This is a post sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association and SparkySchoolhouse.org.

My daughter is a very cautious child. She isn’t a thrill seeker at all. I appreciate that trait in her since she’s super outgoing otherwise. I worry sometimes that she doesn’t pay attention to what she’s doing because she’s so busy socializing. Her cautiousness is like an insurance policy, though. It slows her down and reminds her to be aware of different situations that she’s in.

In addition to being cautious, Ayva is also sensitive, and is easily frightened by things that are even a little bit scary. Truthfully, she got it from me. As soon as I see or hear something that is dark or frightening, my imagination goes into overdrive. I start to wonder what would happen if that scary thing actually happened. This is not just about scary movies, either. The most terrifying things to think about are situations that could actually happen. Earthquakes, tornados, and fires—I’ve lost sleep thinking about these things.

I know that my little girl inherited that easy to scare gene from me. That’s why I’m always thoughtful about the way I talk to her about important and necessary information. Fire safety is one of those topics that I knew I needed to address, and I knew it would make her a little nervous. Ayva is not a fire person at all. My husband and I stopped taking her to our favorite restaurant because they have a grill at the table and it made her uncomfortable. She didn’t want to learn how to cook until just a little while ago because she was worried about getting burned on the stove.

While I don’t want Ayva to stay scared, I do want to be gentle with her. She’s still a little girl, and her fear is real. It’s been especially rough this last year here in Northern California. We’ve had tons of wildfires not too far from us, and it’s a lot for us adults to handle. It’s especially nerve-wracking for kids. That’s why I’ve been glad to have Sparky.org as a resource for the last few years to talk to her about fire prevention in an age appropriate way.  I know that empowering her to know how to prevent fires is the best way to make her more comfortable.

Learning about fire prevention doesn’t have to be scary

Sparky.org is a site for kids to learn about fire prevention and safety. This site is sponsored by the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), and includes age appropriate activities like printables, videos, and web-based games that makes learning about fire safety fun. One of the activities that we really enjoyed was a short quiz that gave tips on how to prevent wildfires. It was so appropriate, and Ayva loved discovering that she could help to minimize the risk of fires.

In addition to printables, there are web-based games like Sparky’s Fun House that inspired Ayva to come to my husband and me to talk about making a meeting spot at our new house in case of a fire. There are lots of other games and apps on the site that all have the same message—even kids can help prevent fires.

October is National Fire Prevention Month

October is National Fire Prevention Month, so parents and teachers can work together to educate kids on how to be safe from fire. SparkySchoolhouse.org is NFPA’s teacher portal for fire safety education, and has everything from games to lesson plans and fire safety message units for different age groups. Ayva and I both enjoyed Rescue Dogs, Firefighting Heroes, and Science Facts, a downloadable ebook that’s on the site. I’m telling you, it’s a fantastic resource!

It can be tough to talk to kids about, but it’s a conversation that needs to be had. Thankfully, Sparky.org helps make it easier. I’m grateful that my girl is using this information that we’re teaching her to be brave in the kitchen, and to play a part in making sure our family is safe as well. I want her to continue to be cautious, but not scared. Knowledge is power, and it makes you brave, even when it comes to fire safety.