At Home Alone

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At Home Alone

• Keeping Your Children Safe!

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Is this what Home Alone means to you?
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Todays Objective

• A.L.O.N.E.
• Assess
• Learn
• Organize
• Negotiate
• Evaluate

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History of Latchkey

• Reality in todays society that children in
  self-care more than generation ago
• One in five children age 6-12 arrive home to
  empty house
• Coined latchkey kids
• Parents over the ages have battled with when is
  an appropriate age to leave a child at home alone

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What is the law?

• Minimal age to leave children unsupervised in BC?
• Legal age does not exist in BC Law
• BC Ministry of Child Families uses combination
  of factors, including age, maturity to determine
  whether child should be left alone

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What is the law?

• BC Child, Family and Community Act
• Among parental responsibilities, required to keep
  children safe, and free from neglect and
  abandonment
• Responsible from birth to 18
• Cannot leave child unattended (without adequate
  supervision
• Supervision takes different forms

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Am I Ready?
Am I Ready?

(9-11 Year-Old Questionnaire)
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ASSESS Your Childs Abilities

• Deciding whether your child is ready to be left
  alone is a timeless struggle for all parents
• Demonstrated ability of self-care?
• Dresses independently?
• Follows instructions?
• Finds safe activities?
• Able to manage chores/fixing a snack?
• Completes homework without you?

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ASSESS Your Childs Abilities

• Does he/she know basic first aid?
• Demonstrate good judgement?
• Able to solve problems, or does he/she leave that
  to you?
• Does your child have special needs or identified
  behaviour problems that could pose a safety risk?
• Period time time for self-care

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ASSESS Your Childs Reaction

• Ask how they feel about being home alone are
  there things that may be frightening to them, and
  do they feel confident?
• How does your child react to stressful situations?

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ASSESS Parental Commitment

• You know your child best and will make best
  decision
• Provide a clear and reliable way for your child
  to reach you
• Ensure your child is educated and able to handle
  any expected emergency
• Set clear expectations

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LEARN ABOUT SAFETY Remove Risks!

• Ensure all windows/doors have functioning locks
• Carbon monoxide alarm, smoke detectors on each
  level of house
• Hot water tank lt54 deg. C.
• Make candles off limits!
• Call Display to screen incoming calls

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LEARN ABOUT SAFETY Remove Risks!

• Lock up
• Alcohol
• Prescription medication
• Tobacco
• Lighters/matches
• Car keys
• Over-the-counter medications that could pose
  health risk if taken in excess

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LEARN ABOUT SAFETY Fire Exit Plan

• Practice fire drills with your family regularly
  plan your escape route
• Crawl if you smell smoke/hear smoke alarm
• If clothes catch fire, STOP, DROP and ROLL
• Once outside, stay outside
• Call 9-1-1 from neighbours house

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LEARN ABOUT SAFETY - Electricity

• If you see a wire hanging from a police stay
  away!
• A green metal box with red hazard sign is
  dangerous!
• Never climb a hydro pole or a tree near power
  lines
• Never fly kites near power lines
• Water Electricity DANGER
• Never touch anyone in contact with electricity

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LEARN ABOUT SAFETY Street-proofing

• Know your name, age, telephone number, address,
  city and province by memory
• When and how to call 9-1-1
• Tell your parents/guardians where they are at all
  times
• Never admit youre home alone when answering the
  door/telephone
• Never invited in unexpected guests when home
  alone

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LEARN ABOUT SAFETY Street-proofing

• Never approach or enter a strangers car when
  walking alone
• You can talk to a stranger, but never go ANYWHERE
  with him
• If you are followed, run to nearest location
  where adults are present
• Trust your feelings and know when to say NO!

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LEARN ABOUT SAFETY Dealing with Strangers

• When at home, keep all doors/windows locked
• If someone knocks, look out window first
• Never let strangers into your home
• If someone wishes to use the phone, call the
  contact neighbour or 9-1-1
• Should you answer the phone?

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LEARN ABOUT SAFETY Dealing with Strangers

• If you return home and find your front door open,
  you should proceed to your contact neighbours
  home and call 9-1-1
• Know what to do if the unthinkable happens and
  someone breaks into your home

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LEARN ABOUT SAFETY Prepare Your Child

• What would you do if
• You lost your keys?
• You or sibling began throwing up a lot?
• A man in uniform comes to the door?
• You came home and saw smoke in your home?
• You came home and found the door broken open

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LEARN ABOUT SAFETY Prepare Your Child

• Give different responses to your child
• I can go inside to see whos there
• I can yell, GET OUT then run
• I can go to a neighbours house and call police
• I can call my parents from the neighbours
  house

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LEARN ABOUT SAFETY Prepare Your Child

• Discuss the consequences
• If an intruder is still inside I could be in big
  trouble
• I could scare him away, but he might catch me
• Police will check the house
• Parents will call police who will check the
  house

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ORGANIZE THE HOME

• Assemble a basic first aid kit, including
  bandages, sterile gauze, adhesive tape, tweezers,
  peroxide and anti-bacterial cream
• Instruct your child on disarming the home
  security system
• Keep flashlights handy in the event of power
  outage
• Leave a spare house key with more than one
  neighbour

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ORGANIZE THE HOME

• Unplug space heaters
• Update list of important phone numbers
• Key chain with clip where your child can keep his
  house key
• Consider a weekly agenda
• Ensure TV/computer parental control

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NEGOTIATE THE TERMS

• Locking doors upon arrival
• Calling parent upon arrival
• Whether friends are welcome in parents absence
• Rooms of the house that are off limits
• Homework or chore duties
• TV time, and channels/types of shows

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NEGOTIATE THE TERMS

• Internet and computer rules
• Kitchen and cooking
• Healthy snacks vs. free for all
• Opening doors for strangers
• Answering the phone
• Getting along with siblings
• Never telling anyone child is alone!

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EVALUATE

• Does he/she feel comfortable about being home
  alone? If not, why not?
• Is she/he able to follow rules?
• Is he/she able to understand and remember
  instructions

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EVALUATE

• Is your child finding constructive things to do
  without getting into mischief?
• Can your child handle normal and unexpected
  situations?
• Is your child readily able to contact you at
  work?
• Can your child reach someone for help in case of
  emergency?

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CONCLUSION

• Aim between ages 10-12 but base decision on many
  factors and not just age
• Teach your child safety techniques
• Organize your home to make it as safe for your
  child as possible
• Discuss and determine expectations
• Remember to evaluate!

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At Home AloneKeeping your child safe!

• Patrick Bryant Lori
  Beauvais
• pat.bryant _at_csaanich.ca
  lori.beauvais_at_vicpd.ca
• 250-652-4441
  250-995-7209
• Keating Home and School Association
• khasa63_at_gmail.com
• Judy Ryan
• Linnea Hagens Beacon Community Services