Teach Fire-Safety to Your Kids
Although schools have fire drills and such, fire-safety should really be taught the moment your kids know how to walk and talk. When you can converse with them and they’re able to absorb what you tell them, teach them how important it is to deal with fires. Teach them the ways in which they can extinguish a fire or how to escape the area when it’s burning. The younger they’re introduced to this, the more they’ll remember in the long run. And when they grow up, avoiding and escaping fires will be like second nature to them.
Fire-safety, however, is a tough subject to take on when it comes to little kids. This usually covers violent, tragic, and horrific instances, many of which might care your little ones. So how does one goa bout teaching it to their toddlers? Here are a few great tips, tricks and valuable suggestions in doing so.
Keep it Light
Whenever you have to teach important lessons to your kids, remember to always keep it light. This is especially when it comes to topics such as fire-safety, which often dances around the destruction of properties and deaths of victims. The purpose of such education is to prepare them for this sort of disaster but scaring them won’t help at all. Keep your conversations regarding fire safety fun and light. You can even make games out of such lessons to make them feel more comfortable about the topic at hand.
Do it Slowly
There’s no need to rush when teaching your kids all about fire safety. Your kids are still young and bright, they have enough time to learn all about what to do and what not to do, hopefully before they’re faced with such situations themselves. Taking it slow will also ensure that your little one will truly understand what you’re talking about and will fully absorb all the information you share to them. Just remember that teaching fire-safety isn’t as alarming as having to apply such knowledge when the time comes.
Use Visual Aids
Kids are mostly visual learners. Although there are some instances in which simply talking to them will educate them, but teaching them about fire-safety is a different matter. You have to be completely sure that all that you’re sharing to them won’t go over their heads or would go in one ear and out the other. For sufficient help, make use of visual aids. Draw or research images on how to avoid and escape fires and the right thing to do when one is hit by flames. Remember, however, that such visuals should be fun and light, and not too scary for kids.
Explain in Simple Terms
There’s no need to use big words when teaching your kids. Most likely they won’t even understand them when you speak. The best way to educate children is to go simpler with the terms you use. Inject those that they often hear, whether from you, your relatives, or form what they watch on TV. If they’re able to understand what you’re telling them without you having to explain what certain words mean. they’ll better absorb the information and will be more confident in understanding what you’re teaching.
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Answer All Their Questions
Of course, you can’t escape questions. When you teach your children fire-safety, something they’ve most likely had never come across int heir young lives, they will have loads and loads of questions to ask. It’s important that you answer each and every one of them to make the dynamic between you and your kid that much more comfortable. You’re also giving them more valuable information by answering their questions, as well as ensuring that they understand what your lessons perfectly.
Incorporate Animation
One of the best visual aids you can use when teaching about fire-safety is animation. Head on over to YouTube or other video-sharing platforms and you’ll find several cartoons that teach all about fire safety. These are also already light and fun, which will have your little one enjoying the lesson as well as understanding it. However, you shouldn’t rely on such materials alone. It’s still important that this very important topic should be taught by parents and professionals as well, not just by cartoons.
Visit a Fire Station
Field trips always make for memorable educational experiences. If your school doesn’t take your kid to a real fire station, you can do that yourself. This can also work as a great bonding experience for you and your kids. Ask the firemen to tour you around and tell you all about how they’re able to stop big fires. It’s also better if you let them give their own insights and suggestions on how to avoid, stop, and escape fires since their professionals in the field.
Makeup Songs
Songs are more likely to be remembered by people than other things. Why do you think some adults are still able to reminisce about their childhood lullabies? When you teach your little one about fire-safety, make up songs for them to sing themselves to and better remember. They can be simple, fun, and easy to play on various instruments. You can even inject a few hand-gestures to make a sort of like a game. With such songs, there are better chances that your kid will remember what you talked about!
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Practice What You Preach
Have integrity with what you teach by doing exactly what you tell your kids what they should be doing. In other words, practice what you preach. If you tell them not to leave electrical appliance turned on when they’re not in use, do the same. If you teach them how to properly dispose of fire-hazardous objects, do the same. You should also demonstrate to them the ‘stop-drop-roll’ method of putting out fires when you yourself is burning. If they see you exemplifying your own teachings. they’ll have better grasps of the importance of your fire-safety lessons. You’ll also be a great example for your kids to follow.
Fire-safety is one thing you should teach kids as early as when they’re able to speak. Make it a fun and enriching experience by doing these tips and tricks on how to do so effectively.