Legal to Leave Kids Home Alone During Indiana's Solar Eclipse?

There are thousands of people living in the path of totality for the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse. Schools in Southern Indiana will be closed because of the anticipated traffic. Folks will probably be heading out of Indiana around the time school would dismiss, and it could be a mess.

Not All Indiana Businesses Closing

It is very possible that for most parents, it will be business as usual on the day of the total solar eclipse. Your regular daycare option may not be open, and some parents are concerned about traffic being an issue with pick-up and drop-off. If you don't have the luxury of taking the day off or bringing your kids to work, you might be in a pickle.

PHOTO canva kids

When Can Children Stay Home Alone?

I think that we decided that our son Chase was old enough to stay home alone when he was around 10 years old. We didn't have a set age, but I knew we weren't going to be gone all day. The truth is, it really depends on your kids and how mature they are. Most guidelines recommend that kids around 12 or 13 years old are okay to be home alone. However, only you know your kids.

Safety Tips From The Department of Family and Children:

What to do or say if someone calls or comes to the door.
How to lock and unlock windows.
What to do if approached by a stranger on the way home.
What to do if they think someone is in the house when they get home.
Kitchen safety (use of appliances, knives and tools).
What to do if they smell smoke or gas, or in the event of a fire.
What to do during severe storms.
Basic first aid techniques.
Appropriate and inappropriate reasons for calling parents or other adults for help.