ways2work - Parents and carers
Teenagers at home
How do you know if your older children are ready be left alone at home?
Do they:
- demonstrate responsibility in other ways, for example, do they independently do their jobs around the house and their homework?
- make sensible, mature decisions without help from you or another adult?
- have basic life skills, like being able to cook, wash clothes and clean the house?
Do you feel confident that they will follow the house rules even when there’s nobody around to enforce them?
If no, you may need to explore other options, such as seeking assistance from your friends or relatives to provide a supervised place for your teenager to go while you're at work. You might also investigate after school activities and holiday programs that could engage your teenager.
If yes, this could be a very positive experience. Time and space on their own can help teenagers build a sense of responsibility, independence and maturity.
Tips for success
- Discuss your plans with your teenager early on and help them prepare for your new life in the paid workforce.
- Let them know the rules about where they can go, who they can visit and what they can do while you're away, and what the consequences will be if they break the rules.
- Make sure they know how to keep themselves safe:
- reinforce the basics such as locking up, not answering the door to strangers, knowing where to find emergency service phone numbers, turning off appliances
- make sure they know how to contact you at work
- have a friend, neighbour or relative's house where they can go in an emergency
- Do a test run first. Start small and see how it goes.
Further support
Parentline is a Victorian telephone counselling service for parents and carers of children aged from birth to eighteen years.
Phone: 13 22 89
Tell Us Your Story.
We'd like to hear from you about your experiences of balancing work and family.