Your Child’s Safety – How to Keep Children Safe Both at Home and Outside

There’s nothing more rewarding in this world than raising a child and watching him learn to walk, play, smile, make friends, graduate, and become a self-reliant adult. However, this is also the most challenging job in the world as you need to ensure your kid’s safety along this beautiful journey. The bad part with children is they don’t come with an instructions manual and if you believe child-proofing your home means rubber protections on furniture corners, you’re dead wrong. Child safety is so vast a subject you could write books on it and still leave something out. Why? Because children are infinitely curious and can get themselves in harm’s way in so many ways you wouldn’t believe possible.

However, if you know the basic rules, you can figure out what you must do to keep your little one safe.

Here is an in-depth guide about child safety – from the moment they’re born to the moment they’re ready to fly the nest.

Children 0-12 months: Safety Tips

Here is a stark truth – more than a third of all injury and death cases happen at home. This is not meant to alarm you, but to stress just how important this issue is. The younger the child the higher the dangers.

Suffocation

Is the crib safe?

Many parents buy a crib based on how lovely it would look in the nursery, but there are many issues to consider. Remember a newborn is totally helpless and cannot protect himself against any sort of danger.

• Make sure the bars are spaced at less than 2.5 inches apart, so the baby’s fragile limbs don’t get stuck between them.
• The top of the crib should be at least 25 inches from the mattress, which you need to lower as the baby grows. A baby’s first goal in life is to escape from the crib which can lead to nasty falls, although rarely dangerous.
• Never leave large toys or heavy blankets in the crib to avoid the danger of suffocation.

Beware of dangling cords

Your young child is not safe if there’s any sort of cord hanging loose in his sleep or play area. There have been cases of kids strangling themselves when they got caught in the blinds’ cord. Do not tie a favorite toy or a pacifier to the crib’s bars.

Choking hazards

If it fits in his mouth, a child will swallow anything.

Never leave any sort of pills within a baby’s reach and keep in mind you don’t know what they may be able to reach. As soon as they learn to crawl and try to stand up check and double-check there’s nothing dangerous in their room.

Button batteries

They can be everywhere, including toys.

• Check every battery-operated device to make sure the battery compartment cannot be pried open by curious little hands. Apply duct tape over the compartment for extra safety.
• Avoid cheap toys that do not comply with safety regulations.
• If you notice there’s a coin-sized battery missing from one of the devices, go to the doctor instead of wasting time looking for the small battery. Lithium-ion batteries can be very dangerous when swallowed.
• The same goes for any small items – coins, screws, nails. Some items might be eliminated safely but others can block or perforate the intestines.

Falls and concussion

There are many boo-boos a parent can kiss away, but some can be life-threatening.

• Child-proof the house by covering furniture corners and rough edges with rubber or plastic protections.
• Make sure the changing table has protection rails all around. A baby can roll and fall to the floor those few seconds you turn and reach for a clean diaper.
• No matter how hard you try your kid will fall and hurt himself at some point. Don’t blame yourself when this happens.
• A head bump never hurt anyone, but for a nasty fall you need to watch out for signs of a concussion: child becoming unconscious ever for a small time, vomiting, lethargy, try to keep the child awake for several hours after hitting his head to monitor brain function.

Drowning

It’s quite uncommon for a parent to leave a baby alone in the bathtub, but you might be tricked into believing the child is able to sit well on his own and is so busy playing with the rubber ducky that it’s safe to leave him unsupervised for just a minute. Don’t ever do this! That one minute can easily stretch to five minutes and anything can happen during this time.

Children 1-4 years old: Safety tips

The moment a child is able to walk, it’s time to review all the safety features around the house and look for hidden dangers. The whole world, or at least the whole house, opens up to them and the children are eager to explore every little corner. Add to that an apparently inexhaustible amount of energy and you have a recipe for disaster if you do not take all the precautions necessary to keep a child safe.

Fall prevention

Each year, over 2 million kids in the US visit the emergency room for fall-related injuries. Here is what you need to do to prevent an accident.

• Install safety gates at the top and bottom of the stairs in your house.
• Put safety guards on all windows from the first floor up. An insect screen won’t prevent your kid from falling if the little guy decides to climb the furniture to reach the window to look at the birdies. Don’t bet your kid’s life on the idea he cannot possibly climb to the window. Toddlers can be pretty devious!
• Secure any piece of furniture or TV set to the wall so it won’t topple over your kid on an exploratory mission around the house. As an adult you know how to deal with an unsteady bookcase, a toddler just wants to get to the brightly-colored book he sees on the shelf.
• Make sure the Christmas tree is stable and secured in place. It’s not just cats that are attracted to shiny baubles.
• Don’t leave a small child unstrapped in a high-chair, swing or stroller.

