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I will be a single parent in future, and I will have a 8 hour job (7:30 AM to 3:30 PM) always.

Assuming the school bus drops the kid at the colony gate, at what age can I expect the child to come home and stay at home alone for 6 hours safely, after coming from school?

The child should be able to take out food from fridge, heat it on gas stove, and feed herself.

The child should not open the door even if the stranger pleads to death.

At what age will I be able to leave the child alone at home for long intervals?

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  • Does the identified duplicate answer your question, or is there an aspect that you feel is still unaddressed? If the latter, can you edit so it's clear how this is a new/unique question? – Acire Dec 5 '16 at 12:28
  • I think the duplicate question and answers address this issue. Where I am from, the age is 11, but it depends on where you live and how mature the child is. Legality is not the only consideration. – WRX Dec 5 '16 at 12:59
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You need to take some time to prepare your child for being left alone. Make sure they know how to call for help in an emergency; what to do if there's a fire ("Get out, stay out, call the fire brigade out"); make sure the home is safe (lock away cleaning chemicals, medications, etc). You need to make sure they can contact you if they need to.

Six hours is a long time. Cooking food on a gas stove is risky.

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/leaving-child-home-alone/

  • Babies, toddlers and very young children should never be left alone
  • Children under the age of 12 are rarely mature enough to cope in an emergency and should not be left at home alone for a long period of time
  • Children under the age of 16 should not be left alone overnight
  • A child should never be left at home alone if they do not feel comfortable with this, regardless of their age
  • If a child has additional needs, these should be considered when leaving them at home alone or with an older sibling
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