By Scarlett Capelli
When teaching kids about bicycle safety and fire safety, as well as safety on the Internet, many parents forget to teach their children about electrical safety. There are a few simple rules that you need to teach your child about electricity and electrical appliances.
The most important rule for children is not to stick anything into electrical outlets. For small children under four years of age, you may want to purchase electrical outlet covers. These accessories are small plastic covers that plug right into the outlet so that any spare plug-ins are covered. For older children over five years of age, you need to explain to them that electricity is dangerous and that by sticking objects into outlets can cause them to get electrocuted or possibly start a fire.
As well as electrical outlets, you should also teach your children not to stick objects into appliances. These can also cause an electrical shock. Children should also not tear apart or try to fix electrical appliances. These devices are much more complicated than they look, and any short circuit in them can again cause electrical fires or electrocution. You should also teach them to tell an adult if they notice any appliances sparking or having a funny smell. Many fires are started by appliances that are continuously plugged in, such as toasters and coffee makers and your child may notice a problem before you do.
The bathroom can be one of the most dangerous rooms in your house. You should teach your child to be careful with electrical devices around water, such as radios around the bathroom sink or bathtub. They should also be careful around the kitchen sink and anywhere else where there may be standing water inside you home.
If the power should go out in the house, advise your children never to touch the fuse box. If someone does not know what they are doing, touching a 220-volt connector can cause enough electricity to seriously injure and even kill a small child.
Children should also be aware of the dangers of electricity that are outside as well. You should teach them that mud puddles are the same as the bathtub, and that they should not get anything electrical around them. They should also not climb electrical towers, telephone poles, or any other structure that has power lines attached to it. Children should avoid any contact with electrical lines, such as when they are flying a kite or a radio-controlled airplane.
Along with human-made electricity, children should be made aware of the dangers of electrical storms. These are those storms that have lightning and thunder, although the lightning may not always be visible. If the children are at the park, they should seek cover at the closest shelter or building. At home, they should get inside immediately and remain there until the storm passes. Many children are fascinated by lightning storms and may forget how dangerous these forces of nature can be. Adults are just as guilty of this fascination as children. Many adults have been struck by lightning on golf courses and other areas where they should not have been during a storm, while others enjoy sitting in the backyard in metal lawn chairs to watch the sky. Again, adults and children alike should remember that lightning can be deadly. Seek shelter and remain inside until the storm has passed.
Electricity is responsible for many of the conveniences that we enjoy in our every day life. It is also important to teach your children to respect it as the powerful force that it is.
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Source:www.isnare.com |
