Χά�ων Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 What are your rules for your children when they are home alone? My rule is: Do not eat all the food in the house. Growing boys and all that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
songsparrow Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Don't answer the door. No cooking. Yep. And have your phone handy and answer it if I call or reply if I text. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink and Green Mom Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 No going outside (they know obviously to go outside if there is a fire). No eating (I am afraid of one choking and the other not knowing what to do/panicking - obviously I don't leave for long periods of time and make sure everyone has eaten before I leave). No cooking. No answering the door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Don't answer the door. No cooking. These are ours, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 All of mine are answered No cooking No answering the door or phone unless it is ME and in that case, you better answer NOW!!!!!!!!!! My 14 year old just landed in huge trouble for not answering after 22 calls the other day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freckles Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 My kids are 15 and 13 Don't answer the door Wait for my voice on the answering machine (yes, we still have a land line) before you pick up no friends over while we are gone My dh and I go to dinner by ourselves once a week, and the girls need to make their own dinner. My girls are good cooks. They aren't allowed to use the propane grill while we are gone, but they do know how to use it. When they were younger, we had different rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 3B4G Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 No going outside Keep doors locked and don't answer doorbell Know when to call 911 and when not to Be nice to each other or lose staying home privileges next time I go out Keep dog in (they are immune to her barking - the neighbors, not so much) plus it would mean unlocking door Keep my cell # handy (they never remember it) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loowit Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Keep the phone where you can hear it and make sure it is charged. No going outside except if needed in an emergency. No answering the door unless it is me, DH or an expected relative. No fighting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1GirlTwinBoys Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 My rules will be: No cooking or using microwave No cutting fruit (using a knife for any reason) Not opening door for anyone. Our 3 acres has a horse fence completely around it and is locked. We also have a German Shepherd so I'm not too worried about anyone coming on the property. We have a warning sign letting people know he's on the property. No internet No friends allowed in the house for ANY reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiMi 4under3 Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Stay inside Keep dogs inside Don't answer door/phone - unless it's me No cooking No knives (to cut apple for example) No showering No playing tag or other physical games Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmos Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 No going outside (they know obviously to go outside if there is a fire). No eating (I am afraid of one choking and the other not knowing what to do/panicking - obviously I don't leave for long periods of time and make sure everyone has eaten before I leave). No cooking. No answering the door. Ok I'm glad I'm not the only one. I say no eating either. I worry about choking. I rarely leave my kids and if I do it's never for more than an hour or so. The no eating rule is surprising to me. Do you never eat when you are alone in case you choke? We don't really have rules. I do ask ds to leave a note if he goes somewhere while I'm gone. And -- this came up recently -- I'm not comfortable with him mowing the grass while I'm gone. Our yard is sloped (so tip-over potential) and it is fairly heavy machinery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Well, I also do not allow Dd to eat anything at all, but she is only home for 15 mins to a 1/2 hour at most. She has food allergies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethel Mertz Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 For a nearly 12 year old boy: Do not go outside unless the house is on fire. If there is an emergency, go to a trusted neighbor. No leaping or jumping over things (added after an injury incurred as we pulled into the driveway, requiring an Urgent Care visit) Do not answer the door unless it is one of your parents. Do not answer the phone unless it is one of your parents. No cooking (hadn't thought about no eating due to choking hazards) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink and Green Mom Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 The no eating rule is surprising to me. Do you never eat when you are alone in case you choke? We don't really have rules. I do ask ds to leave a note if he goes somewhere while I'm gone. And -- this came up recently -- I'm not comfortable with him mowing the grass while I'm gone. Our yard is sloped (so tip-over potential) and it is fairly heavy machinery. Of course I eat alone. For me, it is that what if one choked and the other panicked, or 911 didn't get there fast enough and they died? I don't want the other one to have to live with that for the rest of his life. (Obviously, the 13 year old I would trust to know what to do in an emergency, the 9 year old not so much). Maybe overly dramatic but it remains my rule for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 No rules. My kids are old enough to answer the phone no matter who is on the line. They are old enough to answer the door - though we don't open it anyway if it is a solicitor. They are old enough to cook and to eat and to do the laundry for me. In fact, please cook dinner and have it ready for when I get back along with a freshly washed and folded load of laundry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Depends on the age(s) of the kid(s) at home. Mine are 15 and 18, and don't really have any rules any more. Of course when they were younger they had a few more rules. But we've never gone overboard with it. They've got good common sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 No going outside