Children spend a lot of time at home and a typical home is filled with possible sources of danger. According to the Home Safety Council, an "average of 2,096 children younger than 15 die each year in the United States as a result of a home injury." Fortunately, many home accidents are preventable. Be a good role model for safe habits and teach your child the behaviors that will keep her safe.
Types
Home safety advice includes a wide range of topics. Kids need to learn about fire prevention, basic first aid, food safety, poisoning prevention, fall prevention, appliance safety and how to react to a variety of emergencies. From a young age, your child should know how to escape from a house fire and know how to use the telephone.
Time Frame
Your kids won't learn about home safety in a single lesson. Instead, they will absorb your advice over time. As you go through your daily routines, take the opportunity to teach your child behaviors that will promote safety. While you are cooking, explain to your child that he should never play near the stove. As your child develops, you will have to introduce new advice while continuing to reinforce established rules. Once your child is old enough to be home alone, you will likely be focusing on advice, such as safe food preparation and proper emergency response. But you still may have to remind her that shoes and toys can be a tripping hazard.
Goals
When giving kids advice about home safety, you have to accomplish two goals. You need to teach the child the behaviors that will prevent injury or death. Explain fall prevention, poisoning prevention, fire safety and food safety in an age-appropriate manner. You also have to teach your child how to respond to an emergency. Even with careful planning, accidents and emergencies do occur. Discuss a variety of emergencies, such as fire and natural disaster. Help your child understand what he should do if a loved one has a medical emergency or an accident at home.
Resources
An abundance resources for teaching children about home safety are available. The U.S. Fire Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture offer fun website resources, such as coloring pages, puzzles and word searches to teach safety. Local programs for kids are often available. Check your community calendars or contact your local department of safety to find a program that focuses on home safety advice for kids.
Considerations
Discussions about safety may frighten some children. Keep your child's temperament in mind as you present home safety advice and pay attention to your child's reaction to the advice. Be sure to educate yourself about home safety so that you can give accurate advice to your child. Make an effort to understand your local laws. For example, the age that a child is legally allowed to be home alone varies from place to place.
