From a young age, a parent needs to talk to their children about fire safety. Children should know what to do in case of a fire and the proper person to alert if a fire starts. Fire prevention is another essential component of fire education for children. Parents can use games and puzzles to make fire-safety lessons fun for their kids.
Significance
When you are teaching children about fire safety, you should have a discussion with the entire family about creating an escape plan in the case of a fire. In each bedroom of the house, two exit points should be decided on during a fire. For instance, you can choose the door of the room and then a window as a backup. A meeting place outside of the house should be assigned, such as a mailbox. A fire chief should be assigned by the family, which can be any adult. The fire chief is in charge of handing out diagrams of the house that includes the exit points and explaining the escape routes.
Features
A part of fire safety is teaching the child the "dos and don'ts" in the case of a fire. A child should be told to never hide anywhere if a fire occurs because firefighters will not be able to find him. It is also important to always test a door to feel if it is hot before opening it. If the child sees smoke, instruct him to stay close to the ground to avoid smoke inhalation.
Prevention/Solution
The family should perform fire drills on a regular basis to help the child learn about fire safety. Choose a signal that alerts the entire family that a fire drill is occurring. All doors between the rooms should be closed as the family members leave the house. Everyone should exit the house and go to the assigned meeting spot.
Considerations
There are several online websites that offer free downloadable games and coloring pages to help teach your children about fire safety. For instance, Sparky.org is a site backed by the National Fire Protection Association that features Sparky the Fire Dog. Children can color pages about fire safety and also design their own fire truck. There is also a section for parents that explains the lessons that you need to teach your children about fire.
Warning
Fire hazards should be eliminated from your home to keep you and your children safe. As a part of your child's fire safety education, you and the child should go room to room and look for potential fire hazards. Some examples are matches and lighters within reach of a child, frayed electrical cords, drapes near lighting and pot holders near the stove.
