How to Teach a Child Home Safety

When your child gets older, it’s important to have a talk about home safety to make sure he understands how to avoid dangerous situations and what to do in case of emergencies.  Pick a time when you can have a serious discussion with your child, and go over the key home safety strategies he needs to know to stay safe.

1. Set time aside to have a serious discussion about home safety with your child.  It’s important to stress that what you want to talk about is very important, so that your child understands the seriousness of the subject at hand.  Reiterate the points you talk about in the future to make sure he remembers everything you initially taught him.


2. Talk about fire safety.  Teach your child how to prevent house fires and what to do if one happens when you are not home.  Explain how dangerous it can be to use an oven or fireplace without your supervision.  Stress that he must leave the house immediately and call 911 if there is a fire.  Come up with an evacuation plan.  Show your child how he can get out of any room in the house in case of a house fire.  It’s a good idea to have family fire drills to practice getting out of the house quickly.


3. Create basic guidelines your child can go over to make sure that he understands everything you’ve told him.  Have him keep them in his room where he can look them over often.


4. Tape up a list of important numbers on your refrigerator.  Try to teach your child to memorize as many number as possible, especially 911.  In addition to emergency numbers, include your cell phone number and the numbers of your relatives.