Being in charge at home—whether staying home alone or babysitting younger children—is a big responsibility. The freedom being by yourself is exciting, but being home alone can be a little intimidating as well. Preparing yourself before your parents leave can make staying home safer and more fun. Knowing what to do in an emergency, who to call if you need help, and how to keep yourself safe will give you the peace of mind to enjoy your time alone. Making a plan of fun things to do by yourself will help you make the most of your time and avoid being bored. If you’re babysitting, making your own babysitter’s handbook or checklist will outline important names and phone numbers and a plan of action for emergency situations. Learning how to keep younger children safe while playing, eating, cooking, and bathing will make you feel more confident in your own abilities and authority, and help you avoid dangerous accidents.
Responsibility
Staying home alone gives you great freedom but also requires great responsibility to prove to your parents and yourself that you can be trusted to stay safe, follow your family’s rules, and complete your normal chores. Making a family contract will make both you and your parents feel more comfortable about you staying home alone and outline what each of you expects. Your parents can list their expectations (such as completing your homework or doing certain chores) and their rules (such as the allowed amount of television, video game, and computer time and rules about leaving the house). Both you and your parents will decide on what snacks or meals you will eat and what you should do if your home phone rings or if someone comes to the door.
- Healthy Snacks: Tasty and healthy snacks for after school or any time.
- Homework Tips: Tips for teens to get homework done efficiently and without stress.
- Making Smart Choices: Information for tweens and teens about how to make smart choices about alcohol use and parties. Also includes homework help.
Safety
Staying safe at home means knowing how to safely use things around your house (like the stove and other major appliances), knowing how to keep yourself and your home secure from criminals, and being prepared for an emergency and knowing what to do if an emergency occurs. Make a plan with your parents for what to do if an emergency happens. Think of emergencies that might happen, such as fires, floods, snowstorms, power outages, allergic reactions, or break-ins and write down instructions for yourself. Many times in an emergency, nerves and anxiety make people forget things or become confused, so make sure to write detailed, step-by-step instructions including phone numbers of important people or contacts. Staying safe also means protecting yourself. Make sure no one else knows you are staying home alone—don’t tell people at school or post it on your social networking sites. Criminals may take advantage of a teen home alone to target your home, or people from school might pressure you into doing something that you’re not comfortable with if they know you’ll be by yourself.
- Safety Tips: What to do to keep yourself safe when home alone.
- Fire Safety: Fire safety at home; includes information on making an escape plan and bedroom fire safety.
- Emergency Preparedness: Safety preparedness fact sheets from the Red Cross on safety during fires, hurricanes, power outages, storms, and other disasters and situations.
- Safety Information: Safety tips especially for tweens and teens; includes information on automobile safety, pet safety, gun safety, Internet safety, and home safety.
- Safe at Home: Tips for tweens and teens to be safe at home alone; includes information on burn, fire, and fall prevention.
- Internet Safety: Tips specifically for young adults for staying safe online.
Activities
Staying home alone can be fun. You can choose what activities to do and do them without interruption. If you want to spend your evening with a cup of hot chocolate and a good book, no one will put the television on to interrupt you. Think about what things you would like to do when you are home alone, like drawing, painting, cooking, or watching a movie, and make a plan before your parents leave. Plan how to fit in any responsibilities you have, like chores or homework, and the fun things you’d like to do.
- Read a Book: The ultimate book list for teens, by teens.
Babysitting
Babysitting is a fun way to earn extra money, but taking care of children is a big responsibility. Making your own guidebook or checklist will help you feel confident, comfortable, and in control when you are babysitting. Before you go to your babysitting job, make sure you know where the parents are going, when they will be back, emergency contact numbers for them and for someone else in case you cannot reach them, and how much and how you will be paid. Ask them to outline their house rules, such as how much television or computer time their children are allowed and what food their children are allowed or not allowed to eat. Be sure both you and the parents are clear about your responsibilities—such as whether you will have to prepare a meal, clean up the kitchen, clean up the playroom, or do any laundry. Have an emergency plan, including important phone numbers, ready and easily accessible. Be aware of safety rules for children, especially for bath time and mealtime, and know what to do if an accident happens. Being prepared before you begin babysitting will make it more fun for you and the kids.
- Babysitting Rules: Tips for babysitters to keep themselves and the children they care for safe.
- Bath time: Safety tips for babysitters who need to help small children at bath time.
- Babysitting Guide: A guide of questions to ask your charges’ parents, information to gather, what to do in an emergency, and how to keep yourself and the children in your care safe.
- Poison Control Centers: Information on how to prevent poisoning and what to do if you or one of the children in your care eats, drinks, or comes in contact with a potentially poisonous substance.
- Preventing Injury: Tips for preventing household accidents and injuries involving children.
- Kitchen Safety with Kids: Cooking or playing with young children in the kitchen can be dangerous in ways many adults and teens would not normally consider. This site gives important tips on how to keep kids safe in the kitchen.
- Anaphylaxis: What to do if a child has a severe allergic reaction.
- Choking: What to do if a child is choking.
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