Koko News | Global | 2 days ago

Is Your Child Ready to Stay Home Alone?

Schoolisbackinsession, bringingnewroutines—andnewmilestonesforstudents.

學校開學了，為學生帶來了新的生活和新的里程碑。

Forsome, thisistheyeartheyareallowedtogohometoanemptyhouseinsteadofanafter-schoolprogramordaycare.

對某些人來說，今年他們可以回家，回到空蕩蕩的家裡，而不是參加課後活動或日托。

Withafter-schoolcareoftenexpensiveandhardtofind, parentshavereasontoencourageindependence.

由於課後託管通常費用昂貴且難以找到，家長有理由鼓勵學生獨立。

Buthowcantheybesuretheirchildisreadytonavigatehomeontheirown, evenifonlyforanhourortwo?

但是他們如何確定自己的孩子已經準備好獨自回家，哪怕只有一兩個小時？

Ahandfulofstateshavesetageminimums.

少數幾個州已經設定了最低年齡。

Marylandlaw, forexample, makesitacrimetoleaveachildyoungerthan8 years oldunattended.

例如，馬裡蘭州法律規定，讓 8 歲以下的兒童無人看管是犯罪行為。

Butmoststatesleaveituptoparentsandguardians.

但大多數州都將這項決定權交給父母和監護人。

Expertssaybetween11and13 years oldcanbeagoodstartingpoint, butstressthere’smoretotheequationthanage.

專家表示，11 至 13 歲之間可能是一個很好的起點，但強調除了年齡之外還有更多因素需要考慮。

Andtheysaywhat’srightforonechildmaynotbeforanother, evenwithinafamily.

他們說，即使在同一個家庭中，適合一個孩子的不一定適合另一個孩子。

“It’snotaone-size-fits-allordeal. Andyoureallyhavetotakeitandunderstandthebiggerpicture,” saidJaeshaQuarrels, directorofchildcareservicesatOklahomaHumanServices.

「這不是一個放之四海而皆準的考驗。你真的必須接受它，並了解更大的圖景，」俄克拉荷馬州人類服務中心兒童保育服務主任傑莎·誇雷爾斯 (Jaesha Quarrels) 說。

Inadequatesupervisionisakeyfactorinmanypreventablechildhoodinjuriesandneglectcases.

監管不力是許多可預防的兒童傷害和忽視案件的關鍵因素。

Here’swhatexpertssaytoconsiderwhendecidingwhetherachildisreadytobehomealone:

以下是專家建議在決定孩子是否準備好獨自在家時需要考慮的因素：

TheAmericanAcademyofPediatricssaysmostchildrenarenotreadytohandleemergenciesuntilaboutage11or12, sotheorganizationgenerallyrecommendsstructuredsupervisionuntilthen.

美國兒科學會表示，大多數兒童直到 11 歲或 12 歲才有能力應對緊急情況，因此該組織通常建議在此之前進行結構化的監督。

Butit’snotthatsimple.

但事情沒有那麼簡單。

Parentsoftenwantaspecificansweronhowoldtheirkidshavetobe, butageisonlyoneofthefactorstoconsider, saidBrianTessmer, directoroftreatmentandoperationsatFamilyResources, anonprofitagencyin Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

賓州匹茲堡非營利組織家庭資源的治療和營運總監布萊恩·泰斯默說，父母通常想知道孩子必須多大才能接受治療，但年齡只是需要考慮的因素之一。

“Wereallystronglyencourageparentstolookatmanyotherfactorsbecausekids, obviouslymatureatdifferentrates.”

“我們強烈建議父母考慮許多其他因素，因為孩子們的成熟速度顯然不同。”

Atminimum, childrenshouldbeabletorecitetheirfullname, homeaddress, phonenumberandthenameofaparent, guardianorotheremergencycontact.

至少，孩子們應該能夠背誦自己的全名、家庭住址、電話號碼以及父母、監護人或其他緊急聯絡人的姓名。

Theyshouldalsoknowhowtoreachthatperson, expertsadvise.

專家建議，他們也應該知道如何聯絡那個人。

Otherthingstoconsiderarewhetherachildcanfollowrules, handleroutinesandkeepthemselvesoccupiedwithhomework, toysorelectronicdevices.

