Preparing to Leave Your Child Home Alone

Introduction

Getting ready to have your child stay home alone is a big step for families. The aim of At Home Alone - Family Workshop Handbook (PDF file) is to help you get ready. Families can use the handbook to develop a personal safety and injury prevention plan that will meet their unique needs. As you go through the exercises, remember to:

• Encourage mutual respect by speaking politely to each other.
• Decide on two or three simple rules stated in a positive way, such as “Lock the door when you get home” instead of “Don’t leave the house unlocked."
• Keep a positive attitude. Reward good behaviour to help ensure that this behaviour will happen again.
• Change the rules as your child becomes more responsible or you need to provide more direction.
• Spend time with your tween; take an interest in their day. This will help you to evaluate your child's home alone experience.
• Be open and honest and always keep your sense of humour!

Safety courses for youth

Home alone courses

• SOS4Kids – Home Alone Safety for Kids (external link)
  A course to give children aged 9 – 12 confidence and skills to care for themselves when home alone.
• St. John Ambulance - Home Alone (external link)
  This course helps to prepare 9 - 10 year olds to deal with unforeseen emergencies and to stay safe in times when they are alone for short periods of time.

Babysitting courses

• Canadian Red Cross babysitting courses (external link)
  Learn how to provide care to younger children in different age groups, and how to prevent and deal with emergencies. For ages 11 and up.
• SOS4Kids - Red Cross Babysitting course (external link)
  Learn how to provide care to younger children in a variety of age groups, and how to prevent and deal with emergencies. For ages 11 and up
• St. John Ambulance - Babysitting Basics (external link)
  Teaches new babysitters the skills to care for infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers. It focuses on safety, dealing with emergencies and first aid basics. For ages 11 - 14.

First aid and CPR courses

• Canadian Red Cross People Savers (external link)
  The Canadian Red Cross developed this four-level program to teach safety awareness and first aid skills to elementary school-aged children. For ages 5 - 12.
• First Aid Certification and CPR Courses (external link)
  A Canadian Red Cross Training Partner provides first aid and CPR certification in Mississauga, Brampton and Oakville.
• First Aid Training Burlington (external link)
  Standard first aid and CPR course.
• Town of Milton Standard First Aid (external link)
  Standard first aid and CPR course.
• Town of Oakville Standard First Aid and CPR Responder (external link)
  Provides comprehensive training on all aspects of first aid and CPR Basic Rescuer (level C), as well as AED courses. For ages 14 and up.
• St. John Ambulance – First Aid Certification and CPR Course (external link)
  Standard first aid and CPR course.

Resources

• Halton Children's Aid Society (external link)
  Includes helpful guidelines for Leaving Your Child Alone or Babysitting (external PDF).
• Canada Safety Council (external link)
  Find interesting articles on Preparing Your Child to be Home Alone, Home Safety Checklist, What to Teach Children About Strangers and more.
• Active and Safe Routes to School (external link)
  Includes a Pedestrian Safety Tip Sheet to help you role model pedestrian safety to prepare your children to walk to and from school.