My DH does not know how to do most of those skills.

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Anonymous wrote:Can he plunge a toilet? Turn the water off/on near every toilet and sink in the house and the main water source? Turn main power off/ on? Use a fire extinguisher? Apply a tourniquet to himself? Know how to self heimelic (sp) maneuver?

That’s quite a list. My 16 year old, and I assume the vast majority of teens who stay alone even overnight are not able to do many of those things.

You cannot be serious? I could do those things by the time I was 7 or 8. These are simple basic life skills your teen is missing.

Omg you are ridiculous

Basic first aid is ridiculous? Ok I’m ridiculous! DCUM never ceases to amuse!

NP. Shutting off water and power to the entire house has nothing to do with “basic first aid.” PP is right that your list is ridiculous. A better list would include things like “can call 911, knows to go to a neighbor’s house in an emergency, knows not to use the oven when home alone.”

Yeah, this is basically our list too. I mean, DH had to teach me where the water shut off for a toilet was located after we got married, so at a minimum my parents (who were admittedly clueless about passing down many life skills) did not subscribe to PP's list.

I'd also add not using knives, which will hopefully prevent having to apply a tourniquet.

Omg. No one should need to apply a tourniquet to themselves. Cutting your finger with a kitchen knife does not require a tourniquet. Tourniquets themselves are damaging, can cause loss of limb, and reserved for injuries where risk of bleeding to death is high. Think major injury from car accident, explosion, circular saw/chain saw, heavy machinery. Your kid staying at home, playing video games, and cooking some scrambled eggs is not going to be able to injure themselves in a manner than would require a tourniquet

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can he plunge a toilet? Turn the water off/on near every toilet and sink in the house and the main water source? Turn main power off/ on? Use a fire extinguisher? Apply a tourniquet to himself? Know how to self heimelic (sp) maneuver?

That’s quite a list. My 16 year old, and I assume the vast majority of teens who stay alone even overnight are not able to do many of those things.

You cannot be serious? I could do those things by the time I was 7 or 8. These are simple basic life skills your teen is missing.

Apply a tourniquet at 7? Bahahahahaha

Yes, yes I could and frankly I’m thankful I had parents that cared enough to teach me. You go on and have a good laugh and think about what happens when your kid is home alone and starts choking or bleeding or burns themself or whatever and doesn’t know what to do because basic first aid skills are “ridiculous”!

NP. Your parents left you alone at 7 in situations where needing to apply a tourniquet was an essential skill to have. Yes, what fantastic, non-negligent parents!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can he plunge a toilet? Turn the water off/on near every toilet and sink in the house and the main water source? Turn main power off/ on? Use a fire extinguisher? Apply a tourniquet to himself? Know how to self heimelic (sp) maneuver?

That’s quite a list. My 16 year old, and I assume the vast majority of teens who stay alone even overnight are not able to do many of those things.

You cannot be serious? I could do those things by the time I was 7 or 8. These are simple basic life skills your teen is missing.

Omg you are ridiculous

Basic first aid is ridiculous? Ok I’m ridiculous! DCUM never ceases to amuse!

NP. Shutting off water and power to the entire house has nothing to do with “basic first aid.” PP is right that your list is ridiculous. A better list would include things like “can call 911, knows to go to a neighbor’s house in an emergency, knows not to use the oven when home alone.”

Yeah, this is basically our list too. I mean, DH had to teach me where the water shut off for a toilet was located after we got married, so at a minimum my parents (who were admittedly clueless about passing down many life skills) did not subscribe to PP's list.

I'd also add not using knives, which will hopefully prevent having to apply a tourniquet.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can he plunge a toilet? Turn the water off/on near every toilet and sink in the house and the main water source? Turn main power off/ on? Use a fire extinguisher? Apply a tourniquet to himself? Know how to self heimelic (sp) maneuver?

That’s quite a list. My 16 year old, and I assume the vast majority of teens who stay alone even overnight are not able to do many of those things.

You cannot be serious? I could do those things by the time I was 7 or 8. These are simple basic life skills your teen is missing.

