The summer holidays can be stressful time for parents and carers because of the inevitable extra childcare, according to the NSPCC.
The charity has issued some advice ahead of schools closing for the two month break.
Deciding if a child is ready to be left home alone during the holidays can be a tricky decision and it is made even more difficult by the fact there is no legal minimum age for children to be left alone to look after themselves.
So that means it is up to parents and carers to use their judgement when deciding if their child is ready to be on their own for an extended period.
To help them, NSPCC Northern Ireland has some key advice and tips to help parents decide.
It states that babies, toddlers and very young children should never be left alone under any circumstances.
Children under the age of 12 are rarely mature enough to cope in an emergency and should not be left at home alone for a long period of time, while young people under the age of 16 should not be left alone overnight.
The NSPCC says it’s important to remember that a child should never be left at home alone if they do not feel comfortable with this – regardless of their age.
And it’s asking parents to bear in mind, that if a child has additional needs, these should be considered when leaving them at home alone or with an older sibling.
When the wrong decision is made, parents and carers can be prosecuted for neglect if it is judged that they placed a child at risk by leaving them at a property by themselves, says the charity.
Specialist counsellors on the 24-hour NSPCC Helpline are available to offer the public help and advice. During 2016/17 they also made 60 referrals to authorities like police and social services in Northern Ireland after being contacted by people concerned about children left home alone.
Parents should check their children are happy and confident and know what to do in an emergency if the decision is taken to leave them alone at the family home. There’s lots of advice for parents on the NSPCC website:
http://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/leaving-child-home-alone/
