Kids Safety - Playin' It Safe

Teaching Children About Fire Safety at Home

By Bruce Kelley

Fires can start in an instant and spread quickly to engulf your home in flames and smoke. Curious children can start fires without meaning to. It is important for parents to set aside some time to teach their children about fire safety. Children who have been educated on fire safety are less likely to start fires and will know what to do if a fire emergency hits your home.

Many homes have home security systems with fire monitoring. This is an excellent addition to your home but does not substitute for teaching your children how to get out of the house. They will still need to evacuate the premises in the event of a fire.

One of the best ways to teach small children about fire safety is to make it fun. The U.S. Fire Administration has several publications that are all available for free to help children learn such as coloring book pages, safety word searches, escape plan mazes, and more. Have your children practice their home fire safety by working their online quizzes. There is a quiz that will allow them to become a Junior Fire Marshall. Becoming a Junior Fire Marshall will give your child something to be proud of and he/she can help to remind the family to practice the fire escape plan on a regular basis and test smoke detectors.

It is important for your kids to know what fire is and that it can be harmful to your family. They need to understand how incredibly dangerous fires can be. Discuss that the first sign of a fire may be smoke.

Teach your children to practice fire safety in their room or playroom by not placing any clothes or paper products on top of lamps. Heaters and radiators should be avoided by children.

An informed child is less like to play with matches or lighters. Show children what matches, lighters and candles look like. Explain to them that they should never touch them because fires can start. The danger of these items should be fully explained until your children do seem to understand.

Fireplaces and wood stoves need to be avoided by children. Explain to your kids that standing close could cause them or their clothes to be burned. Never allow children to help you build a fire in the fireplace or load a wood stove.

Kitchen safety is equally important. Teach your small children never to touch the stove. Older children should be taught not to use the stove or oven without an adult present. Make sure to keep all pot handles toward the center of the stove. This can prevent little hands from reaching up to get the pot.

Show your children the smoke alarms in the home. Test the alarm while they are present so that they can hear the sound. Instruct them on what to do if they hear the smoke alarm go off. Develop an evacuation plan with two exits from every room. Practice the family evacuation plan. Teach children to test doors before opening them by placing their hand on the door to see if it is hot.

If you are one of the families that has not purchased home security system you may want to consider one for your family's safety. A security system with monitoring services from one of the top names in home security could make the difference in a quick response to save your home and family.