Whether your little ones are fresh from the womb, or even if they’re they’re now big teenagers, there are things that you can do around the house to protect them. When you have a little one running away causing havoc it’s hard to think about every possible safety precautions that you should be taking. Let’s face it – so many things could go wrong! What you don’t want to do it spend all of your time thinking about the worst situation. It’s all about being savvy and preparing properly.
1. Let kids be kids
It seems funny to start with this one, but it really is important. Of course, there are things in the world that are going to protect their safety. Unfortunately, that’s just life. You have to be a good parent though and let them get outside and play with other children. By keeping them confined to the house, they’re missing out of crucial development skills. They need to learn to be sociable, and they need to learn to pick themselves up if they fall over! It’s healthy for them to be outside playing. Hiding them away will do them more harm than good.
2. Watch out for windows
A common problem that could occur in the home is a little one falling out of a window. Windows can actually be incredibly dangerous when no one is watching, and kids can fall out of them really easily. It’s easily fixed, though. Head to your hardware store and pick up some bars to cover the window area. Make sure the bars are no more than 8 cm apart. This may not be the most attractive feature for your home, but it could end up keeping your child safe from serious harm
3. Be Internet aware
If your kids are at an age where they’re spending a lot of time online, it’s worth having the ‘internet chat’ with them. There’s no point avoiding it – they need to know that the Internet can be a dangerous place. There isn’t an app or a system that will suddenly make your child safe from unsavory characters online. What you need to do is tell them about your concerns and let them know that they should talk to you if they encounter something odd. Install the parental settings so certain sites are off limits and change the passwords every now and again. This let’s them know that you are in charge.
4. Be aware of fire
The thought of a fire running through your home is truly a terrifying nightmare. Rather than pushing the horrible thought to one side, though, you should prepare for it. Make sure you have a working fire alarm on every floor of your home. Test the batteries once a month and don’t ever remove the batteries unless they are dead. To be super cautious you could purchase a portable fire extinguisher and keep in in your home. If you do have one of these just make sure you learn how to use it properly.
Oh these are all such great safety tips and great reminders of things we should check around the house! I know I still need to check all our smoke detector batteries from Fall back daylight savings time…to thank you for the reminder!!! Oh my to do list now!