What Age Can Children Be Left Home Alone in Wisconsin?

"No phone and no doors, Steven, and I mean it!"

When I was a young kid on summer break, that's what I recall my father telling me before he took his afternoon nap. He worked nights while my mother worked afternoons. As a child, I was never "home alone," but with my dad sleeping for anywhere from three-to-six hours during the day, I might as well have been.

I knew how to use the microwave to make things like Easy Mac. I knew how to work the remote for the TV (the most important thing, in my opinion), and I had my mother's work phone number, as well as my grandmother's, in case I needed something. I just wasn't permitted to answer the phone, and if someone came to the door, I would run and hide.

It wasn't until I was about 12-years-old that my parents truly left me "home alone." I remember the experience being nerve-wracking. Being truly alone, just me and my cat. The house was eerily quiet, but never once did I consider, until I was older, is it illegal to leave children home alone until they reach a certain age?

A recent article on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contextualizes this matter, and also provides some pretty interesting background. Would you believe that, like the vast majority of states, Wisconsin does not have a legal age requirement for children to be left home alone. It's a discretionary matter left up to the parents.

READ MORE: The Animals You Cannot Legally Own in IA, IL, and WI

Laws in Place Address Neglect and Abandonment:

The laws in place, specifically in Wisconsin, are attributable to child abandonment and neglect, a wildly different set of circumstances compared to leaving your child for an hour while you go to the grocery store or something. It's all about intent and environment.

A person/parent is guilty of neglect if they do not provide basic care to a child (food, clothing, and shelter) for reasons other than poverty, per The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. That is a felony. As for when a child is "ready" to be left home alone for an extended period of time, that is a decision up to the parents, with most experts even conceding it's a case-by-case basis.

Things to Consider When Leaving Your Child Home Alone:

According to Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit geared to prevent childhood injuries, most children are "generally ready" to stay home around 12-or-13-years-old. There are things to consider before doing so, however, including addressing your child's "physical, mental, social, and emotional readiness" in being left alone.

I've included some bullet points from The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel below. I've truncated some of them too. See the full list here.

Physical Readiness:

• Can your child lock and unlock the doors and windows of your home?
• Can your child perform everyday tasks such as fixing a sandwich, dialing the telephone, and writing messages?

Mental Readiness:

• Can your child tell time?
• Does your child understand what “stranger” and “emergency” mean?
• Does your child recognize danger and know how to stay safe?

Social Readiness:

• Does your child solve conflicts with brothers and sisters with little help from adults?
• Does your child feel confident enough to contact another adult if a problem arises?

Emotional Readiness:

• Does your child feel confident and secure when alone?
• Does your child know how to handle fear, loneliness and boredom?
• Does your child know how to handle responsibility, such as getting ready for school on time and looking out for younger brothers and sisters?

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Illinois Has a Specific Designation That Differs from Wisconsin:

In Illinois, the law states that any person who leaves a child under 14-years-old "without supervision for an unreasonable period of time" is guilty of neglect. Again, there is no blueprint nor one-size-fits-all model for children. You know your children better than anyone, and you know your home environment too. Consulting your children, and of course your spouse, is the best course of action you can take when considering leaving them home alone.

Read more on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's website.