Tips for Teaching Your Kids About Electrical Safety
As a parent, you’re responsible for teaching your little ones everything they need to know in life—what a task! It’s funny to think about how many things children just don’t know yet, and you might forget some of the basic concepts you need to explain to them—but these things are essential to their safety. Y’all, what threw me for a loop when I had my first baby is how drawn to electrical outlets and lights she would be. The experience of her licking every light she could get her tiny hands-on inspired me to write down some tips for teaching your kids about electrical safety.
Discuss Proper Cord Removal
As soon as they can grab things, they’re heading for the electrical cords to yank them out of the wall. Once your child is old enough to begin to understand rules and safety concepts, prioritize talking to them about how to remove an electrical cord properly from a wall plug to avoid them getting hurt or even damaging your home electrics, which may then require a visit from someone like Milestone Home Service Co. to put right once again.
Encourage them to ask an adult for help—but teach them how to do it safely through demonstration. Kids will make mistakes, but giving them the tools to learn helps in the long run.
Explain the Rules of Outlets
Many parents choose to babyproof outlets, but going beyond that to teach outlet safety is a great way to prepare them for the day you remove the babyproofing. Teaching them not to put their finger in the outlet is usually the most central rule to focus on. It’s also beneficial to explain the “why” behind the rules.
Kids tend to respond well to explanations of rules rather than rules alone. For example, you could talk to them about how electricity conducts through liquids when you tell them not to plug in something with wet hands. This way, they understand the reasoning and consequences behind the rule.
Create a Family Electrical Danger Plan
As a family, create a plan for how to handle problems with electrical items in the home. This can range from small occurrences that your child will encounter to emergency situations. Here is an example list of electrical issues to talk to your children about.
- What to do if they see a fire or smoke from an outlet or plug?
- What to do if their battery-run toy stops working?
- What to do if they unplug something they shouldn’t?
It’s important to plan for small and big things so that your kids feel comfortable in their electrical safety knowledge and feel safe telling you about things they see. These are just some basic tips for teaching your kids about electrical safety. At the end of the day, the best electrical safety plan is what makes sense to you and your family. Every kid learns differently, and every family is unique. Do what works for you!
