Genova Hooks
Summertime is fast-approaching, which for many of us, means the kids will be at home — ALONE. Right away this may bring some anxiety to parents who cannot be at home with their kids, due to jobs and other responsibilities. Stay calm. Here are five Home Alone tips to make everyone’s summer feel more at ease.
1.Establish “house rules.” Discuss with your child and write down rules for them to follow. Include how to react when the phone rings or if there is a knock at the door, a guideline for completing chores and reminders about phoning or e-mailing parents to check-in.
2.Leave a key with a trusted neighbor.” This is important to prevent your child from being locked out all day. This person can also be a point of contact in the event of an emergency.
3.Practice emergency procedures. Make sure your child knows what to say if they ever need to call 911. Try role-playing an emergency situation for some practice. Also, test your alarms (smoke alarm, home security system) to ensure they work and your child knows what they sound like if there’s an emergency.
4.Keep in touch. Establish a routine time where your child should expect a “check-in” call from you or when they should send a call your way.
5.Lock it up. Lock up things that you do not want your child to access. For example, keep all medicine and alcohol out of reach. Also, take advantage of the technology available to put a block on television channels and Internet sites your child should not be viewing.
Use these tips to help monitor the situation at home while you are away. Keep in mind, while Washington state does not have a law stating how old a child must be to stay home alone, the National SAFEKIDS Campaign recommends that no child under 12 be left at home alone. Use your judgment based on your child’s maturity level to determine the appropriate age to be left unsupervised. Enjoy the summer and keep your cool while the kids are away from school.
Happy Parenting,
Genova Hooks
Genova Hooks is a Renton native, graduating from Renton High School in 2002. Genova is a Youth Development and Parent Specialist at Renton Area Youth and Family Services for the Rites of Passage program. She has experience working with at-risk, low-income, ethnically-diverse youth by helping them reach their personal and academic goals.
