Plan your escape
Develop a home fire escape plan. It could save your life tonight!
Fire and smoke move quickly, and every second counts when you are trying to escape a fire. Everyone must know what to do and where to go when the smoke alarms sound. Take a few minutes with your family to draw a floor plan of your home and create a fire escape plan.
A couple of details to keep in mind when developing a plan:
- Plan two ways out of every room, if possible.
- Hold a fire drill twice a year.
- Install smoke alarms on every storey of your home and outside all sleeping areas.
- Ensure doors are not blocked by clutter and all windows open.
- Choose a meeting place outside the home. Everyone should go to this meeting place after escaping from a fire.
Fire safety starts with you. The Bracebridge Fire Department can assist with any fire safety questions you may have. For more information, visit the Town of Bracebridge website or call 705-645-8258.
Handwashing and hygiene refresher
Hand hygiene remains the best way to prevent and control the spread of all infections to others. Did you know that children as young as three years old understand the importance of hand washing/hygiene? To help your family stay healthy, review and practise this handwashing refresher together.
When to clean your hands
Before and after:
- eating and/or drinking
- playing and/or using shared equipment, for example, a playground
After:
- using the bathroom
- coughing and/or sneezing
- blowing your nose
- playing with pets
- returning inside from outdoor activity
How to clean your hands
- Use liquid soap and water, especially if hands are visibly soiled.
- Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer (60-90 percent alcohol) when water is not available.
- Rub all parts of the hands and wrists for at least 15 seconds, including in between fingers and under the fingernails.
For further information visit:
- Young children: Wash Your Hands Song
- School aged children: 10 Steps to Washing Your Hands (Short Version) – Hygiene Habits for Kids
- All ages: How to Wash Your Hands Properly to Stay Safe and Healthy and How to Properly Wash Hands
What parents need to know about teen risk taking behaviour
Scientists are finding that the complex inner workings of the teenage brain have not yet fully developed, so perhaps their behaviour should not come as a complete surprise!
Research shows that our brains do not fully mature until our early to mid 20’s. For adolescents, their frontal cortex—the region of the brain that governs decision making, reasoning, insight and judgements—is still undergoing development. Evidence also suggests that teens handle emotions along with stressful and risky situations differently from adults. They are more likely to engage in impulsive acts and trust their gut feelings when they are faced with difficult or stressful situations.
Parents/guardians often think that by the time their children reach adolescence they have very little influence on them, but this isn’t true. Youth are still aware of their parents’/guardians’ behaviours so parents/guardians need to set clear expectations for their children and have consequences if those expectations are not met.
For more information, strategies, and resources, check out the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s What Parents Need to Know document.