To decide, parents must consider a child's maturity and desire. Your child's track record in carrying out chores is a good indicator. Give him a tryout if you're not sure, suggests Bonnie Anton, who runs the SafetyNet in Louisville, Ky., a service for latchkey kids who check in with her in lieu of their parents. Leave your kid at home under instructions not to answer the phone. Then call home and see what happens.
Good parents start small and then build.
Gail Cusick began by leaving her daughters briefly when she went to the store and sent them to a class that taught such skills as microwave oven safety. Preteens still need adult supervision, says Laurence Steinberg, a professor of psychology at Temple University. Check in by phone, he says. In the best situations, neighbors are on call in case of emergency or if your child gets scared. Two years ago, when Katie Fitzpatrick was 11, the Midwestern preteen learned of a storm watch and headed to a neighbor's cellar.