A Smart Girl's Guide: Staying Home Alone - Dottie Raymer American Girl

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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.

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      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.

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      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.

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      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.

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      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

      logging

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