unless the house is on fire Do not answer the phone or door unless it's parents or grandparents No using stove or oven (microwave and pop up toaster are ok) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmos Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Of course I eat alone. For me, it is that what if one choked and the other panicked, or 911 didn't get there fast enough and they died? I don't want the other one to have to live with that for the rest of his life. (Obviously, the 13 year old I would trust to know what to do in an emergency, the 9 year old not so much). Maybe overly dramatic but it remains my rule for now. Well, we do all have things that strike our worry nerves irrationally. For me, it's heights. Especially kids + heights. Yikes, you should have seen me at the Grand Canyon last year with my perfectly capable, not-at-all-risk-taking 12 year old. I was a basket case. But I would just point out that by your logic, *you* would never eat anything when at home alone with your 9 yo. Because what if you choked, and he panicked, and you died? (Of course, my logic about the lawn mower is probably overly dramatic too. He has never had any trouble with it at all. Moms are moms, though, aren't we?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Wow. Never considered no eating or no cooking. I was cooking on a gas stove by 6th grade alone. We don't have gas so that is a moot point. Mine will fix a pb n j or something like that. I have no qualms with them eating. My oldest will get up at 2am and eat if hungry. Our rules are only answer doors for officers or neighbors. Do not eat foods planned for meals. Do not do anything you aren't allowed to do with me in the house. We allow them outdoors but typically when they are left alone, I am running on our road so, I'm outside as well and not truly gone. I suppose I may change those rules when we leave them for me to go shopping etc. We haven't attempted that long of a trip yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naturemom Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 No going outside (don't want snake bites when I'm not home). Don't open the door or answer phone for anyone but Dad or Mom. Don't kill each other. :laugh: Siriusly! (See what I did there?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Now that they are teens- No friends over-(there are some exceptions to this)... but girlfriends/boyfriends are not allowed in house unless we are home Keep the doors locked- mostly- they are allowed to go outside, but at night i want them kept locked. That's pretty much it. They are allowed to cook, eat, whatever. I've even said yes to ordering pizza if they have the money. When they were younger, the above rules, plus don't answer the phone, door, or go outside. I've never had a no cooking or eating rule. sometimes i call and tell them to start dinner...even when they were younger. OH, and don't kill each other. That one has always been in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baseball mom Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Mine are older but I still worry about crazy things If you go outside please use the door for the part of the yard you will be in - in other words, if you are going out back, don't leave the front door open If you are outside and someone weird keeps walking or driving by -- go inside & lock the door (we have some strange people around or neighborhood) Emergency - call 911 then call me If you invite the neighbor kid inside, DON"T make a mess Don't eat us out of house and home Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loowit Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 The no cooking thing reminds me of when I was a kid and we had a sitter who set a pan in fire and then panicked. My sister and I ran over to a neighbor to get help. Fortunately no one was hurt and nothing beyond the pan was damaged. Because of this I have taught all of my children what to do in case of a kitchen fire. We had a toaster catch on fire a few years ago and the kids did great and there was no panicking. They all did what they were supposed to, so I trust them to handle things while I am gone. I don't let my littlest cook without me because he isn't ready, but the other two I trust to handle things. I guess I never really thought about the choking thing, but they are all trained in first aid so it isn't a huge concern. The biggest concern in my youngest's anaphylactic allergy but we only keep "safe" foods in the house and all of the kids know how use and epipen and regularly practice with his practice one. I know we all have our own comfort levels, and I find it very interesting to see what people are most concerned about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashfern Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 No answering the door. (That's for my impulsive 9 yo who will throw the door wide open to solicitors even when I'm home telling her not to open the door.) No going outside. Keep your phone on you so if I call you will answer. I have to also tell the 14 yo to not close himself in his room since he's the one in charge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckens Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Cosmos says: (Of course, my logic about the lawn mower is probably overly dramatic too. He has never had any trouble with it at all. Moms are moms, though, aren't we?) No, Cosmos, your logic is NOT overly dramatic. My cousin died two summers ago in a lawn mower accident. He was a few years older than I, so NOT a kid. (I am 43). The riding lawn mower rolled over on a slope, and it trapped him underwater in a ditch. He drowned in a few inches of water. :( I don't like Loverboy to mow lawn when when I am not home, or to work in his workshop (power tools, saws, etc) when I am not home or awake. I make sure that he takes his cell phone with him (to mow or to the garage). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 No answering the door. Stay inside. No cooking. Answer the phone if it is me - it is their choice whether they answer other calls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 When they were younger, it was, 'Don't touch anything sharp or hot.' Now there aren't any particular rules. They answer the door, take in parcels, etc. just as if I was home. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 No cooking, but mostly because they've done it twice when they were "alone" but dh was asleep (he works nights) and they had to get him up. So they've proven they're not ready to cook alone. It used to be stay home, but not anymore. Answer if I text or call. Use common sense. Call 911 in an emergency. