playing with fire, inside a fire

If a friend is playing with fire

A child does not have to be the one playing with fire in order to die from the results of it. Many children have been killed because a friend was playing with fire, and they went along, giving in to the other child’s wishes.

·	Start off by asking them what they would do if a friend of theirs was playing with fire.

·	Tell them that if they ever find anyone else playing with fire, they need to leave the room immediately, and tell the first adult they can find.

·	Explain to them that it is much more important that they keep safe, and keep their friend safe, than if they do not tell anyone and end up getting hurt or letting their friend hurt themselves.

Let them know that they can sometimes get a friend to stop unsafe behavior. If they see a friend who is playing with fire, they need to tell that friend to stop it right away, and let them know how dangerous it is. They need to threaten to tell, and most of the time their friend will choose to play something else.

Tell children that if they are ever with a friend who wants to play with fire, even if they convince their friend not to, they should tell the parents about the situation so that their mom or dad can have a talk with them to keep them safe. And parents, if kids do the right thing by telling, don’t betray their trust by simply letting the other person know they ratted out their friend. Find a discreet way to have the necessary conversations with the other child.

Inside a fire

Being in a house fire can be a very scary experience for a child. If they have not been told what to expect, many children may panic under the pressure, or freeze up and hide. It is important you let them know what they will be dealing with.

A house fire will be dark. It is not like what you see in the movies. It will be pitch black, except for the flames, which will be a glowing orange through the smoke, and won’t provide much help for light. It will be hot. Floor temperature in a room with a fire is usually 100 degrees. At head level it can be as much as 800 degrees. Simply breathing in this air can scorch a persons lungs, killing them almost instantly. Explain to your children the following about fire:

You probably will not be able to see very well. There will be a lot of smoke, and you might not be able to see more than a foot in front of you. It may also sting your eyes to open them. So if you need to, you can just take quick looks to make sure there is no fire where you need to go, and then shut them again.

·	It will be a little bit scary. Just try not to be scared and do what you need to do, do what you were taught, and you will be safe.

·	You will have to stay low everywhere you go. In a fire, all of the heat and bad smoke goes to the top, towards the ceiling. You will need to stay as low to the ground as you can.

·	Teach children that fire is hot, fire is fast, fire is dark, and fire is deadly!