Parents play an instrumental role in their children’s development, teaching them how to walk, talk, and to use the potty. Once a child’s mind begins to gain the sophistication of distinguishing between what he can and cannot do, it may be time to teach your child about electrical safety.
The key to teaching children is to keep it simple and to make sure that they understand that what you are teaching them is extremely important. Once these points are made, you can teach them the basics of electrical safety, including:
- That electricity is dangerous and may cause fires, electrical shocks, burns, and yes, even death
- Point out to them everything in your home that is electricity-related, including electrical sockets, electrical wirings, and cables, electrical appliances and equipment. Make sure they understand that they should always call an adult if they wish to use anything electrical, or that needs to be plugged in first and that they should leave alone any electrical wiring, cable, or other electrical equipment.
- That electricity plus water make for a dangerous combination, and they should never put anything electrical in water, or pour water on anything that is electrical. If they should ever see any leaking water in your home that may touch any electrical outlet or electrical equipment, they should call a grown up as quickly as possible.
- Make sure that your child knows to stay away from electrical power lines, and not to touch anything that may be in contact with an electrical power line, such as a tree, or a kite or balloon that may have gotten stuck on a power line.