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Just FYI: I lived in a neighborhood -- upscale -- where the middle school boy stayed home sick, didn't answer the door, so the bad guy thought nobody was home. Broke in, caused trouble, but all turned out fine. I knew a girl from my childhood. Same story. She didn't answer the door. Bad guys thought nobody was home. She -- for some reason -- hid in the outdoor shed and they walked right by it. They took some stuff and left. Very upscale community in the Bay Area. So I'm not sure telling a kid not to answer the door is the best plan. Maybe shout through the door: "my dad is busy!" Edited to add: but I agree, the door should not be opened. Alley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albeto. Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Apparently I had missed giving the instruction: Over the toilet bowl is not an appropriate place to set things on fire. Whudda thunk that needed to be specified. :huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Lol, I love your rule OP! My biggest rule is do not eat all the ice cream. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkyandtheBrains. Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Lock the doors Keep the phone on Don't set house on fire Use common sense Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mysticmomma Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 My 9 and 7 year olds stay home occasionally for less than an hour. Rules are: No stove. No baths/showers. Keep doors locked, don't answer door. Stay inside (with the caveat that if they feel the need to check in with the neighbors for whatever reason, they text from the neighbors phone). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mysticmomma Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 We also have a code word that I give to other grow ups if they have authorization to enter or take them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Don't open the door to anyone and don't eat. I see the don't eat rule has already been mentioned and questioned. I don't really think my kids will choke. They haven't had near misses while I have been home. I am more nervous that if something did happen that CPS would find us negligent and take the others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 No friends are allowed inside when we aren't home. That is the big one. They already know how the house rules continue whether we are home or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivey Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Our rules are pretty much the same as when a parent is home. Look out the window before opening the door. Don't open it if the person looks scary. Only cook things you actually know how to cook. No "experiments". Ask before inviting any friends over. Ask before going anywhere other than the corner store. Ask before trying anything you saw on YouTube. If you can't get ahold of a parent, the answer is no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkyandtheBrains. Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 My kids would never mow the yard unless asked. But we've had two severe lawn mower accidents in family. One resulting on death, the other in a five year old losing a leg. I am very cautious with lawn mowing too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 I always leave the house with a cheery, "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone." Sometimes I add, "And, don't kill your brother." They already know the basics. Lock the doors. Stay inside. Don't burn the house down..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 I always leave the house with a cheery, "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone." Sometimes I add, "And, don't kill your brother." They already know the basics. Lock the doors. Stay inside. Don't burn the house down..... I say "Don't do anything I would do!" to which they are very happy to comply. . . :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocelotmom Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 We don't. DH works from home and we have a housemate, so it's not difficult to arrange our lives such that we never have to leave the kids home alone. Besides, my oldest could probably manage himself well enough for a few hours, but not along with any combination of the younger ones. If we did... No eating anything that they wouldn't normally be allowed as an unrestricted snack (this encompasses no cooking). I'm not going to say no eating at all, despite having choked on a frozen banana while home with only a friend (who thought I was messing around and didn't realize I'd been in danger until I self-heimliched on the sink). If we were gone long enough that food was actually necessary, we'd leave something specific that didn't require cooking (DS is not responsible enough to cook unsupervised yet, though we would probably allow the microwave if hot food seemed necessary). Picking up packages from the mail car, UPS, etc. is fine. They're easily visible and recognizable, the kids do this all the time, and, as we always have someone home, not picking up would be more conspicuous than the kids retrieving the package. Especially if the kids were visible through the windows or they noticed lack of cars present. If the package requires a signature, they can say I'm in the bathroom. Otherwise, don't go out if anyone enters the driveway. If anyone unexpected actually comes through the gate, they are clearly up to no good. Leave through the street-facing door (where people up to no good are less likely to approach - neither door is directly accessible from the street) and run next door - plain old robbers seem to me to be a more likely happening than someone specifically looking to victimize kids, and children running away seem to me less likely to be harmed than if the robber unexpectedly stumbled across them in the house. On the very off chance that a friend drops by unexpectedly, they would by necessity be accompanied by a parent (we live too far from town for people to just randomly walk over). I don't object if the friend AND parent stayed (though I would rather hope the parent would either decide that was a bad idea or give me a call/text) - if I'd trust them with my kids under other circumstances, why not? If they had any friends I was sketchy about or didn't know well, this might change. If the kid did come by on their own, or the parent wanted to drop