Omg you are ridiculous

Basic first aid is ridiculous? Ok I’m ridiculous! DCUM never ceases to amuse!

Since when is turning the main water supply off “basic first aid”?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can he plunge a toilet? Turn the water off/on near every toilet and sink in the house and the main water source? Turn main power off/ on? Use a fire extinguisher? Apply a tourniquet to himself? Know how to self heimelic (sp) maneuver?

That’s quite a list. My 16 year old, and I assume the vast majority of teens who stay alone even overnight are not able to do many of those things.

You cannot be serious? I could do those things by the time I was 7 or 8. These are simple basic life skills your teen is missing.

Omg you are ridiculous

Basic first aid is ridiculous? Ok I’m ridiculous! DCUM never ceases to amuse!

NP. Shutting off water and power to the entire house has nothing to do with “basic first aid.” PP is right that your list is ridiculous. A better list would include things like “can call 911, knows to go to a neighbor’s house in an emergency, knows not to use the oven when home alone.”

Yep, and I would add to that list "A falling knife is a dirty knife" and to know that if they drop a glass, the FIRST thing to do is carefully back away (with any pets) and go put on shoes.

Anonymous wrote:Can he plunge a toilet? Turn the water off/on near every toilet and sink in the house and the main water source? Turn main power off/ on? Use a fire extinguisher? Apply a tourniquet to himself? Know how to self heimelic (sp) maneuver?

I'm 48 and don't know how to do any of those except vaguely plunge a toilet. Well, I know how to do the Heimlich maneuver but don't own any chairs, so if I choke at home, I'll die.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can he plunge a toilet? Turn the water off/on near every toilet and sink in the house and the main water source? Turn main power off/ on? Use a fire extinguisher? Apply a tourniquet to himself? Know how to self heimelic (sp) maneuver?

That’s quite a list. My 16 year old, and I assume the vast majority of teens who stay alone even overnight are not able to do many of those things.

You cannot be serious? I could do those things by the time I was 7 or 8. These are simple basic life skills your teen is missing.

Apply a tourniquet at 7? Bahahahahaha

Right. You never know when you may detonate an IED at home

Started around 8/9 for short periods during the day. 11/12 for longer periods during the day or shorter periods in the evening. But I think it really depends on the kid.

I wouldn’t want a 9yo home alone every day for a couple of hours after school. Mine would just get on screens. However, I don’t think it is “wrong” to do either (especially if the neighbor is available to check on him). Just not ideal.

Mine could be home alone ne for about an hour at 10, and at 14 up to 4 hours.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can he plunge a toilet? Turn the water off/on near every toilet and sink in the house and the main water source? Turn main power off/ on? Use a fire extinguisher? Apply a tourniquet to himself? Know how to self heimelic (sp) maneuver?

That’s quite a list. My 16 year old, and I assume the vast majority of teens who stay alone even overnight are not able to do many of those things.

What? I knew all of these by 16.

The hoses take a minute to explain.
My dad showed me where the water main and the breaker were sometime in middle school.
The first aid is covered in a lifeguarding course.

I can see a 9 year old not knowing them, but 16?

Anonymous wrote:Can he plunge a toilet? Turn the water off/on near every toilet and sink in the house and the main water source? Turn main power off/ on? Use a fire extinguisher? Apply a tourniquet to himself? Know how to self heimelic (sp) maneuver?

I’m in my 40s and couldn’t do all the things on this list. Somehow I’ve survived until now.

I will leave my 10 year old home alone for up to an hour (max 90 minutes) if I'm running errands on a weekend and the neighbors are home. He knows not to touch any appliances, no one can come over, he can call me from the Ipad, etc. Every day though? I don't think I'd be comfortable with that.

My 10 year old is allowed to be home alone for about an hour/hour and a half max in the daytime or early evening. He is a rule follower and knows not to answer the door, not to use appliances, how to call us or 911, where to go in an emergency, etc. We have a home security system with a camera and I can see our main living space and whether any doors have been opened. Definitely no friends over and he’s not allowed to watch his younger sibling — they are at aftercare or with us. I think you have to know your kid and their personality.

At that age I would be comfortable with up to one hour. But every kid is different.