The week of Oct. 7 marks National Fire Prevention week. This may be the time to shine the spotlight on fire safety, but it's vital for parents with young children to talk with their kids about the importance of fire prevention and make it a year-round routine. A little information may go a long way when teaching youngsters about fire related hazards.
Allstate Insurance Company offers some key tips for parents on talking with their children about fire safety:
- Keep it simple - Children learn best when rules are straightforward and easy to remember. If you have preschoolers, you may want to introduce just one or two of the rules at a time.
- Use teachable moments - Reinforce your discussions about fire safety whenever the topic arises, for example, when there's a fire in the news or in a book, or when you see a fire. Ask your children what they would do if they were in that situation.
- Do it, don't just say it - Children learn by doing and by following your example. Make a game of practicing a fast escape from each room in your house, especially at night, when most deadly fires occur. Use a stopwatch and wait until everyone has gathered at your family's designated meeting place before you stop the timer. Work together to set a family record.
- Repeat yourself - Children need to hear and do things over and over before they remember them. Practice your family's escape plan once every season.
- Don't scare small children with too much responsibility - In a dangerous situation, it's normal for three- to six-year-olds to forget things they've learned. Make a game of practicing fire safety so they become very comfortable with all the rules. Remind them never to hide from firefighters because the firefighter's job is to help people.
