Well, coconutella, thank you VERY much. Did you think that I shared this so you could call my dh "an embarrasdment" when it was clearly
Not a shining moment? It is told often in our home with both disbelief and laughter.
My point was that NOBODY was home, he gave poor advice and was then not there to clear up the bad advice. If he had told her while home, he would have immediately, as he did via phone, realize that he screwed up, but he would have been there to console her, give her physical and emotional support. It didn't hurt her for blood to come out of her mouth; it hurt her bc she was alone. That was the question. But it could easily have been a serious injury.
Nobody, no matter who you are, can be prepared for everything. 8 yo do not "instinctively" know how to deal with all emergencies. Both of my dc are lifeguards. They must be recertified every two years. They were not eligible to be lifeguards until age 15. There is nothing "instinctual" about emergencies; there is training, planning, coolness under pressure. If your child can deal with "mouth blood" and poor advice, dropping a knife on her foot, falling down the stairs or slipping and cutting their lip, I would still be wary bc there are fires, neighbors, plumbing disasters and the inability to resist doing something forbidden.
My dc are young adults now. The stories that I hear, while preparing dinner, about their adventures make me very happy with my decision to give them time to mature before leaving them alone again.
And BTW, trust me coco Nutella, this is at the bottom of embarrassing things that parents have ever done raising their children. Good intentions are "instinctual," common sense, not so much.