How to teach your kid to fix things: screws, drains and light bulbs

Most of us call someone, or a parent, when something small breaks. A loose cabinet handle, a slow drain, a dead bulb. But these fixes take five minutes and the right tool, and a preteen who knows how to do them feels genuinely capable.

Fixing things is problem-solving in its purest form: figure out what's wrong, why, and what to try. Harvard's Center on the Developing Child describes planning, flexible thinking and working through problems as core executive function skills, and its activities guide includes ideas for every age from babies to teens. A wobbly chair is a great place to practice.

The fixer's rules

Every fix on this list happens with a grown-up watching. These rules come first:

1. Show a grown-up before you start. Agree on the job together.
2. Use the right tool, not the closest one. A butter knife is not a screwdriver.
3. Power off before anything electrical. Lights off, and let bulbs cool.
4. No chemical drain openers. Kids use a plunger only.
5. Every tool goes back where it lives. A fix isn't done until the toolbox is.

Skill 1: Tighten a loose screw

Loose screws are everywhere: cabinet handles, chair legs, toilet seats, battery covers.

1. Find the loose part and show your grown-up.
2. Match the screwdriver to the screw. A flat-head screw has one line; a Phillips screw has a cross. The tip should fit snugly, not wobble.
3. "Righty tighty, lefty loosey." Turn clockwise to tighten.
4. Snug, not crushed. Stop when it's firm. Over-tightening can strip the screw or crack the wood.
5. Put the screwdriver back.

A small starter toolkit (two screwdrivers, a tape measure, a level) makes a great birthday gift for a 10-year-old.

Skill 2: Unclog a drain with a plunger

1. Gloves on. Drains are gross. That's part of the fun.
2. Leave a little water in the sink so the plunger can make a seal.
3. Cover the plunger cup over the drain, then push down and pull up firmly, about ten times.
4. Run the water. Does it drain fast now? If not, try again, then ask a grown-up.
5. Rinse the plunger and put it away.

Why no chemicals? The Poison Control Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia lists drain openers among the cleaners strong enough to cause harm just by breathing them in, and says mixing products with bleach can create toxic gas. Plungers are safer, and they usually work.

Skill 3: Change a light bulb safely

1. Turn the light off at the switch. For a lamp, unplug it.
2. Let the bulb cool. Bulbs can be hot enough to burn. Wait a few minutes.
3. Use a step stool if needed, never a chair, with a grown-up holding it steady.
4. Twist the old bulb out (lefty loosey) and the new one in until it's snug.
5. Match the wattage. The U.S. Fire Administration advises using bulbs that match the recommended wattage on the lamp or fixture. Check the label inside the lamp shade or on the fixture.
6. Turn it on to test, and throw away the old bulb.

The USFA also advises keeping anything that can burn away from lamps and light bulbs, which is a good thing for kids to check while they're up there.

The mastery test: fix something real

Pick a real broken thing together: a wobbly table, a drawer that sticks, a loose towel rack. Then let your child lead:

1. Figure out what's broken. Look closely. What's moving that shouldn't be?
2. Figure out why. A loose screw? A missing one? Something bent?
3. Fix it one step at a time.
4. Test it, and put every tool away.

Take a before and after photo. Kids love seeing proof of what they fixed.

When to call someone

Teach this too: some things are never DIY at this age. Anything involving wiring, outlets, gas, water heaters or the electrical panel is a job for a grown-up or a professional. Knowing when not to fix something is part of being a good fixer.

Make it a quest

In Family Quests, this is the Fixer skill, near the top of the Home Care branch. Every Fixer quest comes with a grown-up rule: a grown-up watches, the power is off before touching a light fitting, and tools go back when you're done. The mastery quest is fix something broken in the house with a parent watching. Start free.

Next: teach your kid to share chores fairly, or read about raising independent kids.