Approximately 20 percent of all American children regularly spend some time in self care. Under certain circumstances, leaving children home alone to care for themselves may be an appropriate option for some working parents. Still, such self care is risky business. This paper offers guidance to parents who choose to, or must, leave their children at home alone without adult supervision. Eleven tips for parents are discussed: (1) assess your child's ability to adequately care for himself or herself; (2) consider the quality of your neighborhood; (3) know how your job conditions will affect your ability to leave your child in self care; (4) consider your attitude about leaving your child unattended; (5) provide the child with a reasonable schedule of things to do; (6) work at communicating with your child; (7) define safety rules; (8) prepare for callers; (9) practice routines for dealing with strangers; (10) limit visits by the child's friends; and (11) consider combining self care with other forms of care, such as day care, babysitting, lessons, or afternoons at the local library. Discussion of these maxims points out dangers and ways of avoiding some of them. Emphasis is given to providing the most appropriate kind of care for each individual child. (RH)