It’s Columbus Day!

Today, we celebrate the landing of Christopher Columbus on October 12, 1492. Many North Texas schools have given their students the day off of class in remembrance of this incredible moment in our country’s historical narrative. Some companies even allow their employees to take the day off, as well, but many do not. With your kids having the day off with the possibility of you not being home, be sure to lay down some rules so that they stay out of trouble while you are at work during the day.

Find a babysitter.

If you know anybody who will be home during the day, see if they would be willing to watch the kids for you. You can even try to see if an older teen, who does not have high school classes for the day would be willing to babysit for the day. The easiest route would be if you have your own high school-aged teen that can watch the younger ones, but if not, it isn’t too difficult to incentivize one to babysit for you!

If you can’t find a sitter, take off work.

It is important to prioritize your children over work. It can be easy to make the mistake of leaving children home alone when they shouldn’t be. Many parents can accidentally put a little too much faith in some younger kids who may not be the greatest at making the best decisions. Taking time off work shouldn’t be an issue in order to stay home for your kids so that they can be supervised.

Establish rules.

If your children do stay home without you, make sure to lay down the laws of your house so that they do not stir up any kind of trouble. Simple things such as keeping an eye on the younger children, or not inviting more than a certain number of friends over, and especially not to answer the door to a stranger. The latter is one of the more important factors in making the decision to leave a younger-aged child home alone. Strangers are a concept that sometimes can take a long time for a kid to understand, so it is important to know when your child is ready to stay home alone.

Enjoy your Columbus Day! Make sure your kids are safe during this historical day!