When is it ok to leave your child at home?
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A debate has sparked after a mother was cautioned by police for leaving her 14 year-old son home alone to look after his younger sibling
Busy lives and fitting work around looking after children can sometimes be a difficult balancing task. But when is it ok to leave your child at home?
A poll, carried out by YouGov, has found that the majority of people questioned agreed that the ‘right’ age for a child to be left at home lays between the ages of 12 and 14.
Whilst 10 per cent thought that a 10 year-old child was responsible enough to be left at home on their own.
The law does not state a particular age at which it is suitable to leave a child at home on their own but it does say that children under the age of 16 are technically a dependent, so parents are liable to be charged if they are found to be putting their child at risk.
The NSPCC advised parents that leaving an older child at home for an evening is probably ok, but any longer that that is likely to be unacceptable.
By Lauren King
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