of how
comfortable you’ll feel by yourself. Take this quiz to find out.
1. You and your mom are shopping for back-to-school clothes. You
turn around to show your mom a shirt, and she’s not there! You . . .
a. keep shopping. She’ll catch up with you sooner or later.
b. stay where you are. It’s where she last saw you, so it’ll be the first
place she’ll look when she discovers you’ve been separated.
c. run through the store shouting, “Mom! Mom! Where are you?”
2. You wake up in the middle of the night and see a strange shadow
in the corner of your room. You . . .
a. tell yourself it’s just your imagination, and go back to sleep.
b. turn on the light to make sure it really is just your bathrobe
on the back of your chair.
c. call out to your parents.
3. Everybody has been talking about the
new giant slide at Water World. But nobody
told you it was this giant! You . . .
a. shout, “Let’s go for it!” and race to the top.
b. say to a friend, “I’ll try it if you will.”
c. tell your friends, “I’ll wait here. You go ahead.”
4. Your big science report is due today, and you just realized
you left it on your desk at home. You . . .
a. say, “Oh, well, I wasn’t doing that great in science anyway.”
b. tell your teacher what happened and ask her to help you
figure out what to do.
c. call your dad and ask him to go home and get the report
for you.
5. You’re washing your hands in the bathroom at school
when the fire alarm goes off. You . . .
a. finish washing your hands. It’s probably just a drill.
b. go back to your (or the nearest) classroom
immediately—dripping hands and all.
c. run out of the building in a panic.
6. Your dad is 15 minutes late picking you up
from soccer practice. You . . .
a. walk to the nearest store and buy a can of soda. At least you
won’t die of thirst while you wait.
b. stay at your pickup point and dig a book out of your back-
pack to pass the time.
c. worry that he forgot to pick you up and ask a friend’s mom
for a ride.
7. Your aunt gives you a new camera for your birthday. But you
need to learn how to use it before you snap any pictures. You . . .
a. toss aside the directions and figure out how to work it
yourself.
b. dive into the directions. If you have any questions, you’ll
ask your mom.
c. give the directions to your mom. Once she’s read them,
she can teach you.
Answers
Daring Daisy
If you answered mostly a’s, you’ve probably
been feeling ready to stay home alone for a
while now. You’re easygoing and feel sure you
can handle any challenge that comes your
way. But sometimes you may be too quick to
respond. Slow down. Take some time to think
before you act. Thinking things through will
help you make good decisions on your own.
Reliable Rose
If you answered mostly b’s, you are capable
and reliable—two great qualities! You’re
probably ready to stay home by yourself,
but you may still be feeling a little uncertain.
Perhaps you’re worried that you’ll have too
much responsibility, or that you’ll get lonely
or bored. Talk with your parents about what
is worrying you. Together, you can figure out
what you need to feel comfortable with the
new arrangement.
Panicky Petunia
If you answered mostly c’s, you may like the idea
of staying home alone but easily get the jitters.
Or you’re not sure about the idea at all but may
not have a choice. Why not try a couple of test
runs first—say, while your parents run an errand
or visit with a neighbor. If you still don’t feel
ready, tell your parents how you feel and talk
about finding an alternative. Your school
counselor can tell you about other options
that are available in your area.
house rules
Different families have different rules. Talk with your parents about your
family’s house rules. That way, you’ll all know what to expect about what
you can—and can’t—do when you’re home alone.
Check In
You get home, lock the door behind you, and then what? You probably
need to check in with an adult to let him or her know you got home. Ask
your parents who you should check in with and how.
Hel-lo?
What should you do when the home phone rings? Do you answer it?
Let the call go to voicemail or the answering machine? Should you check
messages? If you answer the phone, what do you say? Is there a time
limit on calls to friends on your cell or home line?
Ding-Dong!
The best house rule is not to answer the door at all. If you have a short
list of people you can allow in when you’re alone, come up with a system
so that you know who’s at the door before you open it.
Net-Wise
Are you allowed to e-mail friends? Check certain websites? Enter chat
rooms? Surf the Internet? Find out how your parents feel about you
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