How to Keep Your Child Safe While Home Alone After School

Sadly, in the world today, there is a shortage of child care providers or the cost of child care is so prohibitive that parents cannot afford to send their children anywhere for after school care. Another issue is that many child care providers will not watch children twelve and older or provide child care during the non typical night time and week end hours that some parents work. This hits single working parents the hardest and they have no option but to leave their child home alone. However, if you are a parent who does have to leave a child home unattended after school for an hour or two there are some precautions you can take to keep your child safe and comfortable.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Have a healthy snack prepared and where your child can get to it easily. This could be crackers and peanut butter, fruit that is peeled, sectioned and refrigerated or anything else you choose.
2. Make sure you have a variety of phone numbers your child can call if they should need help. In addition to 911 you might see if neighbors would make their number available but only if you know and trust them.
3. Teach your children not to answer the door to anyone. Questions can be answered and information shared over the phone.
4. In addition to having your child leave the doors locked and curtains drawn, set up a secret knock for them to respond to when you come home and tell them not to open the door unless the person on the other side uses the secret knock.
5. Have a secret ring pattern for your phone and tell your children not to answer the phone unless they hear your secret ring.
6. Have a variety of activities available for your child or children to engage in at home to keep them from getting bored and perhaps venturing outside to play. This could be arts and crafts, markers or crayons and coloring books or blank pads of paper, children's DVD's and toys.
7. Only leave your child at home after school until you finish work. Leave shopping until you can take them with you.
8. Teach your children the importance of staying indoors with doors and windows locked and curtains or shades drawn so that no one will know they are home alone.
9. Develop an evacuation plan in case there should be a fire leak, or other accident in the home and have practice drills so that children can escape from the house with less of a chance of being seriously injured.
10. If you come from an area where tornadoes and other natural disasters are prevalent teach your children where to go and what to do to be safe. And once again have practice drills.
11. Make a checklist as a way to inspect your home periodically to ensure you have done everything you need to make your child's experience at home alone a healthy and safe one. Items on the list should include making sure all household cleaners and supplies are well beyond the reach of your child and hidden behind lock and key if possible.
12. Make sure all medicines, whether over the counter or prescription are in a "locked" box.
13. Install child proof outlet covers and child proof cabinet latches.
14. Have your basement door locked.
15. Make sure there are working fire detectors in the house or apartment. Check the batteries and the detectors periodically as batteries can go dead from non use after a while.
16. Take the knobs off of the stove and put them where your child cannot find them.
17. Take the firing pins out of any guns and lock up bullets to ensure your child will not play with the weapon. Also take all the sharp knives and put them away until you get home as well. Household accidents account for a large number of emergency room visits.
18. And finally, continue trying to find someplace your child can go so that they are not home alone.