Boxes are being packed and we are in the final stages of our move! Kids are excited and I lie in bed each night and mentally walk through our new home.
Stepping through the doorway for the first REAL time will be a momentous occasion. I can feel the excitement growing in my belly.
It is a beautiful old house (1920’s in fact) and is spread across 3 levels. The girls will have their rooms in the basement, and the little dude will be up with us in the attic bedrooms.
For the first time, we are spread out, sleeping on multiple levels.
And that is both totally awesome, and awesomely terrifying.
The “what if’s” start to come into my brain.
What if someone breaks in?
What if there is a fire?
What if, I can’t get to my kids?
We were always there, just down the hall, ready to leap into action at the slightest whimper. We had a plan, and the kids seemed too young for us to worry about sharing it.
But now, with our new home, we need them to understand, and be prepared and responsible.
And so we are making a family emergency plan.
We wanted to break down where the exits are for the kids, and HOW they will use them. We also wanted to introduce the ideas gently, and without fear. The last thing I want to have happen is create paranoia… our goal is to get our little dude to get OUT of our bed, not give him more reasons to stay IN it!
We LOVED these videos about fire safety, and they explained the basic principles to our kids in a fun and educational way. And they obviously worked since the kids keep humming the tunes.
Little Rosalie shares a tale of a brother and sister following the family fire safety plan and exciting a house safely. It is a great example of the big sister helping out the little brother as well as creating a catchy tune to remember the safety steps!
“What’s that Sound” explains the alarm sounds of fire alarms, and how important it is to respond and MOVE YOUR FEET asap!
And me. I keep humming them too… they are catchy!
Check them out on YouTube and share them with your kids! As a tool, they might help to educate, and they are an amazing way to open the conversation on your family emergency plan!
And check out Sparky’s Schoolhouse! Fire safety videos, worksheets, activities and everything you need to educate your kids.
So, whatever your way to share the importance of emergency safety and planning a fire escape plan for your home, do it! Find a way to communicate the message, and don’t put it off. Our goal as parents to build responsible and independent children, and teaching them to protect themselves, even in their own homes, is part of that.