How to Encourage Fire Safety With Your Kids | SERVPRO of Shelby

7/28/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Shelby is here for you and your family if you experience a fire in your home or business.

It’s hard work having small children in your home! While all of the work is certainly rewarding, it can keep you busy keeping them entertained while also teaching them about the world around them. Teaching your children about difficult concepts or potentially scary situations is especially tricky.

Experiencing a house fire can be scary whether you are 65 or 5, which is why everyone in your home needs to have a basic understanding of fire safety and how to react in the event of an emergency.

Read on as our SERVPRO of Shelby team explains some easy ways to incorporate fire safety lessons without overwhelming your children below.

Explaining the Risks of Fire

It can be hard for children to understand what “cause and effect” means, so they really only learn in the moment when something is happening. This can make it difficult to explain fire to your little ones. To start with, walk around your home and talk about all of the different places that fire is used, along with where it can break out, and discuss how it spreads.

Take out your matches and lighters to show them what they are used for, and be sure to instill the fact that these items are never to be played with and are only for adults to use. If they find a match or lighter laying around, they should bring it to you directly.

Introducing Firefighters

As adults, we all know that firefighters and police officers are there when you need them. Not all children will immediately trust an authority figure, though, especially if he or she is hidden behind a uniform or heavy equipment. This is why it is important to expose your child to pictures, videos and books about friendly heroes and what they look like. You can also attend local meet-and-greet events to help deepen that connection with your child.

In the best case scenario, your children will be able to easily get out of your home quickly as a fire starts. However, they need to learn to be able to call for help and make their presence known in case they get trapped. Have a contest with your kids to see who can be the loudest in their room and who can army crawl to the front door the fastest.

Create a Game Plan

No matter what kind of house or apartment you live in, you need to have an emergency exit plan in place. Your kids can—and should—help with its creation! Go from room to room, have your children identify all of the ways out of the room and have them practice escaping as quickly as possible from each space. When you are done, create a diagram of your home and write it all down.

While it may sound scary to do, you also need to teach your children how to open the windows in your home. In a true emergency, windows can be used as exit points and your children need to know that. However, be sure they understand that windows are never toys and should never be used unless a true emergency is occurring.

Finally, pick an outside meeting location together and practice your entire escape plan from top to bottom at least twice a year. Once you are outside, quiz your children on how to call 911.

Fires can cause widespread damage. Call us for a thorough and efficient restoration.