Caught my son mimicking my multimeter checks yesterday

I was working on a balky oven that wouldn't heat up, and my kid was just sitting there watching. So I figured, why not show him what I was doing with the multimeter. I explained in simple terms how to test for a complete path so we could find a broken wire. Now, when I'm on a job, he sometimes spots loose connections before I do. It's a neat way to teach him about being safe around electricity. Plus, it keeps him from getting bored and wandering off. I even let him hold the test leads on safe, low-power parts. Turns out, making it a little game helps him remember to always unplug stuff first.

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3 Comments

the_mason6mo ago

My kid shocked himself once with a 9-volt battery.

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ryan_carr596mo ago

Ever think a small shock was no big deal until @the_mason's story?

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wesleyjohnson6mo ago

How do you handle the safety talk before you let him near the tools? I drilled it into my kid that we never touch the metal parts of the probes, and we always check the meter is set right for what we're testing. I make him repeat the rules back to me every single time.

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