大象传媒 Scotland - 大象传媒 Scotland - Home alone: At what age can you leave your kids unattended?

Home alone: At what age can you leave your kids unattended?

26 April 2019

When you nip out for a pint of milk, do you have to take your children with you?

Gauging whether a child is old enough to be left alone can be difficult — and the decision-making process is not helped by the law, as family lawyer Denise Laverty explained on Mornings.

What is the law on leaving children alone?

Family lawyer Denise Laverty offers advice.

“There is no specific legal age where you are allowed to legally leave your children alone”, said Denise.

“I think a lot of parents would say, ‘If you have something specific in place it doesn’t take into account that children mature at different times’.

“The responsibility then is left with the parents who know their children better than anybody else and who can judge what situation they’re leaving their child in.”

But, although there may be no age limit set by law, children should not be left alone if they will be at risk of harm, and parents can be prosecuted for neglect in such instances.

The NSPCC haswhich can help parents come to a decision, including:

Babies, toddlers and young children should never be left alone
Children under 12 are rarely mature enough to cope with an emergency and should not be left at home for a long period
Children under 16 should not be left alone at night
A child should not be left alone if they do not feel comfortable with the situation