We started Mike when he was 9—starting with us only gone a quick 10 to 15 minutes:  a quick trip to a local fast food place. We slowly extended that to about 20 to 30 minutes, then to an hour. We eventually had him up to 4 to 6 hours, and in the past year or two, he’s had the house to himself for up to 10 hours. In October, we’ll be actually going away for a delayed anniversary trip away for two nights, and leaving him alone with the dog that whole time. That will be a first, and he’ll be 17 by then. He has yet to stay home alone overnight, but says he’s ready for this when October comes.

I definitely advocate the “slow but steady” method of getting your child ready to stay home alone. For those with a young child, it seems like the “home alone” time is so far in the future they can’t even imagine, but time can pass quicker than you think. It’s good to make plans now on how you & your family decide on how to handle it.

(On a personal note, I definitely have surgery in my future. The cyst’s size is such that surgery is necessary. I have another sonogram this coming Monday and an appointment with the gyn the following week to discuss the results and make plans. Prayers appreciated. Thanks!)

Support Our Troops gif found at: http://foxtrotters.tripod.com/animate.htm

Destin-Fort Walton Beach Logo on their home site:  http://www.destin-fwb.com

 

 

Donna Conner lives with her husband, Glenn, their son, Mike, and their beloved dog, Lucia, and calls Fort Worth, Texas home. Donna and Glenn have been homeschooling their son since the beginning of his education. Mike completes his homeschooling within the next two years. Donna is an artist and has always enjoyed writing. She wrote Homeschooling Only One three years ago, after discovering that there were many other families homeschooling only one child. Her website is devoted to those with only one student in their homeschool, with listings of online resources. You can visit her website at http://donnac.com and read her blog at http://homeschoolblogger.com/DonnaC

copyright © 2006 Donna Conner
All rights reserved. Content may not be reproduced in any form without written permission of author, except in the case of brief passages embodied in critical reviews and articles where the title and author are listed.