable for every child, and in some circumstances, it shouldn’t be allowed at all. The NSPCC has shared some advice for parents navigating this situation, citing a little-known law that parents may not even know they’re breaking.

At some point, every parent will have to leave their child home alone. All kids are different and mature at different stages, so there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, but the NSPCC has recommended a good rule of thumb to follow.

They said: “There’s no legal age a child can be left home alone, but it’s against the law to leave a child alone if it puts them at risk.”

The law states: “Parents can be prosecuted if they leave a child unsupervised ‘in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health.”

When a child is around 12 years of age and wants to be more independent by staying home, this is generally an appropriate age to start having these conversations. The NSPCC continued: “Once your child reaches this age, you could talk to them about how they’d feel if they were left alone at home.”

However, it’s entirely up to the child. Whether they are 12 or 18 years old, there might be a reason they don’t feel safe being at home alone, so it’s important to talk about it.

And just because a child is older, it doesn’t always mean they are confident enough to know what to do in an emergency, which is why it’s really useful to go over the necessary steps with them.

Any child under the age of 12 should generally not be left at home alone, according to the NSPCC recommendations, especially for long periods of time.

How to keep children safe at home alone

If your child is ready to stay at home by themselves, there are a few things which can make the transition process a lot easier. The NSPCC recommends setting a few ground rules, like no cooking, lighting candles or climbing on the furniture, helping to keep things a bit safer.

In the same vein, although unlikely, you should talk to them about a plan in case of emergencies like fires or burglaries.

Be very clear about when you’ll be back, and keep in touch with them while you’re away. Start small — for example, 20 minutes -— and keep gradually building it up if they’re happy and comfortable to do so.