Keep Home-Alone Kids Safe

Children in single-parent and two-income families often find themselves home alone in the hours right after school. Help keep them safe with these tips and precautions:

• Make sure they know their full name, address, and phone number (parents' work numbers, too).
• Teach them how to call 911 or the operator in an emergency.
• Explain how to give directions to your home in an emergency.
• Make sure they know not to accept rides or gifts from people they don't know well; tell them to stay at least 8 feet away from a stranger in a car who stops to ask for directions.
• Teach older kids how to operate door and window locks and your home's alarm system.
• Whenever your kids come home to an empty house, have them check in with you or a neighbor as soon as they arrive.
• Give kids a house key to keep in a safe concealed place, such as inside a sock. Never keep a key outside under a doormat.
• Make sure your kids know that they can't let anyone into your home, including other kids, without permission.
• Tell your kids how to respond so phone callers and people at the door won't know they're home alone.
• Test your kids to make sure they know how to escape in case of a fire or other emergency.
• Tell your kids never to go in your house or apartment alone if things don't look right -- if the door is already open or a screen is ripped, for example.