Unsupervised children are a cause of fires

Every year, dozens of children die or are injured in our country for various reasons. As practice shows, two main causes can be identified in these cases: the first is the children's own ignorance of the rules for handling dangerous items, which include matches, household chemicals, and pyrotechnic products. The second and most significant cause is leaving children unsupervised by parents, when children become hostages of the situation.

Considering each case of a child's death, one realizes that the tragedies were accompanied by ordinary everyday circumstances – parents went to work, to the store, to neighbors, or were engaged in household chores in the yard. In other words, children were left unsupervised. And then follows the irreparable and cruel outcome of parental negligence: the child's death.

In their games, children often imitate the actions and deeds of adults. The desire for independence is especially evident when a child is left alone. And one cannot be sure that a child, left alone at home, will not decide to play with a box of matches, will not want to set paper on fire, or will not become interested in household appliances, which are abundant in every apartment.

Therefore, before leaving home, it is necessary to entrust the supervision of the child to older children or an adult. To prevent the child from getting bored, they should be given a task: suggest a game theme, select appropriate toys. It is especially dangerous to leave children alone in locked apartments or rooms. In case of fire, they will not be able to leave the burning premises on their own. In addition, when escaping from fire and smoke, children usually hide in closets, under beds, tables, in corners of rooms. Finding children in a developing fire situation is not easy.

Skills of careful handling of fire must be instilled in children starting from the age of 4-5. It is necessary to strive for the child to realize that matches are not a toy, and fire is not a game, so that they form an impression of a fire as a severe disaster for people.

Preschool and primary school children, especially boys, like to use matches and fire hazardous objects in their games. Children lack life experience, and therefore they cannot foresee the consequences of their actions. The most common games among children are those involving bonfires. Places for bonfires are chosen accordingly – away from parental eyes – in attics, in sheds,in basements, outbuildings, near haystacks, in the forest. While the fire is small, a child observes what is happening; as soon as the fire becomes frighteningly large, which happens within minutes, the natural reaction is fear, followed by an urge to hide. Fearing parental anger and punishment, some children run away and hide elsewhere. Most, however, covering their faces with their hands in fear, remain forever in the fiery trap.

Children suffer from fire due to their lack of preparedness. A child does not know how to behave in case of a fire, how to act, whom to ask for help, and most importantly, how to save themselves. And adults are primarily to blame for this. Proper child-rearing within the family, instilling in them skills for careful handling of fire, and organizing their leisure time are key to preventing fires and preventing child injuries. Children need to be taught the rules of safe fire handling, not just told what is allowed and what is not. Unfortunately, in families, teaching children fire safety measures often boils down to prohibitive shouts: "Don't touch the matches, put the box back!", "Don't turn on the electric stove!", "Don't go near the gas stove!". Yet, in everyday life, children naturally have to use gas and electric stoves, and other electrical appliances (TVs, irons, etc.) – everything that can cause a fire. Therefore, when communicating with children, the emphasis should be on explanations, not prohibitions.

Where and how a child spends their leisure time, who they are friends with, and what games they enjoy – these issues should be the subject of constant parental attention.

Fostering a child's personal safety immunity should be done with a sense of proportion. Conversations on these topics should be conducted in a friendly manner. Learning will not be in vain if it takes into account the peculiarities of child psychology and the individual characteristics of the child, explaining and demonstrating with examples, games, films (cartoons), pictures, and real-life situations.

Explain the purpose of a particular appliance, how to use it correctly, and what safety precautions to observe. Explain that improper use of this appliance can cause a fire.

Children should not just be "protected from fire": do not leave them alone unattended, do not allow them to play with matches and electrical appliances. It is necessary to teach children the rules of handling sources of fire and actions in case of fire.

Measures to prevent fires caused by children's mischief: do not leave matches, lighters in plain sight and do not allow children to buy matches, cigarettes. Monitor children's activities and do not leave them unattended. Do not entrust young children with watching stoves and heating appliances, or using gas appliances. Teach your child your home address and phone number so that they can contact the rescue service for help if necessary.

Take care of your children, try to organize their leisure time. Teach them the rules of safe behavior. Children should have a happy childhood!