Parenting
Latch Key Kids when can parents leave their kids ‘Home Alone’? With our younger children now moving into a high school environment, many parents are wondering how to deal with after school care arrangements. Should children walk home by themselves? At what age can we give them a key to the front door to let themselves in until we return? We speak to Family Law expert Hayley Atkinson who talks us through her experiences and the law in relation to leaving kids ‘home alone’.
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hen I was a little girl I can remember begging my parents to trust me with leaving me and my younger sister home alone. We lived in a rural area where there was no easy access to civilisation but our friendly neighbours were close enough.
I believe I was ten (going on twenty) and my sister only eight but I considered myself responsible enough to be able to handle things alone. When my parents eventually granted me home alone freedom, I was so chuffed. I got to stay at home, watch television or movies and fend for myself and my younger sister. We even had spaghetti bolognese that we got to reheat. It was going to be ah-mazing! But what I had not anticipated was just how much security my parents provided by simply being home at night. Our home is very open, with glass sliding doors and windows throughout. They were always left open, primarily because it was so sticky and hot and we wanted to capture any breeze passing through. Another reason was because we lived so far out of the main hub that it was very unlikely we would ever come across a stranger.
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Your Local Families Magazine – Brisbane Issue 7 - December/January 2015