This is part of a sponsored collaboration with the PreK12 Plaza. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
Having fun with your kids is what summer is truly about. This summer alone, we have had bar-b-cues (BBQ’s), family dinners, popped fireworks at a friend’s house and of course, a water escapade play time. While these events are lots of fun, they also include fire dangers. So, we have to set some rules to help prevent fires. Plus, we have to talk to our kids about what to do in case of a fire.
Yesterday, we had a big summer celebration with our family at our house. We were finally able to break out the inflatable water escapade slide in our backyard. We had been in a drought for several years so we couldn’t really use it. It does have to be plugged in to an electrical outlet. This is always a safety risk. We were safe and had an amazing day of fun with our familia!
Inside and outside, we were cooking food for our celebration. Outside, we have one rule for the kids: STAY AWAY from the grill. They just aren’t old enough yet to get close to the BBQ when Dad is grilling. So, we keep them entertained inside or with other activities outside away from the grill (like water gun fights). The exception to this rule are s’mores. If mom and dad are around to help make s’mores, it’s a green light!
Inside, my boys always want to help me cook. They grab their banquitos so they can reach the stove or counter top griddle and help stir, add in ingredients, flip tortillas, etc. Our rules are simple. They are NEVER allowed to cook without mom. They can only get near the stove if mom says it’s okay. They must follow mom’s exact directions or they are no longer allowed to cook with mom.
TALKING ABOUT FIRE SAFETY
Parents, the most important thing we can teach our kids about fires is fire safety. We talk to our boys about prevention, as mentioned above. We also talk to them about what to do in case of a fire. We don’t hold a special session for this. We just make a note to bring it up as a dinner table topic. My husband asks the boys if they remember what to do or where to go in case of a fire. If they don’t remember, we remind them and after dinner, if needed, we walk through it.
It’s important that the kiddos don’t just hear about fire safety from mom and dad but also from the professionals. Each year, I make it a point to visit a local fire department and/or attend an public event where fire fighters are teaching about safety. Here are some photos of one of our visits from last year.
Teaching your kids about fire safety can be fun, too. Check out this song from PreK12Plaza.
Watch this fire safety video with your kids in English or in Spanish.
What do you think, queridos? How do you talk to your family about fire safety?
You can find more bilingual learning resources from PreK12Plaza on their website.
