Children Get Prepped for Being Home Alone

Children had a chance to learn first aid tips, Internet safety and more in a class that prepared them for staying home alone.

Eight area children, ages 9 through 11, met Friday night at in Ballwin to discuss home-alone safety with Debbie McCabe, a former nurse and mother of three. Most of the children had stayed home alone previously for short periods of time.

A regular offering at The Pointe, the two-hour Basics of Staying Home Alone class also touches on subjects such as what constitutes a stranger and severe weather preparation and first aid tips.

McCabe kept the children engaged in the lesson with multiple activities, such as splitting them into pairs and allowing them to collaborate on tips when confronting different severe weather scenarios when home alone. Each pair created a poster with tips, presented them and worked as a group to add to each list.

The newest addition to the safety classes is Internet safety. At this age, kids are just becoming familiar with how the Internet works and can be unsure if giving out information can be dangerous. McCabe said children should create e-mail addresses without names or ages in them and, most importantly, shouldn't give out contact information or pictures.

She spent a good amount of time on what defines a stranger. Even on the Internet, the most basic definition is “someone you don’t know,” and the best advice for children of this age is to avoid strangers in any situation, online or in person, McCabe said.

“Sometimes people aren’t who they say they are online,” she said. “And when home alone, lock the doors, and don’t answer the door for anyone you don’t know.”

The children asked questions and brought up topics not included in the lesson. Koby, 9, and Haley, 11, are siblings and took the class together. Koby asked whether a child should play outside when left home alone. McCabe said to talk to his parents; she often encouraged family communication in response to questions.

She also gave each child an “important numbers” magnet for the family to include cell phone, neighbors, authorities and emergency numbers. McCabe said her best advice for parents is to evaluate their child and how they handle situations to know when they’re ready to stay alone.

“Make sure to sit down with them before allowing them to stay home alone,” she said. “Make sure they’re comfortable with the rules and what they can and cannot do.”

The classes are hosted at The Pointe every other month. McCabe said she also works with the Ellisville Parks and Recreation center to provide babysitting education and CPR classes. She also offers the home alone and babysitting classes to Rockwood School District schools.

More safety tips and opportunities to attend upcoming classes or presentations can be found at the Safety Basics’ website.