Our next preparedness item requires each of you to check the smoke detectors in your home. Make sure they are working and have fresh batteries in them. It is suggested that you test the batteries once a month and change the batteries once a year. Many people choose to replace old batteries at daylight-savings time.

It is important to teach your children to recognize the sound these alarms make and know what to do when they hear them. When my children were younger, the sound was frightening to them. We have had enough drills (some due to my fine cooking skills) that they are no longer scared of the sound and know what to do when they hear them go off. They should know what to do during the daylight hours as well as at night time.

Watch these two videos with your children and review fire safety tips with them.

I would like to offer a little additional advice on when to discuss these topics with your children. I found that if I discussed serious topics with my kids at dinner or in the evening, it would disturb their ability to fall sleep. When I switched to teaching them in the morning hours, they would be able to retain the information, but not fret about it when it was bed time. Choose your teaching times wisely!