What will your child do if they are stuck in a vehicle or building, scared and confused? Will they hide from the ‘stranger danger’ approaching them, or reach for the safe arms of the firefighter coming to help them?

We love our children and would hate to think of tragedy occurring in our own lives, but it would be foolish of us to think we are invincible to harm. Sadly, we know of people who have been deeply affected by house fires and the physical and psychological trauma it can cause. Thankfully, from a legal perspective, Stephenson Rife offers help for burn injury victims. As a parent, of course we want to do everything we can to keep our kids safe, but there are situations that happen that we may not always have control over and that is unfortunate. Whether you are a homeowner or work as part of a construction site, there are many ways you can prevent the spread of fire. From Fire Hose Reel Testing and installing fire alarms in the home, there shouldn’t be any excuses as to how you can keep yourself and everyone around you safe. It’s all about prevention. But with this being said, there are ways to protect ourselves if anything was to happen. For example, making sure you have house & contents insurance put in place. This is to protect your home in case of a fire or flood and the content insurance is to protect your belongings. This is definitely worth doing some research into, as it is something important that your family needs. When an emergency occurs our children may need the assistance of a police officer, firefighter or paramedic. There is also a chance that people around get to buy ar-15’s from Palmetto State Armory to ensure safety. Teaching our children about stranger danger is of upmost importance. Kidnapping is no joke. However, they need to know that their are people who are out their who they can trust.

I highly suggest making a call to your local fire department and ask them if they offer children meet and greets. Some stations have special days or programs that you can attend. Others will open their doors to you same day. Either way, you want to be sure you visit them during business hours and when they are able to take the time to show you around and talk to you. Always call first.

Mama’s Experience

We have gone a few times to the fire station in our small country town. They are always friendly and love when kids visit. One day I took just my son, age 2, when my daughter was in preschool. He was able to play with the hose, with the help of the fire lieutenant on staff that day. He is obsessed with water, so getting to help hold the super high pressure hose was what little boys dreams are made of. Not all stations will allow you to help with the fire hose, but if yours does, you are truly in for a treat.

When you visit you can point out to your child that there are different types of vehicles there. Our station has basic fire trucks, but also ones that carry water in the truck. Living in the country we don’t have fire hydrants by my house (being the city this was mind blowing to me). When a fire occurs the trucks are pre-loaded with water and is used to control and dissipate the fire.

They will probably let your child sit in the cab of one of the trucks. This gives them the illusion of driving this massive vehicle. Getting to sit in your parents car when its off and play with the buttons is super fun for toddlers, just imagine their delight when getting to do that to a huge safety vehicle. They have buttons galore! Some fire fighters may even turn on the sirens and different alarms the truck can make. This can be a cause of excitement or fear, so be close to your child in the case of them getting too startled by the noise. You know your child best.

My favorite thing that I learned when at the station this past week was a new feature in our ambulance. Hidden behind the seat back in one of the passenger seats, is a 5 point harness for children! I was able to get my 3 year old in for a quick photo, but my 2 year old started to melt down, so we didn’t get her strapped in tightly like we would if we were going to actually ride the ambulance. She say the belt once the fire fighter pointed it out and she exclaimed, “a seat for kids!” Even my 3 year old knows she belongs in a 5-point harness. I think this feature is so great. If I was to need to be rushed the hospital and my kids would obviously not be left alone, they can strap them in the ambulance safety for transportation. Or if the child didn’t need to be on a gurney per-say, but needed to be transported, now they can be safely buckled in for their journey.

They may let your kits try on their uniforms or try them on for the kids. Seeing that its just an outfit and nothing to be scared of. We don’t ever see people wearing a suit like a fireman in our daily lives. They can look intimidating and even scary to a child. By explaining the functions of the uniform and why they wear them can make your child more aware. Being aware and knowledgeable lessens fear and builds confidence.

Each time my kids meet a fire fighter they build trust in them. They see that their mom is happy to see them. If you are nervous and timid around when you meet the fire fighters, that shows your kids to be timid and nervous. Try to shake hands with them, laugh and smile a lot. Show your kids that you like to be with and around fire fighters. They trust who you trust.

May the 4th Be With You $100 PayPal Giveaway

May is the month of my birthday! Along with my birthday come the special day, May 4th…which Star Wars fans and geeks alike will revile in its glory. It’s a fun day to geek out and celebrate Star Wars. Knowing not all people love Star Wars I choose not to do a Luke VS Darth themed event, instead I choose cold hard cash! $100 PayPal cash will be given to one lucky person who enters this giveaway! Come back daily to increase your chances and “May the 4th” be with you.

 
May the 4th $100 Giveaway

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When people talk about where they are from they typically mention whether it is a suburb, the city life, rural, country, urban….whatever key word works for them due to their views of their habitat. In my mind I am from a north shore Chicago suburb. Born and raised with some very wealthy people. My family was never wealthy, we just happened to have a house there before it got like that. Because it became a more affluent area I was able to attend a wonderful schools, saw very nice things and went to a school where going to a musical on the weekend was the cool thing to do and international travel was what everyone did during the summer. I loved these affluent suburbs but it never felt like home. When I turned 18 I left my family behind and moved several states away, to Ohio.