其他需要考慮的是孩子是否能夠遵守規則、處理日常事務並讓自己忙於家庭作業、玩具或電子設備。

Cantheydialthephone? Fixthemselvesasnack? Dotheyknowwherethebandagesareiftheyneedone? Whatifthere’satornadowarning, iftheysmellsomethingburningorifacarbonmonoxidedetectorgoesoff? Dotheyknowhowandwhentodial 911?

他們會打電話嗎？會自己做點零食嗎？如果需要繃帶，他們知道在哪裡嗎？如果發布了龍捲風警報，聞到燒焦的味道，或者一氧化碳探測器響了，該怎麼辦？他們知道如何以及何時撥打911嗎？

Evenhavingallthatknowledgedoesn’tmeanachildisreadytogetofftheschoolbusatanunoccupiedhouse, expertssaid.

專家表示，即使掌握了所有這些知識，也不代表孩子們已經準備好在無人居住的房子裡下校車。

AtatimeofhighanxietyforAmericanchildren, thereisalsoemotionalreadinesstoconsider.

在美國兒童高度焦慮的時期，他們也做好了考慮情感的準備。

“Oftentimesasparents, becauseit’sconvenient—we’rebusy, wehavethingsthatwehavetodo—wejustkindofleavethemalone,” Quarrelssaid.

「很多時候，身為父母，因為這樣很方便——我們很忙，有事情要做——我們就讓他們自己待著，」誇雷爾斯說。

“Butweneedtoconsiderhowthechildfeels. Aretheyconfident? Cantheyhandleloneliness, fearorboredom?”

“但我們需要考慮孩子的感受。他們有自信嗎？他們能忍受孤獨、恐懼或無聊嗎？”

Communicationiskey, Tessmersaid.

泰斯默說，溝通是關鍵。

“It’sagreatopportunitytoexplaintothechildthatthisisamilestonethatwe’recominguptoasafamily, andwe’reexploringthisopportunitybecausewedofeellikeyouaregettingtoapointwhereyou’rereadyforthistypeoftrust. Wehaveconfidenceinyou,” hesaid.

「這是一個很好的機會，可以向孩子解釋，這是我們家庭即將迎來的一個里程碑。我們正在探索這個機會，因為我們確實覺得你已經準備好接受這種信任了。我們對你有信心，」他說。

Achildhomealoneshouldhavenodoubtsaboutwhatthey’reallowedtodo, andevenmoreimportantly, notallowedtodo, expertssaid.

專家表示，獨自在家的孩子應該清楚知道自己可以做什麼，更重要的是，不可以做什麼。

Stovesandovensshouldbeofflimits, aswellasmatches, candlesandlighters.

應禁止使用爐灶、烤箱以及火柴、蠟燭和打火機。

Childrenshouldbeinstructedtostayinside, notopenthedoortoanyoneunlessthey’vebeentoldinadvance, andtoneverrevealthatthey’realoneonsocialmedia, gamingappsortocallers.

應該指導孩子們待在室內，除非事先告知，否則不要給任何人開門，並且永遠不要在社交媒體、遊戲應用程式或來電者身上透露他們是獨自一人。

“Makesureyourhouserulesarevisibleandreviewedfrequently,” saidQuarrels, whorecommendedhavingprepackagedsnacksormealshandy.

「確保你的家規清晰可見，並經常複習，」誇雷爾斯說，並建議準備一些預先包裝好的零食或餐點。

Tofurtherreduceanxiety, Quarrelsrecommendsrole-playingscenarioslikehandlingadoorbellanddialing 911.

為了進一步減輕焦慮，Quarrels 建議進行角色扮演場景，例如按門鈴和撥打 911。

Andstartsmall, shesaid.

她說，從小事做起。

Parentscantestthewatersbyleavingachildinsidewhilethey’reinthebackyardortakingawalkaroundtheblock, shesaid.

她說，父母可以嘗試一下，讓孩子留在屋內，自己在後院或在街區周圍散步。

Smartphonesandtheavailabilityofhomesecuritysystemsthatenablereal-timemonitoringandcommunicationcanalsoputchildren, andparents, atease.

智慧型手機和能夠即時監控和通訊的家庭安全系統也可以讓孩子和父母感到安心。

“Alwayscheckinonaregularbasiswithyourchildifyou’regoingtobegonelongerthan15to30minutes,” Tessmersaid.