Strangling and choking hazards

• Use only cordless window blinds and curtains and generally keep strings, ropes or belts out of their reach to prevent strangulation.
• Carefully check all the strings on your kid’s clothing and do not leave him unsupervised while wearing a scarf around his neck that could get tangled or caught on something.
• Never leave small items such as loose change, pieces of jewelry, or batteries on the table or anywhere within reach.
• Move all the magnets to the top of your fridge.
• Install security locks on drawers and cabinets where small items are stored.
• As your child is learning to eat solids, beware of choking hazards. Small children can choke on pieces of hard foods – including hot dogs, cheese sticks, grapes, cherries, or even popcorn. Cut your kid’s food in very small pieces until you feel he’s competent enough to properly chew.
• You see this warning everywhere, but it’s worth repeating – keep plastic bags out of your kid’s reach.

Poisoning hazards

• Introduce a strict policy of keeping all the drugs, pills, syrups, or ointments in a locked cabinet the kid cannot reach. Remember that your child might decide to check what you keep in your purse.
• When a kid is sick you might find it convenient to have all the medicine near his bed, but you never know what he might be up to while you take a quick bathroom break.
• Keep all the household cleaning products in a locked cabinet. In case your kid swallows any such products, remember that it is dangerous to make him vomit if what he ingested is a caustic substance, such as drain cleaner, as this could further damage the trachea and the mouth.
• Pay special attention to all soaps or shampoos in the bathroom, especially as some have very tempting fruity smells. Keep them on a tall shelf.
• Take a look around your garden as there aremany plants that are toxic  when touched or ingested. You wouldn’t eat the leaves of a rhubarb plant, but a child might decide to give it a try.

Scalds and burns

• Your cooking space should be off-limits to small children. Simply do not allow them near the stove and if they have to be in the kitchen while you’re cooking have them securely strapped in a high-chair.
• For extra safety, it’s preferable to cook on the back burners, turn any handles away from the edge. Also, watch where you leave large pots to cool off so the kid cannot pull them from the table.
• If you have an open fireplace, look at installing a safety grate and teach the kid very early on that’s a dangerous place. If necessary take the kid close to the fire so he can see it’s hot and unpleasant.
• Never leave matches and lighters in plain view of your kid.

Car safety

Car accidents are a leading cause of death for children so make sure to use a car seat appropriate for your kid’s age. While infants and small kids normally ride in a rear-facing car seat, when he is two years old the child might be ready for a forward-facing car seat. Always check that he is correctly strapped into the chair and do not allow the kid to fiddle with those straps.

Playground safety

A small child is ecstatic the moment he discovers the swings in the playground or better yet manages to climb on top of the slide.

• You want to encourage your child’s independence as much as possible so look for playgrounds covered with shock-absorbing materials such as rubber or synthetic turf to break his fall.
• Keep an eye on older kids running around or pushing each other, they’re a hazard to a toddler still unsteady on his feet.
• Never leave the kid out of your sight. If you’re sitting on a bench, don’t get engrossed in the news on your phone screen or in a conversation with other parents!

Children 5-9 years old – Basic Safety Tips

Dealing with a 5-9 years old child is easier than looking after an unpredictable toddler. You can talk to an older child, he will understand some safety rules, but you cannot trust him completely. Even the best-behaved child in the world can do something stupid and then offer a heartfelt apology ‘I didn’t know that’. Most of the times it is true – there are so many things self-evident to an adult that kids do not understand.

Falls and injuries

As kids grow, their games become more complex and more audacious. Two kids re-enacting a duel in a video game might decide to climb on the furniture or use kitchen utensils to imitate their favorite characters.

• Always check that the furniture in your house is stable and anchor to a wall anything that might topple over your kids.
• Do not allow kids to use a ladder unsupervised. They might be tempted to explore the contents of top shelves to see what you’re hiding there.
• Caution kids against using any sort of knives or forks when playing.
• Rough play can result in breaking windows, plates or glasses so instruct your children not to touch shards, even though they might be desperate to hide away the evidence of their misbehaving.
• Keep an eye on your kids playing on balconies and high porches and install window guards to prevent falls.

Toxic risks

The simple fact your child is old enough to understand some substances are dangerous is no guarantee he won’t touch them. Plus they can easily get confused, as in ‘I thought the yellow bottle was for orange juice’.

• Keep dangerous substances in a locked cabinet.
• Never put a toxic liquid in a regular water or juice bottle.
• The medicine cabinet is one place a child is not allowed to touch under any circumstances. You don’t want your older child to play doctor with a younger sibling and offering real drugs.
• Make sure your alcoholic beverages are out of reach. A child this age is allowed to open the fridge and have some juice, so the wine bottle sitting right next to it might be tempting.

