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Electricity is a fundamental part of our daily life. From automatically making our coffee in the morning, to charging all or our many devices, to drying our clothes, heating our homes, powering our Alexa's, lights, outdoor atmosphere--the list just goes on and on. But, as we know, there is also an inherent danger that comes with dependence on electricity and it's super important to start teaching our children how to keep themselves safe from the dangers of electricity from a very early age. So, here are five safety tips to help you to keep your kids safe from the dangers of electricity.
Start talking to them about the dangers of electricity at an early age.
Kids language development begins as soon as they are born--when they are crawling, they can start to begin to understand the word no. If you see them
moving toward a dangerous situation use a firm, "NO" and redirect them
in a safer direction.
2. Teach children that electricity and water don't mix.
Make sure they know not to use electronics near water. And also ensure that
have GFCI's installed everywhere that water and electricity could meet.
These are designed to detect and prevent situations where an electrical shock
could occur.
3. Give your kids an "Electricity Tour."
Take your kids on a tour of your home. Show them where all the electricity comes from. Tell them how it works, and give them specific instructions not to touch the
electrical panel. Use your resources--show them electrical safety videos on
YouTube. If you're handy--try a simple electrical experiment-- Like how to make
4. Teach kids that the only thing that go into outlets are plugs.
Make sure kids know that outlets are not for fingers, forks, toys, bobby pins,
or anything they find on the floor. But you can also help with this by installing
Tamper Resistant Outlets, or TRO's, which only accept electrical plugs.
The second best is standard outlet plugs, but those can be easily removed.
If you choose to install TRO's, be sure to contact a licensed electrician in
your area.
5. Teach your kids to never go near broken or fallen wires...EVER.
There's a old saying here in Maine by CMP--"No line is safe to touch--evah!"
It's funny--we like to joke about it, but it's true. Show kids the wires out side,
Tell them about what they do, and if they should ever come across one on
the ground, to go the other direction and find a safe adult to tell.
We hope you find these tips helpful! If you would like more tips on how to make sure your whole house is electrically safe, download our free Home Electrical Safety Checklist here!
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