Summer has arrived and it brings with it the responsibility of many parents to figure out what to do with the kids during the day.

Daycare can be super expensive, parents struggle to find time to take off work, making it difficult to figure out what to do with the tiny humans. Maybe don't be like Kevin McAllister's mom and leave them home alone while they're just a little tyke though.

In Iowa, there's no set legal age on when you can leave a kid home alone. Actually, several states don't have minimum legal ages on this. But KidsHealth.Org recommends that you don't leave kids younger than 10 at home alone. Another recommendation from the SAFEKIDS Campaign says between the ages of 12 and 13. Ultimately, whenever the kid is ready and can do things like call 911.

Illinois actually has a minimum age. In Illinois, kids younger than 14 cannot legally be left home alone. Which is probably how old some of my babysitters were.

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Some tips for leaving your kid home alone: make sure they have your phone number, check-in with them every once in a while, don't leave them home alone for a long time at first, and set some ground rules (I remember I wasn't allowed to use the oven).

Mainly, appropriate age aside, just make sure the kid has good judgment and is mature enough to do things like administer first aid to a sibling, use the microwave, knows to stay away from strangers on the internet, etc.

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