Little Life Savers at Home: Helping Preschoolers Stay Safe At Home

Mother of twins, Stella McCallum, was frustrated by the lack of books available to teach her preschoolers how to take care of themselves, and others, in an emergency. The prevailing wisdom was that preschoolers were too young to understand safety messages. ‘I disagreed, ’ Stella says. ‘Before our boys were two years old, they were introduced to fire drill as part of the household routine. They knew what to do when the smoke alarm went off. They have grown up knowing that the phone isn’t a toy; what constitutes a real emergency and how to contact the emergency services. If most accidents happen in the home, there is a high statistical probability that a young child will have to react to a home emergency, especially if it involves the main caregiver.’ To help parents and caregivers educate preschoolers on how to stay safe, Stella has written Little Life Savers at Home. The book uses simple, non-threatening language, and delightful illustrations by Alan and Denis Poole. It demonstrates three situations: the collapse of a caregiver, a fire and an earthquake. The last section has advice and a series of questions for the parent, teacher or caregiver to enhance the learning experience. By understanding basic steps about being safe, the life the child saves may be their own - and insists Stella, that makes them heroes, too. Other titles are to come.