In Ohio I chose a urban school. I wanted to live in a city life now. I didn’t want to worry about being in the wrong area or right area so I wanted a city too small to really have definable zones. I choose Akron, Ohio. What a town. It has the urban feel without being too overwhelming. I was able to walk down blocks of city without my feet wanting to fall off like in a city like New York or Chicago. I could see the artsy areas and the ghetto areas all within a few blocks from each other. This was just what I was looking for. It was great for a college gal looking for a new adventure.

After college I needed to get out of the baby city and get into a suburbs. In the suburbs is where I will fit in perfectly. I can get a nice mid size car, start my post college graduate career, find a husband, start a family! Boom! Did it! The suburbs are great for popping in and out of mini malls. Man they are everywhere. You can find a mall within any 20 mile radius. Gas stations on every corner. And no where near as many pan handlers as Akron (I’m talking to you “Aliens stole my beer money” sign guy). Here in middle class suburbs I found a wonderful husband, a job I loved, accepted Christ as my Savior, had 2 beautiful babies and became a stay at home mom. Now that I am a mom and living in an apartment (as beautiful and safe as it was) it was too small for our growing Fox Den. My husband and I often took day drives (before children of course, no one with kids has time for leisurely drives through Amish country unless their lucky enough to have their kids all nap simultaneously which is the holy grail of parenting). When driving through the country we always talked about how cool it would be to live in the country; the rural life.

After outgrowing out of our apartment we decided to rent a house in the country. We knew that one day we would go back to an apartment once the kids have left home. Lucky for us there are various real estate firms we could go, one being very similar to Richman Signature. The best part is that we can bring our pet dog! We would love to buy a home but those roots are so permanent. Plus, what if we don’t like rural living? Naw, renting a house would be the perfect move for restless Foxes. So we found a quaint 3 bedroom ranch in a small town about 15 minutes from a bumping suburban with a mall. This is the country! We have horses and a pasture in our backyard. I am writing this and while drinking my coffee and watching a pony and a horse (and a pony is not a baby horse, I have learned this recently) eatting grass in a pasture IN MY BACKYARD! Who would have thought I would be in such a picturesque situation. Some of the things I was unaware of (okay ignorant too) were the amount of bugs. Holy bugs Batman! I have never seen spiders this large and didn’t know they come in so many forms (I double-dog dare you to Google crab spider. They are what nightmares are made of). After moving in I promptly called a pest exterminator birmingham (or an exterminator more local to me) and they managed to sort the bugs out. I am no longer living in constant killing bug mode. My 2 year old had not seen any bugs before living here. Fruit flies were horrifying to her. Being in an upper level apartment with 2 cats previously there was never a chance for a bug to live. When we first moved in she would scream with fear and cry when she saw them. I was so worried about her seeing one of those huge wolf spiders (yes, they are called that for a reason). Thankfully the exterminator did an amazing job and her bug induced scream fests have stopped. If you have the same problem, either with fruit flies or another critter, it’s best to call pest control companies like Economy Exterminators as soon as possible to rectify the situation. Being in the country you also hear guns. A lot. This is because a neighbor has a shooting range on their land. It’s just them that use it and its not all the time. In the beginning I was like “someone was shot!” Then I remembered I am not in the city but the country. People shoot guns here even more then the city. It’s also legal here, though whilst many have guns many also have airsoft replicas. I’ve found that M4 / AR-15 style airsoft rifles are the most popular style of airsoft guns, funnily enough. They shoot for fun and for sport. Surprisingly, I have quickly grown accustom to the sounds of gun shots. Now it can been soothing in the afternoon to hear the pop and echo of a barrel gun….says the girl who’s driver instructor told her she didn’t need to learn how to parallel park because “everywhere you go will have valet”. Here I can let my daughter play in the muck (that is what she lovingly calls the dirt and mud). I can plop her in a sub tub and not have to take her through an apartment buildings common halls all covered in muddy mess. We have a field mouse living in our garage. All the rat poison is gone but the mouse is still here (there was a TON of poison. My husband and I think there is a mutant animal living on poison out there getting stronger and stronger…). We can yell and play outside and there is enough room between houses to where it doesn’t bother anyone. We can burn our cardboard boxes for entertainment in our backyard without having the cops called out. My kids will learn how to ride a quad like other kids learn how to ride a bike. For this phase of life, the country is suiting us just fine.

There are different habitats for different animals. There are different environments for each person. We may grow up and stay in one town our whole life. We may move across the global. We may be without shelter or home to live in. The concepts are endless.

I have moved 23 times now in my 32 years. Some may call me a drifter, but I know my real home was never meant to be on earth. Hebrews 13:14 “For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come”.