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Introducing Fire Safety to Your Kids in a Fun Way | SERVPRO® of Rapid City
6/10/2023 (Permalink)
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Having children is a lot of work, but it sure is rewarding! Each day is filled with learning, creativity and fun as you help them grow and experience the world around them. One job that is crucially important is to keep them safe and to help prevent dangerous situations from occurring around them.
One really important topic to talk to your kids about is fire safety. House fires can have disastrous consequences and can be really scary for your little ones to think about.
By changing up how you approach fire safety, you can instill some safety practices in your child’s mind without scaring them with the possibilities.
Many kids have trouble understanding cause and effect until it is happening in front of them. This is why it can be hard to explain fire! An easy way to introduce the concept of fire to your kids is to walk around your home and find all of the places that fire can start, including your stove, candles and bonfire pit out back.
Discuss how fire starts, and show them the matches and lighters that you use. This is also a good opportunity to explain that these tools are only for adults and should never be played with. A single match in the hands of a curious child can lead to disastrous consequences.
It is quite common for little kids to want to grow up and become firefighters or police officers, but it’s also common for your children to be wary of these men and women when they are in full uniform. Exposing your kids to pictures, books and shows about them can help reinforce the idea of friendly heroes. It is also a good idea to attend local meet-and-greet events so your children can see a firefighter and their gear in person.
In the event of a fire, these people will be the ones to show up to your home, and a friendly face can make all the difference! It is also important to teach your children how to call for help. You can make this part fun and have your kids practice yelling their name as loudly as they can from their rooms, and time them to see how long it takes to army crawl down the hall.
Your children need to know how to get out of any room in your home, so create an emergency exit plan if you haven’t already. Let them lead this and have them go from room to room to find all of the ways out.
You can even make it a game to see how long it takes them to figure it out! Once each room is done, put it into a diagram of your whole house.
In addition, you should explain how to open each window in your home. In the event of a true emergency, your children need to know this important information! Just be sure to reinforce the idea that windows are never toys and should never be used for fun.
Once you have it all together, practice as a family twice a year and end by meeting at your outdoor meeting location. Challenging your kids in a fun and engaging way can help them respond quicker and more confidently in the event of a true house fire.
Fires can cause widespread damage. Call us for a thorough and efficient restoration.