5 things to teach your kids about fire

Don’t be fooled by Hollywood
What you see in the movies is not what happens in reality. You cannot see through smoke, it’s dark, nor is it likely that you will be able to inhale the fumes and survive. Don’t think you can run through it either.  Don’t try getting your Ipad, leave immediately.

Hot Air Rises
Remember when your science teacher taught you that hot air rises, well… it’s true, it does and applies in the event of a smoke. The smoke and the flames will quickly rise to the ceiling, making it the highest temperature. Get on the floor and crawl out.

Barking Dogs and Doors
This is the analogy to think about when it comes to a fire. A fire spreads quickly; think of it as a mad, barking dog ready to attack. What would you do if there was a door near? I would get through it and shut it. This is what you should teach your child to do in the case of an emergency. A small fire can take just 42 seconds to fill the entire room. Close the door and then call for help. The door can spear you another 20mins before the fire gets through.

Unwind the Cables
I’m guilty of this one… If the distance from the mains is not too far, I only reel the cable out to the length I need. While I continue vacuuming, I pull as I go. This is TOTALLY BAD PRACTICE. Heat or Overheating causes fires.

HEAT+PULL=FRICTION, FRICTION = FIRE
This relates to coiled extension cables and vacuum cleaners. Before you plug anything into the mains, make sure the cable is all out.

The good old saying ‘Don’t play with fire or you will get burnt’
Face it… children are fascinated with fire. As I child I was. I remember a lady sending me to the shop to buy matches and I bought a box to experiment with. ( I was in the Caribbean, and there were no rules about selling matches to children) I went under the stairs to experiment. My ‘grandma’ came walking by, spelt the smoke. (Remember I was in the Caribbean…therefore you know what happened next). Although we’ve moved on from matchsticks, I’m aware that some of you may still use them occasionally. Tell your child not to play with match sticks or lighters. By the way…find a new hiding place for them, because your child knows where they are kept.

A word to the wise…
As a parent you are responsible to create an emergency plan, in the case of a fire. So create a plan and practice it with the family, (obviously without the fire). — Credit: Image