Children are not adults! Do not leave them alone!

January 27, 2026

The Ministry of Emergency Situations is launching a new republican information campaign "Children are not adults! Do not leave them alone!"

Every year in Belarus, there are incidents related to the death and injury of children. And most often for the same reason: adults lose control. "Just for a minute" - and the children are left alone. It seems that nothing terrible will happen, but it is these minutes that sometimes decide everything. Many parents think that a child is already independent enough to be left alone. But children, especially preschoolers, are only learning to understand where the danger is. At the same time, parents pay almost no attention to teaching children basic safety rules. Worse, sometimes they themselves set an example of unsafe behavior.

 

To draw parents' attention to the problem of death and injury of preschool and primary school-aged children in fires and at water bodies, a new information campaign "Children are not adults! Do not leave them alone!" has been launched in the Republic of Belarus since January 1, 2026.

The goal of the campaign is to influence the careless attitude of parents towards children's safety issues, motivate them not to leave children unattended, organize useful leisure activities, and stimulate the creation of a safe environment.

Parents often feel proud when their child behaves "like an adult": helps out, shows independence, reasons logically. They want to see a little adult in their child – intelligent and responsible, who can already handle many household chores. But this is self-deception, because children are not adults. Even if they know how to turn on the stove, charge their phone, or make themselves tea. They are still children who lack the experience, knowledge, and self-preservation instinct of an adult.

A child may imitate adult actions but not understand their consequences. They have seen parents cook, use electrical appliances (turn on irons, stoves, kettles) and want to "do as an adult does." But what is familiar to us is a game for a child, where any mistake can be life-threatening. And when parents leave children alone, often with the confidence that "they are already grown up" – that's precisely when tragedies occur.

From 2020 to 2024, 38 children died in fires in Belarus. 14 cases were registered in cities, and 24 in rural areas. In 2025, 4 children died in fires. Water poses no less danger to children. From 2020 to 2024, 131 children drowned in Belarus (including 67 during direct swimming in water bodies), of which 12 fell through the ice. During the swimming season (May-September) of 2025 alone, 8 children died (including 2 during direct swimming in a water body). The most vulnerable group is children under 7 years old.

 

Behind every number lies someone's loss, pain, and tears. In many cases, tragedies could have been avoided – it would have been enough to simply not leave children alone and pay attention to home safety. As a result, emergencies and incidents involving children occur for various reasons, but the condition that contributed to a child's death or injury is always the same – leaving minors unsupervised. Parents play a paramount role here. It is they who must teach a child safety rules from early childhood, bear responsibility for them, and not create dangerous situations by leaving them alone.

Often, from a very early age, parents can be heard saying: "You are already all grown up!", "You understand and can do everything!", "You can be left for a minute now – nothing will happen!"

But it is precisely in these phrases that the danger lies, as parents convince themselves that the child is already independent and old enough. However, a child's thinking and psychology are still developing; they do not realize the dangers and do not feel fear. A child may "play grown-up," imitating their parents' actions, and not even suspect that some of them are dangerous. Fire, electricity, water – for a child, these are not sources of danger but elements of curiosity. They do not know how quickly a flame ignites. They are unable to determine if an electrical appliance is faulty. They do not understand that water can be deadly, even if the shore is nearby.

Thus, the social advertisement from the Ministry of Emergency Situations does not frighten, but rather makes even those who believe "this will never happen to my children" stop and think. No phone call, shop, or errand is worth risking what is most precious. And no matter how much you are in a hurry, take your child with you. It is better for them to wait nearby, because with you, they are safe. Protect your children!