“Don’t play with fire,” might be rule number one for kids, followed quickly by “No running with scissors.”
There’s a good reason for it: fire can get out of control very quickly. There’s no margin of error for kids to experiment and screw up a little. Even an accident with the above-mentioned scissors, or a sharp kitchen knife, can usually be made better with at most a few stitches.
A misplaced match can burn your house down.
How can you teach your kids about fire safety? In honor of Fire Safety Week, here are a few ideas.
There are two key areas you need to cover: what to do in case of a fire, and how to avoid starting one. Attending fire safety talks or classes given by your local fire department can help with both. You may also find that your child’s school covers some of this stuff.
Here’s what you can do at home:
- Make sure all your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are in good working order. There should be one on every floor of your home, and near each bedroom.
- Have a fire extinguisher in your kitchen, and near your bedrooms. Make sure it works; they do expire after awhile.
- If you live on the second or third floor, consider putting an emergency fire ladder in your kids’ rooms. These roll up easily out of the way, and can save lives in an emergency.
- Keep fire hazards out of reach of little hands: no preschooler should have unsupervised access to a lighter, for example.
- As your kids grow, teach them safe ways to handle fire. They can start helping to light candles at the dinner table, build campfires and things like that.
- Have a fire emergency plan, and practice fire drills at home. Be sure your kids know where to meet you safely outside the house in the event of a fire.
What other things help your family with fire safety?
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