As thousands of Canadian school children return to class this fall, many of them will head to and from empty homes because their parents are at work.

Statistics Canada says that in 2005, the mothers of 82 per cent of children between the ages of 6 and 15 were in the workforce. The school day is also much shorter than most people's work day (estimated by Statistics Canada to be almost nine hours), before commuting time is even factored in.

While younger children can often go to an after-school day-care program or a babysitter, older kids often balk at the prospect. These days, several organizations and many school boards offer advice for kids staying at "home alone."

What's an acceptable age?

A report commissioned by Health Canada in 1999 found that parents with kids as young as Grade 3 (8 years old) were requesting programs to help their children cope when they are home alone by teaching them basic safety rules, emergency procedures and some first aid. Many school boards and community groups offer such programs. However, most organizations say 10 is an acceptable age for kids to start being on their own at home for short periods of time.

It's imperative that the child feels comfortable with the situation, says former London, Ont.-based police officer Samantha Wilson, who runs Kidproof Safety.

"The child has to be ready," Wilson says. "Every child matures differently. Parents need to talk to their children as well as preparing themselves and their neighbours with the fact the child will be alone."

She advises parents planning to leave children on their own to start by letting them stay alone for short periods over the course of several months before the real after-school thing begins. They should also enrol their children in a home alone program or babysitting course.

Safety proofing your house

There are some basic common-sense steps that parents can take to make a home more secure when a child is left alone. Lock all doors and windows, including the garage door. Wilson says families should have at least one phone that's not cordless so there's a working phone if the power goes out. Leave a list of emergency phone numbers and ensure there's an adult close by whom your child can rely on.

Make sure all smoke detectors are working. Stoves are out of bounds — allow kids to prepare a snack the night before or make something in the microwave oven instead.

Rules for kids

Tell your kids not to open the door — to anyone. "Not answering a door takes a lot from a kid," Canada Safety Council spokesperson Suzanne Robillard says. "You might want to put a sign up reminding the child not to respond to the door when you're not at home."

A child also should not answer the phone unless the phone has call display and the child recognizes the number. If there's no call display, parents and kids can set up a special code ring signalling it's the parent, such as a single ring, hang up, and a call back.

Walking Home Alone

Know the route your kids are taking. Practice walking it with the children.

Show them the safe places they can go if they run into trouble. Linda Patterson, president of the Block Parent Program of Canada, says if there's a Block Parent program in your community, teach children to approach a house with a sign.

Have kids call to make sure you know they have arrived home safely.

Keys

Give your child a key. Don't hide a spare one outside or under the mat. If a key is lost, there should be another one at a neighbour's house.

There are door locks available from most hardware stores now that unlock with a keyed entry or a fingerprint, which takes the stress out of remembering a key. Some can be found in the $100 range that are designed for do-it-yourself installation.

Online out of bounds?

Wilson doesn't think kids should be on the internet at all when they're alone. "There are obviously risks to who they are talking to online," she says. "If you're not there, it means they're not being supervised online. As well, being on the internet distracts them so they can't pay attention to what's happening around the house."

Early morning

Early mornings can be a more complicated time to leave children alone, because depending on when the parents leave, they may be required to get up by themselves. Set alarm clocks and run through every step of the morning with them.

As well, children can sleep through traditional smoke detectors, cautions Robillard. There are talking smoke detectors, some that allow parents to record their own voices, which some believe are more effective in waking up children.

When trouble arises

Make sure kids are ready in case the routine changes.

Wilson advises parents to run through possible problems that might occur, but to be realistic in scenarios. "Parents tend to freak out and think about the worst thing that can happen. What will likely happen is that the power might go out or the bus won't make it."

Most problems in Canada are weather related, she says. Parents get stuck in traffic because of a snowstorm and are delayed, for example. However, kids need to be aware of the possibility of other dangers.

"Kids need to know the signs of a break-in. If a window is broken they should be told not to go into the house," Robillard says.

Kids can also cause their own problems.

"When kids get bored they get in trouble," Patterson says.

Several siblings together or a visiting friend can lead to potential problems. As well, unsupervised teens and preteens can sometimes get into more trouble than younger children.

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