Staying Safe at Home for Kids

Written by James Swift

You probably think of your home as the place where you can play and hang out with your family and friends. As you spend time in your home, it's important to think about safety. There are lots of ways that you could be hurt, even in your home. Your family may have rules in place that help to keep everyone safe. To stay healthy and safe, always follow your parents' rules. It's also helpful to learn about some ways people can be injured so you can avoid these dangers.

General Safety

• Falls are one way that kids can be hurt at home. To stay safe, never climb on furniture, around stairs, or near a window that does not have a safety guard installed on it.
• Kids might be burned in a cooking accident in the kitchen. Stay away from the oven and stove so you won't be burned by hot foods.

Fire Safety

• Your home probably has smoke alarms in the rooms. These alarms are designed to detect smoke in the air. If you hear a smoke alarm sound, stay low to the floor and follow your fire escape plan to get out of the house.
• Never play with fire. If you find matches or a lighter, tell an adult right away.

Poison Control and Gun Safety

• Homes can have dangerous poisons that could make people very sick. Even vitamins and tasty medicines can be dangerous if you take them incorrectly.
• Cleaning products that your parents use around the house usually contain dangerous chemicals. Never touch these items if you find them.

First Aid

• Sometimes, people are hurt or they get sick. A first aid kit contains bandages and medicines that can help with some minor injuries, such as scrapes, cuts, and bruises.
• Other injuries are so serious that someone's life may be at risk. When someone is so hurt or sick that they could die, call 911 to get help.

Resources

• Poisonings: The Reality: You may see medicines or cleaning solutions in your house, but you should not touch these items. These products can contain poisonous chemicals that could make you very sick.
• Childproofing Your Home: Parents often use safety locks and gates in the home to protect kids from dangers. When you see these locks, you know that your parents are trying to keep you safe.
• Teaching Your Children How to Be Safe in Various Situations: If an emergency happens, you may need to call 911 to get help. You should then tell the dispatcher what has happened so they can send help.
• Teaching Your Child to Stay Safe: Family rules will help keep everyone in your family safe. These rules might include how and when you answer the phone. Always follow your parents' instructions if you do answer the phone.
• Home Safety With Rover (PDF): Complete this activity book to learn about safety rules in the kitchen, bathroom, and throughout your house.
• Medicines in My Home (PDF): Take this test to see what you know about medicines you might find in your home.
• Take the Pledge: Wildfires can start with a simple mistake. Read this pledge to understand how a mistake you make could cause a huge wildfire near your home. You can sign this pledge to agree to work to prevent wildfires.
• Don't Let Your World Go Up in Smoke (PDF): When you are in your home, always stay far away from anything that is hot. This includes stoves, ovens, space heaters, and fireplaces.
• Teaching Kids About Firearm Safety: Kids should never touch guns. If you ever find a gun, do not touch it. Leave it right away, and find an adult to help you.
• Home Fire Prevention, Children Ages Five to Nine Years: Your family should have an escape plan that you would use to get out of the house if a fire starts. Families should also practice these plans so everyone knows what to do.
• What Is a Poison? (PDF): You might have a hard time figuring out what is a poison and what is not a poison. Many poisons look like food and drinks, but these things will hurt you if you eat or drink them.
• Firearm Safety: If you find a gun in or around your house, do not touch it. You should always assume that a gun is loaded, which means that it could hurt someone if it fires.
• Gun Safety Tips: Your family might keep guns in the house. Even if your parents keep guns, you should never touch them without an adult's supervision. Pointing a gun at someone else is very dangerous.
• Teaching Safety Skills to Children to Prevent Gun Play (PDF): You might feel tempted to play with a gun if you find one. Although you might think this is safe, you should always tell an adult if you see a gun without touching it yourself.
• Kids, Guns, and Violence (PDF): Even if you know where your parents keep a gun in the house, leave it alone and never touch it.
• Gun Safety Lesson (PDF): Some adults carry guns as a part of their jobs. Police officers and military personnel may carry guns. Other helper adults like firefighters and teachers do not carry guns.
• Fire Safety for Children (PDF): Leave matches and lighters alone. Playing with fire could be very dangerous because you could start a fire in your house.
• Fire Safety Tips (PDF): If a fire starts in your home, you should leave right away. Don't try to take anything with you, and never go back into the house until it's safe again.
• Poisonous Plants and Safe Plants (PDF): Some plants are safe to eat, and other plants are poisonous. Because you might not be sure about a plant's safety, never eat one unless an adult tells you that you can.
• When to Call 911: You might be confused about the times you should call 911 for help. Anytime someone's life is in danger, call 911.
• Summer Safety for Kids (PDF): If you swim during the summer, practice water safety. Never go near the water without an adult supervising your play.
• Look But Don't Touch! Some plants are very poisonous. If you touch them, they will hurt your skin. To stay safe, check with an adult before you touch plants outdoors in the yard.