泰斯默說：“如果你要離開孩子超過 15 到 30 分鐘，一定要定期檢查孩子的情況。”

“Fortunately, inthisagewithcellphonesandtabletsitcanbeprettyeasy. Youcanhaveyourkidstext, youcanscheduleaquickcall, Facetime, sendphotostoeachothertoeaseanyanxieties.”

「幸運的是，在這個手機和平板電腦盛行的時代，一切都變得非常便捷。你可以讓孩子發短信，你們可以安排一個簡短的通話，Facetime，互相發送照片，以緩解焦慮。”

The’educationcoveragereceivesfinancialsupportfrommultipleprivatefoundations.

其教育覆蓋範圍得到了多個私人基金會的資金支持。

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對所有內容負全部責任。

Find’sstandardsforworkingwithphilanthropies, alistofsupportersandfundedcoverageareasat .org.

在 .org 上尋找與慈善機構合作的標準、支持者名單和資助覆蓋範圍。

School is back in session, bringing new routines — and new milestones for students.

For some, this is the year they are allowed to go home to an empty house instead of an after-school program or day care.

With after-school care often expensive and hard to find, parents have reason to encourage independence.

But how can they be sure their child is ready to navigate home on their own, even if only for an hour or two?

A handful of states have set age minimums.

Maryland law, for example, makes it a crime to leave a child younger than 8 years old unattended.

But most states leave it up to parents and guardians.

Experts say between 11 and 13 years old can be a good starting point, but stress there’s more to the equation than age.

And they say what’s right for one child may not be for another, even within a family.

“It’s not a one-size-fits-all ordeal. And you really have to take it and understand the bigger picture,” said Jaesha Quarrels, director of child care services at Oklahoma Human Services.

Inadequate supervision is a key factor in many preventable childhood injuries and neglect cases.

Here’s what experts say to consider when deciding whether a child is ready to be home alone:

The American Academy of Pediatrics says most children are not ready to handle emergencies until about age 11 or 12, so the organization generally recommends structured supervision until then.

But it’s not that simple.

Parents often want a specific answer on how old their kids have to be, but age is only one of the factors to consider, said Brian Tessmer, director of treatment and operations at Family Resources, a nonprofit agency in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

“We really strongly encourage parents to look at many other factors because kids, obviously mature at different rates.”

At minimum, children should be able to recite their full name, home address, phone number and the name of a parent, guardian or other emergency contact.

They should also know how to reach that person, experts advise.

Other things to consider are whether a child can follow rules, handle routines and keep themselves occupied with homework, toys or electronic devices.

Can they dial the phone? Fix themselves a snack? Do they know where the bandages are if they need one? What if there’s a tornado warning, if they smell something burning or if a carbon monoxide detector goes off? Do they know how and when to dial 911?

Even having all that knowledge doesn’t mean a child is ready to get off the school bus at an unoccupied house, experts said.

At a time of high anxiety for American children, there is also emotional readiness to consider.

“Oftentimes as parents, because it’s convenient — we’re busy, we have things that we have to do — we just kind of leave them alone,” Quarrels said.

“But we need to consider how the child feels. Are they confident? Can they handle loneliness, fear or boredom?”

Communication is key, Tessmer said.

“It’s a great opportunity to explain to the child that this is a milestone that we’re coming up to as a family, and we’re exploring this opportunity because we do feel like you are getting to a point where you’re ready for this type of trust. We have confidence in you,” he said.

A child home alone should have no doubts about what they’re allowed to do, and even more importantly, not allowed to do, experts said.

Stoves and ovens should be off limits, as well as matches, candles and lighters.

Children should be instructed to stay inside, not open the door to anyone unless they’ve been told in advance, and to never reveal that they’re alone on social media, gaming apps or to callers.

“Make sure your house rules are visible and reviewed frequently,” said Quarrels, who recommended having prepackaged snacks or meals handy.

To further reduce anxiety, Quarrels recommends role-playing scenarios like handling a doorbell and dialing 911.

And start small, she said.

Parents can test the waters by leaving a child inside while they’re in the backyard or taking a walk around the block, she said.

Smartphones and the availability of home security systems that enable real-time monitoring and communication can also put children, and parents, at ease.

“Always check in on a regular basis with your child if you’re going to be gone longer than 15 to 30 minutes,” Tessmer said.

“Fortunately, in this age with cellphones and tablets it can be pretty easy. You can have your kids text, you can schedule a quick call, Facetime, send photos to each other to ease any anxieties.”

The ’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations.

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Find ’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at .org.