08/14/2014
Keeping Kids Safe When They’re Home Alone
It’s Back to School Time Across Oklahoma
Kids are returning to classrooms in eastern Oklahoma. For many, it’s also a return to being home alone after school until their parents get home from work. The American Red Cross has steps parents and children can take to make these after-school hours safer and less stressful.
The first thing parents need to decide is if their child is old enough to stay home alone, based on the child’s maturity and comfort level. If parents decide their child should not be home alone, other options include after-school child care, programs at schools and youth clubs, or enrolling the child in youth sports programs.
If the child is going to be alone at home after school, have them call to check in when they get home. Set rules about whether other kids can come over when the parents are absent, if cooking is an option and whether they can leave the home.
WHAT PARENTS SHOULD DO
• Post an emergency phone list where the children can see it. Include 9-1-1, the parents’ work and cell numbers, numbers for neighbors and the numbers for anyone else who is close and trusted.
• Practice an emergency plan with the child so they know what to do in case of fire, injury, or other emergencies. Write the plan down and make sure the child knows where it is.
• Make sure the first aid kit is stocked and stored where your children can find it.
• Let children know where the flashlights are. Make sure that the batteries are fresh, and that the child knows how to use one.
• Remove or lock up dangerous items like guns, knives, hand tools, power tools, razor blades, scissors, ammunition and other objects that can cause injury.
• Make sure potential poisons like detergents, polishes, pesticides, car-care fluids, lighter fluid and lamp oils are stored in locked cabinets or out of the reach of children.
• Make sure medicine is kept locked up out of the reach of children.
• Install safety covers on all unused electrical outlets.
• Limit any cooking a young child can do. Make sure at least one approved smoke alarm is installed and operating on each level of the home.
• Limit the time the child spends in front of the television or computer. Caution them to not talk about being home alone on public web sites. Kids should be cautious about sharing information about their location when using chat rooms or posting on social networks.
SAFETY STEPS FOR CHILDREN
When talking to kids about being at home alone, parents should stress the following steps and post them somewhere to remind the child about what they should, or shouldn’t, do until mom or dad get home:
• Lock the door and make sure all the windows are closed and locked.
• If the home has an electronic security system, children should learn how to turn it on and have it on when home alone.
• Never open the door to strangers. Always check before opening the door to anyone, looking out through a peephole or window first.
• Never open the door to delivery people or service representatives. Ask delivery people to leave the package at the door or tell them to come back at another time. Service representatives, such as a TV cable installer, should have an appointment when an adult is home.
• Never tell someone on the telephone that the parents are not at home. Say something like “He or she is busy right now. Can I take a message?”
• Do not talk about being home alone on public web sites. Kids should be cautious about sharing information about their location on social networks.
• Never leave the house without permission. If it’s okay to go outside, children should tell their parents where they are going, when they are leaving and when they will return. If mom and dad are still at work, children should call them when they return home.
• Do not go outside to check out an unusual noise. If the noise worries the child, they should call their parents, an adult, or the police.
• Don’t talk to strangers.
• Do not have friends over to visit when parents aren’t at home without permission.
• Do not let anyone inside who is using drugs or alcohol, even if you know them.
• If the child smells smoke or hears a fire or smoke alarm, they should get outside and ask a neighbor to call the fire department.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information on the Eastern Oklahoma Region of the American Red Cross, please visit redcross.org/ok/tulsa or visit us on Twitter at .
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