Sep. 29, 2007 - October is Fire Safety Month!!
October is Fire Safety Awareness Month. Here are some ideas to celebrate.
*Of course, review what to do in your home should a fire break out. We practice:
Waking up to the smoke alarm blaring. This means the kids jump into bed and pretend it's the middle of the night. I press the button on the smoke alarm to "wake" them (what good is training for the smoke alarm if you don't even know what it sounds like?) We practice crawling to the door to feel the door knob. 1st time the doorknob is cool, so we practice the evacuation plan. 2nd time the doorknob is hot, so we practice the alternate plan out their window. (this is also when we practice how to open the window locks) We also practice meeting at the appropriate meeting place & alternate meeting place if the exit to the front of the house is blocked.
How to dial 911 on all phones (wall mount and cordless). What to expect when calling 911.
Little Monkeys favorite: Practice what to do if your clothing catches on fire. We learned to Stop, Drop, and Roll to the Veggie Tales tune of the same name on the CD Bob & Larry's Campfire Songs. Very fun, and it counts as exercise too!
*Try to schedule a tour of a local fire station. This can be done in a group (as we did last year), but most firehouses are very, very willing to open their doors to show littles around . . . just be sure to call well ahead of time, and remember that they can be called away at any moment!
*Even if you don't tour a firestation, make cookies or some kind of treat for the firemen.
*Make a Thank You card for their service. (These guys are underpaid for a job many give their lives for)
*Visit The Teachers Guide for fire safety worksheets, home fire safety tips, etc; or visit the U.S. Fire Administration for a fun kid friendly site complete with interactive games to learn about fire safety.
*Fires don't just happen in the home. Visit Smokey the Bear for information on fires that happen outside.
*If you're left feeling like you want to do more, consider adopting a firefighter or firehouse. This can be done locally or nationally. Get creative. Visit FireFighting.org to adopt a firehouse that was destroyed by hurricane Katrina. Visit The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to make a donation in honor of firemen that have died in the line of duty. If you want to adopt a local firefighter or firehouse, celebrate birthdays, send thank you cards, etc. throughout the year. Many "Adopt a Firefighter" programs are set up so the fireman visits the school or class that adopts him. You can make this a special homeschool "field trip" set up at your home, co-op, etc.
Comments
Oct. 1, 2007 - how does your littlest...
Posted by Beth/Mom2TwoVikings
...respond to the possibility of a house fire? My tendered-hearted Flicka (3 yrs old) has been asking lots of questions about the smoke detectors lately and has appeared fearful when I try to explain what they are for. Not sure if she's old enough to intro the idea of stop-drop-roll or crawling out of the house just yet! LOL What do you think?
Beth
Mom2TwoVikings (at) northernbranches (dot) com
Oct. 1, 2007 - Fire Alarms
Posted by barrellfullofmonkeys
My little Peanut (2) doesn't flinch at all with much of anything, but Little Monkey used to be terrified of the fire alarm (even just getting close to it). I finally realized that he thought the fire alarm CAUSED fires and sounded an alarm while doing so!! I had never thought of that :) He was four when we talked about what fire alarms really do, and has been fine with them since. I think a simple explination focusing on the reason for learning about it -- to keep safe in a scary situation -- is the way to go. I always tell my kids that some things are scary to think about, and they're even scarier to experience, especially if you don't know what to do.
A really great reason to do a firestation tour which I forgot to mention is that if there is ever a fire in your home where the kids get trapped inside, the firemen coming in to rescue them are going to look TERRIFYING to the kids if they've never been exposed to their gear in a non-threatening way!
Kathy D.
Oct. 2, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Anonymous
I definitely agree on getting used to firemen in their suits!
Every day is fire safety month around here...my four year old son is fascinated with firemen and wants to be one when he grows up. So he instructs us continually.
Dana
http://gottsegnet.blogspot.com
Oct. 2, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Angela
What a great post, thanks so much for sharing this. My boys have been asking about having a fire drill, thanks for the resources!
http://estesfamilynews.blogspot.com
|
|
This site owned by Enter name here |
|
|
|
