My boys are getting to the age where I am becoming happy to leave one of them at home for five minutes when I drop the other off somewhere or have to run a quick errand.
Now this is our family decision and I am not writing this for people to comment on whether it is right or wrong, but I do want to discuss the way we talked to the children about safety without scaring them, but enough to ensure that they follow the rules to ensure they protect themselves and also protect our home.
Teaching children about safety without scaring them
Safety rules for children when they are home alone
- The rules are different when I am with an adult to when I am at home alone.
- When home alone the door must be locked, keep windows shut and do not answer the door unless it is a policeman or an agreed person.
- Never disclose that you are home alone.
- I do not use the cooker, microwave of kettle when home alone.
- I can call my mum or dad on their mobile at any time – we have the numbers wrote on a chalkboard, along with the police, fire, my best friend, grandparents and families numbers.
- Instead of focussing on any bad thing that might happen we practice and teach how to deal and react to things. I choose to focus on the behaviours I want my children to display.
- I know that the boys know what to do if the unexpected happens. We have discussed and practiced what to do if there is a fire, a first aid emergency, a gas leak etc and they have both also covered it in Cubs to.
Safety rules for children when they are on their own outside
- Remember strangers are people I do not know and they can look like anybody. People are generally good, which means strangers are generally good people.
- I do not give out personal information to strangers.
- It is OK to get help from a stranger, but first choose a policeman or official if not choose a mum with children.
- Stay with the group of people that they are with.
- Before they boys were allowed outside on their own, we ensured that they knew what to do if there was an accident or they felt unwell.
- I made sure that the boys were competent at crossing the road.
- Except for health, no one should touch me in my private areas (the parts of the body covered by a bathing suit).
- No one should ask me to touch them in their private areas and if they do I will tell my parents.
What a fantastic, infromative post. My children are a few years of this yet but this is the exact information I would give x
This is a fantastic set of safety tips for children – when I think of those frightening safety films of the 70s and 80s *shudders* this sort of list is a million times more helpful!
This is brilliant – really useful and perfect timing for us. Thank you!
These are really useful points.
I’ve never practiced a fire or any sort of emergency drill. How do you go about these?
I like the clear simple no nonsense language you use and the fact that you don’t go over the top with the dangers.
Because I am a childminder we have to have a fire alarm practice every 6 months, if I ever stop my job we will keep going with this as its important to know how to get out the house in an emergency
Fantastic advice in clear and sensible language which is the key to not worry them
It’s tough, isn’t it? We need to make them aware but not over-anxious. I guess the key thing is to get the facts across without over-explaining.
What a fantastic post – I can imagine it is easy to scare children if you say a little too much. x
This is brilliant Jen, only yesterday POD said why can’t I talk to strangers. Although to be fair she’s a friendly soul and talks to everyone! She starts school this year so good timing, thank you for sharing. Hope you’re all good too x
This is brilliant Jen, only yesterday POD said why can’t I talk to strangers. Although to be fair she’s a friendly soul and talks to everyone! She starts school this year so good timing, thank you for sharing. Hope you’re all good too x
We have talked about what to do if approached at the park, but we need to start talking about what to do when left in the house alone.
I love your list! Simple, direct, perfect for kids.
Such fabulous advice and some of those I still use and I am in my 30’s x
What a fantastic set of rules! i think i pretty much had the same ones when my parents left me alone too x
These are brilliant! I’ll be referring back a few times as I’ve actually been thinking about this all for some time! Thanks for sharing
we never know everything and theres always something to learn about regarding safety
These are some really good tips and I love the one about trying to find a police person first but if not to look for a mother with children – I’m going to talk to my children about that today, thank you.
You have dealt wonderfully with such an important topic. There are a couple of things on here that I need to bring up with my child.
What a great post! I love how you’re tackling this. My oldest is at that age now where she’s playing out front with her friends, but not yet at an age where she’s left in the house on her own, so this advice will come in so handy.
These are really useful rules and all make perfect sense.
Thank you for putting it all together.
some really great tips, I need to start to talk to Wilf about these things. We’ve already told him we don’t keep secrets but we can keep ‘surprises’ so if anyone asks him to keep a secret he knows to say no straight away x
A very very good set of rules – I remember being left home alone from a young age and it’s not something I would feel happy doing with mine at the same age. Times certainly do change don’t they?
This is great, Jen. I think we need to discuss this with the girls, but especially Rosemary, who often walks home from school now and is very occasionally left for 10 minutes if one of us is out and the other needs to take Eleanor somewhere or pick her up. Given some of things they have got up to just when we’re busy up in the office, it warrants a proper conversation, not just assuming that they’ll use their ‘common sense’. (I think we so often forget that no-one is born with common sense and it takes living life to develop it!)
Great post. It is so important to communicate rules – and why. Kaz x
great advice good to explain safety to them with out scaring them. Its so scary when they go off any play isn’t it.