BAKERSFIELD, CA - Kids are often left at home by themselves during the summer months. Kern County Sheriff's Department officials say it's important to make sure your child is ready to be left alone and knows what to do if there is an emergency.
Being home alone comes with some big responsibilities. Kern County Sheriff's Department crime prevention specialist Ashley Glover says it's up to parents to determine if children are ready to be left by themselves.
"There's no set age limit or starting point. Every child has a different responsibility level. So, parents need to sit down with their child and make sure their child is ready for the responsibility," said Glover.
This means considering how well they follow directions and if they're comfortable being home alone. The Sheriff's Department recommends asking your child how they would handle an unexpected situation and making sure they know what to do in an emergency.
"They need to have their phone number and address memorized as well as their parents' cell phone numbers and any numbers of a trusted neighbor or family nearby. They also need to be aware of stranger danger. They absolutely should not ever open the door for anyone and they need to know how to answer the phone."
Glover says children shouldn't communicate they're home alone. "If someone calls, they need to say, 'my mom is busy at the moment, can I take a message?' Instead of, 'my mom isn't home.' Things like that."
It's also important for parents to have rules for children to follow while they're at home by themselves.
"Every house is going to have different set guidelines, but it is important to talk to kids about not using matches, about not getting on ladders to reach things, not using things like the oven, the microwave, the toaster," said Glover.
Glover recommends parents start off by leaving children at home for short periods of time to see how it goes.
Being home alone comes with some big responsibilities. Kern County Sheriff's Department crime prevention specialist Ashley Glover says it's up to parents to determine if children are ready to be left by themselves.
"There's no set age limit or starting point. Every child has a different responsibility level. So, parents need to sit down with their child and make sure their child is ready for the responsibility," said Glover.
This means considering how well they follow directions and if they're comfortable being home alone. The Sheriff's Department recommends asking your child how they would handle an unexpected situation and making sure they know what to do in an emergency.
"They need to have their phone number and address memorized as well as their parents' cell phone numbers and any numbers of a trusted neighbor or family nearby. They also need to be aware of stranger danger. They absolutely should not ever open the door for anyone and they need to know how to answer the phone."
Glover says children shouldn't communicate they're home alone. "If someone calls, they need to say, 'my mom is busy at the moment, can I take a message?' Instead of, 'my mom isn't home.' Things like that."
It's also important for parents to have rules for children to follow while they're at home by themselves.
"Every house is going to have different set guidelines, but it is important to talk to kids about not using matches, about not getting on ladders to reach things, not using things like the oven, the microwave, the toaster," said Glover.
Glover recommends parents start off by leaving children at home for short periods of time to see how it goes.