Beth Olesen has a confession to make: she doesn't like to be alone in the basement.

So when no one is home, she steers clear of it. That's a lesson she hopes kids will take to heart.

"If you're not comfortable with something, just don't do it," said Olesen.

For more than 20 years she has taught classes on how to be safe when home alone, good babysitting practices and other community health topics.

On Friday, she met with kids at the Marion Recreation Department to help them think through safe habits to employ when staying home alone.

There's no "right" age for when a child is ready to stay by themselves, said Olesen.

"Some are not ready when eight, some are not ready when eighty-eight," she said.

She told the kids, aged 9 to 11, that their parents need to trust them before they can leave them at home. Part of that is knowing and obeying the rules.

"If you're not sure if you can do something, I want you to wait and ask," Olesen told the kids.

Olesen gave her students different scenarios to help them think through smart solutions to problems they might face while home without their parents. Instead of lighting a fire in the fireplace if you get cold, the kids brainstormed that you could put on more clothes, nestle into the couch or jump around to keep warm.

Olesen also discussed stranger danger and choking safety with the kids.

Many of Olesen's points were things that the kids knew, but she said it can be beneficial to have someone else say them.

"It's not truly anything parents haven't taught them, but it raises awareness," she said. "Sometimes if they hear it from someone else, it sticks."

Friday was Olesen's first time at Marion Recreation and she said she hopes to do more safety classes in the future.