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

Every year in Belarus, there are incidents involving the death
and injury of children. And most often – for the same reason: adults lose control. "Just for a minute" – and 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 elementary safety rules. Worse, sometimes they themselves set an example of unsafe behavior.

Over the past five years in Belarus (2020 – 2024), 38 children have died in fires. 14 cases were registered in cities, and 24 in rural areas. As of December 30, 2025,
4 children have died in fires. The most vulnerable group is children under 7 years old. The main causes of tragedies are: careless handling of fire by adults (including smoking); violation of electrical equipment operating rules; children's mischief with fire (playing with matches, lighters, flammable liquids).

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 whom 12 fell through the ice. In the swimming season (May-September) of 2025 alone, there were 8 child deaths
(including 2 during direct swimming in a water body). The causes
are the same: lack of supervision, overconfidence, inability to swim, recreation at unguarded beaches, lack of elementary knowledge
and safety skills. One minute of inattention – and ordinary water recreation turns into a tragedy.

To draw parents' attention to the problem of death
and injury of preschool and primary school-aged children
in fires and water bodies, the Ministry of Emergency Situations,
with the support of the UNICEF Representative Office in the Republic of Belarus, has developed a new information campaign "Children –
are not adults! Do not leave them alone!".

The campaign urges adults to change their attitude towards child safety, abandon overconfidence, and maintain constant vigilance.

Parents often feel proud when their child behaves "like an adult": helps out, shows independence, reasons logically. They want to see their child as a little adult – smart and responsible, capable of handling many household chores independently. But this is self-deception, because children are not adults. Even if they know how to turn on the stove, charge a 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 and use electrical appliances (iron, stove, kettle) and want to "do it like an adult." But what is routine for us is a game for a child, where any mistake can be fatal. And when parents leave children alone, often with the conviction "my child is already grown up" – that is precisely when tragedies occur.

While the child plays at being an adult, the adult must play the role of protector. That is why the campaign slogan is simple, clear, and to the point: "Children are not adults! Do not leave them alone!"

Thus, the social advertisement by 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 call, no shop, no errand is worth risking what is most precious. And wherever 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!