Matches are not a toy for children: what children need to be taught in connection with the fire situation today
Forests are burning - this is a problem. The matter is not limited to forests alone, and fires occur anywhere. They end in burns, injuries and are often fatal for people and animals. Do your children know basic fire safety rules? Who do you rely on—kindergarten teachers, school teachers, educational programs? Whatever the answer, it will be great to take the situation into your own hands and personally convey to the child the basic conditions for handling fire.
Tlum.Ru will tell you about the most important rules regarding the safety of young children. How to avoid a fire and what to do if it has already started?
About age : by “little children” we mean preschoolers of all stripes and primary schoolchildren, middle schoolers - individually.
Where to begin:
A little scary, figuratively speaking. Your task is to let the child understand that only an adult in a specially designated place can handle fire - for example, light a fire.
Let your child light a match in your presence, let him put it out or watch it burn out in the sink, where, if something happens, you can turn on the water.
Important: if you scare it too much, the child may renounce dealing with fire even at an older, already conscious age. Everything is good in moderation.
Remember: most often fires started by children occur due to negligence. As soon as the half-burnt match falls out of your hands, panic begins. The child must be able to extinguish both a match and a small fire - it is important to think in advance whether you have enough water with you. What to do if it is not there is also best shown live. A mini-lecture on flame and the oxygen it requires would be in order.
At home, matches, lighters and other items intended for starting a fire should be kept in places safe from children. The rule is the same as with first aid kits.
It is also ideal to acquire smoke detectors and at least one fire extinguisher. We guarantee: your own sleep will become much calmer.
For those who have a gas stove at home: matches are a thing of the past and unsafe. Lighters for stoves are more convenient, safer, and in the long term more economical than matches. This also applies to candles and especially cigarettes.
Basic fire safety rules for children:
- turning off the lights at home before leaving;
- It is preferable to use a microwave rather than a stove to heat food. You can only heat food there, and in no case anything else;
- a complete ban on covering heaters with a blanket or clothes;
- no playing with wires or switches;
- Using the iron without adults is not recommended:
- If there is a sudden power outage, use flashlights rather than candles. By the way, now most phones have flashlights, but here you have to calculate their charging: staying in touch is always more important.
The dangers of candles and matches are beautifully and in verse shown in the animated series “Arkady Parovozov”:
Repeat the rules you teach your child together. Repetition in this case is both the mother of learning and a guarantee that in a stressful situation associated with a fire, actions will be competent. It is important for adults to lead by example - do everything right, and children will easily repeat after you.
What should a child know?
- what does burning smell like?
- what does gas smell like if you have a gas stove, and where to turn it off;
- What is the difference between smoke and fog?
- where in the house is the “shield” - RCD - located and how to use it, for example, when knocking out traffic jams;
- how to open the door of your apartment from the inside in case of a fire - at the first sign of it, it is important to understand whether you can extinguish it yourself (this is where a fire extinguisher comes in handy!). If the answer is no, then the child should leave the apartment as soon as possible and remember to take the phone to call the fire department and an additional call directly to you. If there is a fire in the house, you cannot use the elevator, only go down the stairs.
What parents should not do:
- leaving small children unattended, especially for a long time. Remember that kids don’t understand a lot and may not realize that a fire has started and what to do;
- trust children to look after electric heaters, gas and electric stoves, fireplaces or heating stoves;
- Allow children to prepare food without adults. Let them do everything under your supervision until you are completely confident that the child can cope with everything sufficiently (this may take years, keep in mind).
In a situation where you are forced to leave your child at home alone:
a) if he is sleeping, leave the phone number of yours or neighbors you trust in a visible place for communication in case of danger, do not forget to leave the fire department and ambulance numbers;
b) if he is not sleeping, remind him what not to do and also leave telephone numbers for contact.
Ideally, of course, you shouldn’t leave small children alone at home; it’s better to postpone plans or arrange a joint outing.
When a fire occurs, your life is in your hands! Fire should not be touched, fire is not a friend, its appearance and spread must first be reported to the relevant services.
To read more useful materials for parents, subscribe to our Yandex.Zen channel.
Interesting on the topic:
SAFETY RULES ON THE STREET: WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO TEACH A CHILD WHEN HE IS LEFT ALONE
You will also like: How to teach a child self-control What can threaten children on the Internet
