Accidental injuries are among the leading causes of childhood deaths, with accidents that involve drowning, fire, falling, and automobiles topping the list. If you are a child's caretaker or parent, you must always learn to keep them safe.
Most parents associate safety with areas that we are most familiar with, like our home, but do you know that around 4 million kids get injured at home each year? Our homes contain several objects that could cause injuries, like toys, batteries, furniture, laundry products, doors, and other things that could lead to suffocation or falls.
No matter how hard you try to look after your kids, injuries sometimes only take a few seconds to occur. Nevertheless, you must remember that most home injuries can be prevented! To help you out, our team has put together a few general tips that can help ensure your child is safe at home, even without adult supervision.
Install door hinge guards on all high-traffic doors.
Use baby gates to limit your child's access to stairs, preventing severe falls.
Secure all tall and heavy furniture (like bookshelves) to the wall.
Don't place any climbable furniture near a window.
Shorten any dangling cords of your window blinds. You can also consider installing a tie-down device.
Always use outlet covers when electrical outlets are not in use.
Install (and maintain) carbon monoxide alarms and smoke detectors.
Secure all windows using childproof locks. Screens are used to keep insects out, not to keep kids in.
Ensure you use corner cushions for all sharp corners on your furniture.
Install cabinet locks wherever needed.
Commercial property owners also use many of these tips to ensure all kids in their vicinity are safe. For instance, many educational institutes across the UK have started installing door finger guards for schools to prevent door-related injuries.
It might be difficult for parents to set rules their kids disagree with, but it is part of the job. As a parent, it's your responsibility to ensure your kids are safe, and an essential part of that involves playing the villain occasionally. Establishing unbreakable house rules early on should help your children learn right from wrong.
Make a rule that you must always meet the parents of any kid who invites your child for a sleepover.
Forbid your children from using the oven or stove unless there is an adult in the room.
Insist that your kids stay in designated areas when playing outside the house.
Make a no-secret rule. No family member under ten is allowed to keep secrets.
All precautions mentioned in today's article might seem too much work, but they can help save your child from a traumatizing accident. Parents should never ignore talking to their kids about safety only because they fear scaring them. Ensure you use age-appropriate methods and language. Remember, it's never too early to start teaching your kids about their safety. Starting these lessons can help keep your kids safe throughout their lives.