Safety Tips for Children
We took a little bit of a break from child safety Friday during the holiday season, but we are back and hope that everyone had a very wonderful holiday and a happy New Year. for our first safety article after the new year, we want to focus on the Top 10 Home Safety Tips for Children that can help you make your home more child friendly.
Unintentional injuries can and do occur in the home – from burns, falls, lead and carbon monoxide poisoning from household cleaners, to animal bites or accidental choking.
Some Statistics
According to statistics taken from the Children’s Safety Network home injuries account for at least one-third of all injury related emergency room visits. and according to the CDC, “374 children between the ages of 0-19 are treated in an emergency room and two children die as a result to being poisoned each day in the U.S.”
Taking preventative measures will help to reduce the risk of at-home injuries amongst parents and caregivers.
Child Safety Friday Tips To Home Safety
- The use of safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs – attached to the wall – will help prevent any unnecessary falls that could be disastrous.
- When children are around water – whether a bath, pool, pond, beach, lake, etc. – make sure that you are watching them at all times.
- Keep cribs clear of any objects that your child can choke on.
- Develop and practice a home escape plan with two ways out of the house in case of an emergency.
- Make sure all of the smoke detectors are working at every level of your home. Test the batteries every six months and install carbon monoxide alarms near sleeping areas.
- Keep any and ALL medicine up and out of the reach of children. Even the medicine you take on a daily basis. Be cautious of medicine stored in other locations such as pills in purses, vitamins on the counter, and medicine bottles on a nightstand.
- Keep all household cleaning supplies out of the reach of children. Make sure they are stored in a closet that is not easily accessible to the children or in the garage. If you put cleaner underneath the sink, child proofing your cabinets will be a wonderful way to make sure that children are not able to reach in and grab.
- Program the Poison Help Hotline into your phone where you and any caregivers may easily access it: 1-800-222-1222
- Make sure that TV’s, bookshelves, dressers, anything that may fall over on top of the child, are mounted or placed on stable furniture. You may be able to nail them into the wall to keep them from falling over. This will especially help those of us living in Orange County and all over California, as we are the leading state for earthquakes.
- Install window guards or window stops to keep children from falling out of windows.
These are just some tips that we have come up with to help ease your mind when it comes to home care. These tips will be helpful for the new parent, any caregiver, and grandparent alike.
Have a safe and happy weekend. We will see you again next Friday for the continuation of Child Safety Friday!