When we moved into our new home, I thought it was important that my husband and I talk to our eldest about fire safety. We wanted to be sure she knew how to safely get out of the house and where to meet the rest of the family if – God forbid – a fire were to start. While talking about the possibility of a fire obviously isn’t the happiest of topics, we weren’t prepared for how upset our daughter would get at just the mention of the word “fire.”

When I began showing my 5-year-old how to crawl on the floor, test the doorknob and get outside to the neighbor’s mailbox, her eyes swelled with tears. She kept trying to cover her ears and repeatedly asked me to “please stop talking about it.” Regardless of how lighthearted I tried to keep the conversation, she simply did not want to continue talking about fire safety.

Luckily, I was able to squeeze in the most important bits of information during our little lesson, and I am confident that while Aubrey doesn’t want to talk about fire safety, she has listened to what I’ve said and knows how to keep herself as safe as possible. And every once in a while, out of the blue, I sneak in a quiz question or two to refresh her memory.

Me: “Aubrey, where do we meet in case of a fire?”

Aubrey: “At the plastic mailbox across the street. Now can we please stop talking about it?”

Me: “Aubrey, should you walk or crawl out of the house?”

Aubrey: “I don’t want to talk about this!” Then she pauses and very begrudgingly says, “Crawl.”

I think the thought of a fire happening in your home, where you normally feel the utmost level of safety and security, is scary for everyone. And while Aubrey, Adam nor I wanted to talk about safety, I am so glad we did.

Have you talked to your children about fire safety? Does your family have a plan? How do your children handle talking about fires?

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