them off, they can't stay. No going anywhere with anyone without direct permission from a parent. I'm not going to say "stay in the house", I don't think. They can be seen at least as clearly through the front windows as in the back yard. But they need to stay on our property (unless running next door because bad guys attacked), and close enough together so that the supervising one can do so adequately. No fighting. Hahahaha. Like that's going to work. No screentime unless you're willing to let the 3 year old watch. Answer the phone. Hang up if it isn't a parent. No one legit calls the landline, so this is a reasonable instruction. Call 911 if necessary, and if running next door and calling from there doesn't seem to be the safer option. If the toilet looks like it's going to overflow, for heaven's sake don't flush it again. No breaking rules that would apply when parents are home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 The only rule we've articulated is no friends over and if she's going somewhere, text us and let us know (and lock the door on her way out). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinivanMom Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 Don't answer the phone unless it's a parent. Keep the doors locked. Don't answer the door. If someone knocks then go to the door, let the person see you, shake your head no, and walk away. If the person is persistent then say, "My mom is in the shower," through the door. We are in an upscale neighborhood and get a lot of aggressive solicitors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excelsior! Academy Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 Wow. I am surprised by all of the no eating rules. We usually pick up pizza to occupy our kids while we are gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 If the toilet looks like it's going to overflow, for heaven's sake don't flush it again. :lol: That's my favorite one....and one I should probably make into a piece of art to hang above the toilet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocelotmom Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 Don't answer the phone unless it's a parent. Keep the doors locked. Don't answer the door. If someone knocks then go to the door, let the person see you, shake your head no, and walk away. If the person is persistent then say, "My mom is in the shower," through the door. We are in an upscale neighborhood and get a lot of aggressive solicitors. My scariest home alone happening (other than the banana incident) was when some guy in his late teens/early 20s came up, knocked on the door, and then started pounding on the door and yelling when we didn't answer. I think he was probably a solicitor. Either that, one of my mom's students gone nuts, or someone at the wrong address. My grandparents lived next door with a connected backyard, so we ran over there, and my grandpa confronted him. I occasionally have retrospective anxiety for my grandfather's safety, though the guy went away once he came out and asked what he was doing. Here, we've had exactly one solicitor since we moved in 4 years ago. The Meat Truck Guy. Wow. I am surprised by all of the no eating rules. We usually pick up pizza to occupy our kids while we are gone. I'd do something like that if we were gone long enough for a meal to be necessary. Oh, my other scary home alone moment? I was maybe 9, and got a call from someone saying he was my uncle so-and-so. I didn't have an uncle so-and-so, so I told him that and hung up on him. Scared the heck out of me because I was old enough to know that someone calling saying he was related to me that I didn't know about was probably up to no good. Except it turned out he was actually a great-uncle or something, and was calling to tell my mom that a relative had died. Oops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 My daughter is short for her age and our oven is high, so I don't allow her to use the oven when we are gone. She can cook on the stove or in the toaster oven or the microwave. If a scorpion or rattlesnake comes in, they are allowed to go to any of the neighbors that they know. I have promised the neighbors to take in their kids for the same thing if need be. BTW, at my daughter's home alone class, they said that it was OK to call 911 about a rattlesnake but that they would just call animal control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 My goodness. I am glad things were different when I was a kid (living in a big city with moderate crime btw). We were "latchkey" kids and our rules were, don't let anyone else in (only those of us who lived there), and don't kill each other. There was no restriction on playing outdoors, and cooking (including cutting with a knife) was one of our chores - dinner was supposed to be done by the time our dad got home. I can't imagine telling my kids they are not allowed to go outside, if they are old enough to stay home alone. What is the logic behind the rule not to take a shower? Now that is a new one on me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaillardia Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 Keep the door locked. (What if the dog has to go out? well, okay, then, take her out.) Don't answer the door unless it's someone you know. I never had rules about no cooking and no eating. They were reminding me recently of some of the stupid things they've done when I was at home. As a kid, I lived in the suburbs of a small city and ran around all day and part of the evening, from age of 7. My mom gave us no rules. My dad didn't want me talking to strangers. We are all miracles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 Don't answer the door. Our rule is actually DO answer the door (with the security screen still locked). I figure that most potential intruders are looking for an empty house which is an easy target. If the house looks empty they're more likely to try to gain entrance, and the kids would be in a whole lot more trouble with an intruder who is now inside the house and probably panicking when faced with people. Our rule is open the door, say Mom will be back in a few minutes and call a parent immediately. Other rules: With younger children: no cooking. Keep the phone nearby and respond to texts / answer calls immediately. Stay in the house (no playing in the yard when home alone). "If I hear you've been fighting, you'll both get no TV tonight, and I don't care who started it." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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