Electricity is a big part of our lives. It is so embedded in our day to day activities that we must teach our children how to stay safe around it. The team from Connect Electric Sunshine Coast want to help parents keep their kids safe around electricity using education. The following tips will help you teach little ones how to behave around electronic toys, appliances, outlets, and more.
Educate Yourself and Include Your Child
It’s much easier to discuss a topic if you are familiar with it. Kids often have a lot of questions. Prepare yourself by brushing up on your knowledge of electricity. This will allow you to provide accurate answers and encourage your little one to learn more.
If you are asked a question that you do not know the answer to, it is ok to say so. You can turn this into an opportunity for both you and your child to learn by looking up the answer together.
Start Teaching Kids at a Young Age
Some parents think that their child doesn’t need to know about electrical safety until they are older. It is better to start at a younger age than wait too long. The older they get, the more interaction they will have with electrical devices and appliances. That means there are more opportunities for an accident to happen.
A toddler most likely won’t understand complex processes or topics, but you can help guide them with simple directions. Tell them no if they reach for an outlet or cord. Do not allow them to put electrical devices in their mouths. This will create associations that could save your child’s life.
Use Show-and-Tell to Explain Concepts
Visual aids are a valuable teaching tool. Use them to explain how electricity works and how it should be handled. You can disassemble something small and inexpensive, like a flashlight, to show how energy runs through wires and provides power to the bulb. Many kids retain information better if a visual aid is involved.
Teach Kids the Rules of Electricity
Teach kids the basic rules of electricity. This should include things like never putting objects in outlets, keeping water away from power sources, and never touching or going near electric fences or power lines. Always handle electrical devices or light switches with dry hands.
You can write out your list of rules as a quick reference when you discuss them with children. It’s also helpful to display them in your home. Hang them on the fridge or write them on a chalkboard that your children can see.
Quiz Kids on the Basics of Electrical Safety
Make sure your kids understand and remember what you teach them by quizzing them. Ask them questions related to the concepts you just went over and see if they can respond correctly. If they have trouble, consider trying different methods to demonstrate what you are explaining.
Remember to use repetition to teach kids electricity. Turn lessons into a fun experiment or game. Also practice drills to help them learn what to do in case of electrical emergencies, like a fire.
If you teach your children from a young age to respect electricity and they understand how it works then you’ll have gone a long way to keeping them safe around the home.