- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- twins today articles
- twins today q&a
- message boards
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
 |
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home Alone
Preventing War Between Siblings
By Kendeyl Johansen
Melody Vasquez, a busy California mom of three teens and a 7-year-old, says, "Before leaving siblings home, make sure you have open communication of some kind." At work, she was only a phone call away from her kids. She also had a responsible older son, who could help sort out problems.
Sometimes leaving all siblings home unsupervised just isn't a good idea. Elizabeth Hale of Quebec finds that it works to leave two of her three boys together when she's away on short trips. "I've left my 11-year-old with one of the other boys while I run off to a friend's house. It's never for more than 15 minutes. Three of them would get into trouble, but two is fine." For Hale, taking one child on an errand is much easier than taking three.
Pawel waited until her son was 13 before leaving him home alone with his 9-year-old sister. How did she know he was ready for this? "He was mature, responsible, capable of doing tasks like cooking, and patient with his sister. He also attended a Red Cross first aid and CPR class before I left my daughter with him," she says. At first she only let her kids stay home for 15 to 20 minutes, didn't go far, and was always accessible by cell phone. Her kids, now 15 and 11, stay home alone together for several hours now, with their parents always available by phone. She cautions against leaving teenagers alone overnight. "Even though my son is good and responsible, I just don't think it's a good idea for teens to be home alone overnight or for several days. It's just too tempting for their friends to maybe take advantage of the situation, which can get out of hand quickly even with 'good' kids."