Sports safety

Big kids engage in lots of sports activities, which are essential for their development and well-being, but there are certain risks you need to keep in mind.

• ‘Use your head, wear a helmet’ is a saying you need to teach your kids from a very early age. Whether your kid likes biking, skating, or scooting always make sure he wears a helmet appropriate for his age. Allow your child to chose color and design so he’ll be willing to wear it and show off in front of his little friends.
• Any sport that involves using public roads requires some lessons in traffic safety.
• Most experts say children under the age of 10 should only use sidewalks or special paths when biking, as they’re too young to correctly assess distances or the speed of a moving car on the road.
• Teach your kids the meaning of traffic lights and the need to respect them. On a family biking trip, make sure you set a good example by wearing a helmet, too. Telling a child you are old enough not to need one is in many cases an invitation for him to take off the helmet the minute you’re no longer in sight. If there’s one thing kids desperately want is to be considered grown-ups!
• When you buy your kid roller blades or a skateboard, always buy protective knee and shoulder pads, as well as wrist guards, even if you feel your child is quite a little athlete and very good at sports. Accidents do happen!
• Make sure the surface where they practice their skills is smooth and dry.

Pedestrian safety

Walking down the street without holding the hand of an adult feels very grownupy to a kid and you want to encourage this new-found sense of independence. You want your kid to be self-reliant, not to depend on you. However, a child depends on you to teach him basic safety rules down a public road.

• Teach your kids to use sidewalks or paths at all times.
• Ideally, children under the age of ten should not cross the road on their own, but you always need to prepare him for an unexpected situation.
• Teach your child the meaning of traffic lights and set a good example by always using a pedestrian crossing. Most accidents happen mid-block and other parts of a road rather than at intersections.
• You do your best to teach a child traffic rules, but you cannot bet your child’s safety on the hope that the drivers do, indeed, respect those rules. Teach your kid to make eye contact with the driver of an oncoming car to make sure he’s stopping the car before starting to cross.
• Explain to your kid that sidewalks are not meant for running or for rough games with a lot of pushing and shoving.

Drowning prevention

As soon as your child is old enough, take him to swimming lessons. Swimming is a great sport for a growing child and those lessons might save his life in the years to come.

• Even if your child knows how to swim, he shouldn’t be allowed to use the pool unsupervised.
• Consider installing an alarm to warn you if the child wanders into the pool area. Check your pool draining cover to make sure there’s no risk of the kid getting trapped. Such accidents are rare, but it’s still a risk.
• If you live near a river or a lake, never allow your child to go for a swim without adult supervision.
• Remember that wings, vests, or other swimming accessories are not life preservers.
• When you go to a public pool, always keep an eye on your child. You cannot rely on a young lifeguard or other members of the public to look out for your child. Unfortunately, such accidents are common in holiday resorts.

Fire hazards

It is at this age that most children want to help their parents make pancakes or burgers, which is actually good, as long as you explain carefully what they are allowed to touch or use.

• Teach children how to handle a frying pan safely, under your supervision. There comes a moment when a child decides to surprise you with breakfast in bed so it’s better to teach them the basics.
• Explain to your child how the fire alarm works, and if you don’t have one now it’s the time to install one. Tell your child he has to leave the house the moment the fire alarm starts ringing and choose a safe place outside the house where you should all meet in case of an emergency.

Playground safety

A child is anxious to prove his mastery on every type of playground equipment and you should encourage him to play with the other kids rather than follow him around from one place to another.

• Try to locate a playground with shock-absorbing materials in your area. Small accidents are inevitable at this age, but it’s better to fall on a rubber-coated surface rather than concrete or even hard ground.
• If your kid is playing with older children make sure their type of play is not too rough.
• Keep in mind that kids are very sociable at this age and it’s quite easy for them to make a new ‘best friend’ in a matter of minutes. This can lead to your kid following his friend to his family or to explore another part of the park. You’ll probably find your child safe and sound eating candies with his friend, but the minutes spent searching for him can be pretty scary. And the kid has a foolproof excuse, he was with his friend!

School bullying

Starting school and making new friends is a defining moment in your child’s life, but you want to ensure he is safe and happy. Schools will go to great lengths to assure you they have strict anti-bullying policies, but, let’s face it, teachers cannot have their eyes on all the children at all times.

A good strategy is to encourage your child to tell you about his day from the moment he starts kindergarten. Let him confide in you and tell you about his friends, which might alert you if there’s anything wrong.

However, it may very well be that your child won’t tell you if he’s being bullied, mainly because he will be ashamed. This is why you need to know how to spot bullying signs.

