Sweden has no legal age for when children may be home alone; it is the parents' responsibility to judge. In practice, many start around eight to ten with short spells in the daytime, and longer afternoons from ten to twelve. What matters is not the age but whether your child wants to, knows what to do if something happens and can reach you.
A nine-year-old in Enskede comes home from school at three on a Wednesday, lets himself in, has a snack and settles down with a book. Mum gets home at quarter past four. That is an hour and a quarter. His friend in the same class stays at fritids (after-school care) until five, because his parents don't think he is ready, and they are probably right about him. Two children, same age, two different answers. That is how it is with this question, and that is why there is no law that sets an age. Here is how to make the judgement, and how to prepare your child.
What the law says
Föräldrabalken (the Swedish Parental Code) says that whoever has custody is responsible for the child receiving the supervision needed in view of their age, development and other circumstances. That is the whole rule. There is no age limit, neither a lower nor an upper one. That means two things: you get to decide, and you carry the responsibility if something happens. If you leave a child who can't cope and there is an accident, it can become a matter for socialtjänsten (social services). If you leave a child who can cope, that is your business. The clearest sign that your child is ready is that they want to, and that they can answer what they would do if something happened.
Maturity: questions to ask yourselves
- Does your child want to be home alone, or is it you who need it?
- Does your child follow rules when nobody is watching? Not perfectly, but on the whole.
- Can your child handle something going wrong without panicking: something breaking, a noise, a phone call from an unknown number?
- Can your child say the address, your phone number and how to call 112?
- Can your child be alone without getting scared, in their own home, with the lights on?
- Does your child know what to do if someone rings the doorbell?
- Can your child say no to a friend who suggests something silly?
- How much screen time will it be? And is that a problem for you?
If the answer to most of these is yes, give it a try. If the answer to the first question is no, wait, however old your child is. A child who doesn't want to be alone learns nothing from being made to, except that home is a place where you can be frightened.
A ladder, not a leap
| Age (roughly) | What usually works | What doesn't fit yet |
|---|---|---|
| 6 to 7 years | Staying at home for five to ten minutes while you go to the bins or the postbox | Being alone while you go shopping |
| 8 to 9 years | Twenty to sixty minutes in the daytime, you reachable by phone, the neighbour knows | Whole afternoons, cooking on the hob |
| 10 to 11 years | Walking home from school alone and staying alone until you get home, one to two hours, simple food | Evenings, looking after younger siblings for more than a short while |
| 12 years | Afternoons, heating up food, collecting a sibling from fritids if the walk is short | Nights, responsibility for younger siblings for several hours |
Preparation: what should be in place before the first time
- Phone. Your number, a backup person who is at home (a neighbour, an aunt), and 112. Write them on the fridge, even if your child has a mobile. Mobiles run out of battery.
- Practise calling 112. What do you say: name, address, what has happened. Make a game of it. Children who have practised make the call, children who have only heard about it hesitate.
- The key. Where it is kept, how to lock and unlock. A child standing in the stairwell unable to get in is a common first problem.
- The door. Never open it to anyone you haven't said is coming. Not even if the person says they know you. A child who is unsure should ring you instead of opening.
- The hob. What the rule is: nothing, or only the microwave, or that one ring with you on the phone. It has to be unambiguous.
- Fire. Out first, then call. Don't look for the cat, don't try to put it out. Show them where you would go.
- Screens. What the rules are, and what happens if they aren't followed. This is what your child is going to test.
- Friends. Is anyone allowed to come over? Who? Say so in advance, not by text at three o'clock.
The first few times
Start with twenty minutes while you are on your way home and can be reached. Say exactly when you will be back, and be back then. Next time, half an hour. Don't ring to check every five minutes; it tells your child you don't trust them. Ask afterwards how it was, and listen to the answer. "It was boring" is a good answer. "It was scary when something rustled" means you take a step back. Increase the time, not the responsibility: a longer spell alone is one step, minding a sibling is three.
Evenings, nights and siblings
Being alone at three on a weekday when the neighbours are home and it is light outside is one thing. Nine o'clock on a November evening is something else entirely. Evenings and nights belong to the teenage years, however independent your child is in the daytime. And minding a younger sibling is not the same as being alone: it means being responsible for someone else's needs, handling squabbles and making decisions for another person. Short spells in the daytime can work from twelve if both children want it. Longer stretches, especially with small children, are a job for an adult. It is not reasonable to put that on a twelve-year-old, however capable they are.
The alternatives: fritids and a nanny
Fritids is available up to and including the spring term of the year your child turns thirteen, but many children want to stop in year four or five, and that is where the home-alone question usually comes up. A middle way that many families in Stockholm settle on: the child walks home alone some days, and a A nanny instead of after-school care on the others, so the afternoons don't consist of three hours of screens. RUT, the Swedish tax deduction for household services that is taken off the invoice directly, applies to childcare up to and including age twelve, so it costs less than many people think. Read more about what it costs on our prices page.
How we do it with our families
Nike has an eleven-year-old in Älvsjö who was going to start being home alone after school last autumn. His parents didn't want to go from fritids to alone in one go, so Nike comes on Tuesdays and Thursdays at three. On the other days he walks home by himself. In the first weeks they practised: she stood outside while he unlocked the door, they pretended to call 112, they went through what he would do if someone rang the bell. On the note for his parents she wrote what went well and what he hesitated over. Now he makes eggs in the microwave on Mondays and rings her if anything seems odd. The aim is for her to be needed less, and she is all for it.
Would you like a nanny who comes on the same days every week and whom your children know? Book a free first meeting with the nanny at your home, and we will work out a quote for your hours.
Read more: A nanny instead of after-school care · Fritids · Childproofing your home · Prices
Frequently asked questions
Is there a minimum age for children to be home alone?
No, Swedish law sets no age. Föräldrabalken says that the guardian is responsible for the child receiving the supervision they need in view of their age, development and other circumstances. So it is your judgement, and it can be questioned if something happens. In practice, many start around eight to ten with short spells.
How long can a nine-year-old be home alone?
A short while in the daytime, half an hour to an hour, if your child wants to, knows what to do if something happens and can reach you. Longer afternoons usually work from ten to twelve, depending on the child. Evenings and nights are something else entirely and belong to the teenage years.
Can a twelve-year-old look after a younger sibling?
The law says nothing about that either, but the responsibility is yours. Minding a sibling is much harder than being alone, because the twelve-year-old then has to handle someone else's needs and any conflicts. Short spells in the daytime, with clear rules and you reachable by phone, can work when both children want it. Longer stretches should be taken by an adult.
What should my child be able to do before being home alone?
Ring you and a backup person, ring 112 and say the address, lock and unlock the door, know not to open to strangers, know the rule for the hob, and know what to do if a fire starts: get out, then call. Practise all of it, don't just talk about it.
What do we do if our child doesn't want to be alone?
Wait. A child not wanting to is a clear sign that they are not ready, whatever their age, and a child who is forced learns nothing except to be afraid. Fritids usually runs up to and including year six, and a nanny who picks up a few afternoons a week qualifies for RUT up to and including age twelve.