Dummies guide for daughter living alone

tocadast

Hi

I wonder if anyone has ever put together a "folder" to leave for a child who's going to be living in the house without dad for the first time?

Kind of....what to do if there's no hot water, if the lights go out, where the stop-!!!! is, what day the bins go out etc. A-Z of living in a house, really.

Looking to put this together for my daughter but could do with some sort of template that I can adjust with photos etc. relating to her own place.

Thanks for any pointers

jackyann

I don't really want to post mine as it's identifiable, but what I did was open a word document on my computer, and just jotted things down as they occurred to me. I spent a bit of time imagining walking through the whole house and what might happen, and asked other people.
Then I read through and altered, cut-and-pasted etc. until I had something that looked useful. I think the exact order is very variable, and if it has rather a lot, then have a contents page.
I however, kept it short, saying where to find the relevant information - which made me go through the filing cabinet and sort all the papers into a sensible order!
I also did a 'schedule': weekly things (like bins), monthly checks (on some of our systems) and if for longer, then dates that things like boiler service etc. are due. I also use google calendar for these reminders.
I would add that for a young adult, the best thing of all is the phone number of a reliable older friend or relative who can assess & advise.

And well done for being so thoughtful!

thorsoak

If she is moving into her own home - then just put Dad's telephone no on fast dial - then she can call you every time that she cannot do something on her own. You may get several calls at first, but then, as she becomes more confident, the number of calls will diminish.

If you are leaving her at home, on her own, then she should already know where the electric power box is, the telephone nos for gas/electric/water emergencies should be easily accessible by any member of the family. She should already be aware of the day on which rubbish goes out, she should know how to use the cooker/dish washer/washing machine/iron if you have done a good job on parenting.

Personally, I would (discreetly) give my tel no to a trusted neighbour who could phone you if there appears to be a problem with parties etc.....

Yes - I was that young girl, trusted with the family home ....way, way back in 1959 - and when the cooker fused, I was so proud to have been able to re-wire the fuse - by winding (15 amp) fuse wire round and round the connections! Neighbour - on checking it - asked why didn't I go the whole hog and just put a nail between the connectors :-D

tocadast

Thank you for taking the time to reply...much appreciated!