Child Safety: Our Guide To Keeping Your Children Safe
Posted on 26th June 2024 at 12:56
We've been supporting child safety week so we’ve been learning lots of fun new skills at Wellies to keep us safe! We thought it would be really helpful to share some important safety advice and tips with you parents to help keep your children that little bit safer both at home and when you’re out.
Here are a few of the topics we covered…
Burns & Scalds
Small children’s skin can burn really easily as it’s so thin. We looked at ways to avoid any nasty burns. Things to watch out for are:
- Keeping hot drinks out of reach.
- Using hobs at the back of the cooker first and make sure kettles are at the back of the worktop.
- Try to keep children out of the kitchen when you’re cooking in general.
- Always put cold water in first when running a bath and top up with hot water.
- Make sure hair straighteners are always out of reach of little hands and turned off when not in use!
Choking
Children can choke at any age but younger children are more at risk because of their narrow airways. On top of that babies and toddlers tend to put things in their mouth to explore. Some simple steps to take to stop this happening include:
- Checking toys over before use as some have small parts that come off.
- Make sure older children’s toys such as Lego are used in a separate area.
- Never prop up a baby’s bottle to feed them - they always need an adult to help.
- Cut up any food into small pieces to avoid anything that will block their airway. Cut food such as fruit into quarters and food like bread or cheese into long strips.
Safety Around Dogs
Growing up with animals is a gift for children however this does also come with risks. All dogs can bite if they feel threatened so supervision is key. Here are some tips to keep your children safe around dogs:
- Teach your child to be calm around dogs. Although it can be difficult for children, ask them not to be too noisy or jumpy around dogs.
- Any cuddles or petting must be gentle.
- If either your dog or child seem unhappy when together calmly separate them.
- Triggers for dogs include being disturbed when they are sleeping, eating or playing with toys - warn your child to leave them alone during these times.
Water Safety
Never ever leave your children unsupervised around water and always keep them within your arms reach. Remember that children can drown in just a few centimetres of water. Make sure to:
- Always stay with your baby or children when they are in the bath.
- Empty paddling pools after you’ve used them.
- Fence off any ponds in your garden when children are little. Be aware of any in neighbouring gardens and make sure your children can’t get to them.
- Take them to swimming lessons - it is never too early to start! Babies love aqua classes - ask us for local recommendations.
Fire Safety
Smoke from fires can kill in minutes, especially if they break out when you are asleep. The number one rule in any house is to make sure there are smoke alarms both downstairs and upstairs - these need to be tested every month. Other things to look out for:
- Cooking is one of the main cause of fires in the home. Always stay in the kitchen when cooking.
- Keep matchers and lighters out of reach of young children and teach them they are dangerous.
- Try not to overload sockets with lots of plugs or extensions. This can be dangerous.
- Work out escape routes in your home if a fire breaks out and teach children what to do if that happens. This includes getting out as quickly as possible and never going back into a burning building.
Road Safety
The road is the most terrifying place for any parent. Learning to be safe on the road and around traffic is one of the most crucial skills you can teach your little ones. The must do’s from us are:
- Hold hands when you cross the road.
- Get them to walk on the side of the pavement which is furthest away from traffic.
- Leading by example - children will copy you when you cross the road so make sure you are teaching them good habits.
- To start reading about the green cross code with them as early as possible.
We hope that talking about and practicing some of these things with your children helps you feel more confident about any safety risks you may encounter. Please remember that serious accidents are rare and that by following the above safety advice you can help reduce risks.
For lots more resources and information visit the Child Accident Prevention Trust website. We love their activity sheets you can do at home with your child to help them learn about safety!
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