Caught my kid trying to reset the breaker for the dryer

I was in the basement and heard a click. Turned out my ten-year-old was flipping switches because the dryer stopped. Had to sit down and explain how dangerous that can be. Now I'm thinking about how to teach basic appliance safety at home. Maybe other repair folks have tips for this?

3 comments

3 Comments

white.nathan20h ago

Ever ask your kid why the dryer stopped before it tripped? Teaching them to find the actual cause, like a full lint trap, is safer long-term than just resetting things. @adams.nathan is right about the panel rule, but solving the root problem builds better habits.

adams.nathan20h ago

Just wanted to mention that a breaker panel is a whole different thing than hitting the reset button on the appliance itself. I mean, opening up that metal door is where you get into the main house power, and that's super risky for a kid. Maybe the best lesson is to make a hard rule that the breaker box is totally off limits unless you're right there with them. Teaching them to tell you first is way safer than letting them try to figure it out.

joseph_bailey17h ago

My approach was showing them the burned outlet from an overload first. Once they saw what a tripped breaker actually prevents, the off-limits rule made sense. Now they get why waiting for me isn't just a random parent thing.