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malevolentk t1_j8a3ppn wrote

As a kid who was often home alone at that age:

Also maybe have a safe grown up for emergencies that aren’t emergencies but will freak a kid that age out like: if the dishwasher starts leaking everywhere, if the electricity goes out, if they are scared but not 911 or call parent scared.

Make sure they know how to make some basic meals safely - how to make themselves feel safe - what to do if someone comes to the door - and most importantly reinforce constantly to never tell anyone they are home alone, even friends, because you never know who that person will tell.

I was okay! And lots of kids would be - but if you have neighbors you trust or a friend who lives nearby it’s always helpful for your kiddo to have back up.

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[deleted] OP t1_j8a6n7n wrote

[deleted]

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malevolentk t1_j8a98fc wrote

Sounds like you have really thought about how to set your kiddo up for success! Great job!

I mention the dishwasher because in the 80s my aunt had one of those dishwasher that was moveable and you had to hook up to the sink - on more than one occasion it would leak everywhere and once it caught on fire! Having a solid neighbor nearby that was able to help my cousins and I was such a relief

At the risk of sounding old - neighbors used to be much more helpful to each other. We could easily stay home because we had retired folks that lived close by and maybe couldn’t baby sit all the time but could be available if an emergency came up

Parenting without a village sucks - my husband and I have been on two dates in almost six years

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