If your child comes home with bruises or scratches he won’t explain, that should ring your bell. Yet, many bullying cases do not involve physical violence so it’s harder to realize what’s going on.

As a rule, if you notice changes in your child’s eating or sleeping patterns, if he becomes moody or withdrawn or comes up with fake illnesses to avoid going to school there’s clearly something wrong.

Talk to your child and insist on him telling you what’s going on and, in any case, contact the school and his teachers.

Children 10-14: Safety tips

When your child reaches ten you can indeed breathe easier as far as general safety is concerned, but you’re not out of the woods yet. At this age, you can rely on a kid to use a toaster on this own and use dish-washing liquid to help in the kitchen rather than put it in his mouth, but there are safety issues to consider.

Indoor safety

Most of the safety rules established when your kid was younger still apply but at this stage what you should be focusing on is education rather than forbidding stuff.

• Your preteen is probably capable of opening any safety lock on cabinets and drawers so it is best to explain why he should not take any medicine on his own. Make sure to throw away old pills, in any case. In case you or other members of your family need restricted medicines, it’s best to keep those out of reach, just to be sure.
• Talk to your child and establish a list of electric or electronic equipment around the house he is allowed to use, or even encouraged to do so – like the vacuum to clean his room!
• Keep dangerous equipment like drills or chainsaws locked in the tool shed.
• Teach your child how to use the microwave or the stove. It’s always preferable to have adult supervision when using an open fire source, but there will be times when the child will need to at least heat up a meal on his own.
• Periodically check electrical cables and outlets to make sure they’re in good shape and instruct a child never to touch live wires.

Outdoor safety

Preteens and teenagers enjoy more freedom of movement so you’ll want to be sure your kid knows the basic traffic rules, whether he’s walking or riding a bike to his best friend’s house.

Drill traffic rules into their heads

You might feel a bit foolish repeating the same things many many times, but you have to try to drill into their heads that he should always use pedestrian crossings and look like a maniac left-right-left before stepping into the road.

Impress the need to make eye-contact with the driver of an oncoming car to make sure he’s about to stop. This applies even if the traffic lights say you are allowed to cross the street. You cannot prove it was your turn to cross when you’re lying dead in the street. It sounds scary, but it’s effective.

Also, you need to consider the fact your child knows and respects traffic rules as he’s probably counting the years until he’s allowed to get a driver’s license.

Insist on him wearing a helmet when he’s riding the bike or skateboarding.

Keeping track of your kid: Cell phones and smartwatches

Mobile phones are a God-sent as they allow you to keep in contact with your child when he’s not at home. In case he’s late, you can reach him and see what’s keeping him instead of worrying yourself sick.

On the other hand, phones are a major distraction on the road so explain carefully why he is not supposed to text or engage in a video call while crossing a busy street. Likewise, tell your kid to remove his headphones while crossing the street. Repeat all this as often as necessary.

Many parents buy smartwatches for their preteens, as these allow GPS tracking or even to listen in on what’s going on around their children. While some swear it is a marvelous invention, there are some drawbacks.

• Equipping your child with a smartwatch might lead to a sense of false safety. Abductions by strangers are rather rare, as, in most cases, there’s a parent involved actually. On the other hand, an evil guy looking to abduct a child is probably smart enough to get rid of the tracking device.
• From a strictly educational point of view, smartwatches are not such a good idea. You don’t want your child to behave himself and come straight home from school because he is being monitored, you want your kid to be self-reliant and trustworthy. When you slap a smartwatch on his wrist it’s like saying ‘I don’t trust you one bit so I want you under my constant supervision’.
• The difference between a smartwatch and a phone is that a kid can turn the phone off or pretend he didn’t see your message. You might not like the idea but the day will come when the kid won’t immediately answer the phone. It’s normal, it’s part of the growing up process.

Online safety

We all spend a great part of our lives online so you need to make sure your child is safe in the virtual world as well. Kids can spend even eight hours a day in front of a screen, half of the time they’re awake.

Monitor your kid’s online activity?

There are many apps that allow parents to monitor the time their kids spend online and their activity on the Internet. Do some research and you will surely find something that works for you. All these apps come with a major drawback – kids hate them and they’ll try anything to trick the system and you. and spend more time online. The simple fact they’re time online is limited will only make them crave it more. The forbidden fruit! Keep in mind your child will resent you if you check your phone every five minutes while he is not allowed to play a game he loves. Kids are very observant and have a strong sense of fairness.

If you want to build a trustful relationship with your kids try to educate them rather than imposing restrictions. Tell them they’re expected to do their homework and household chores before they’re allowed to chat with their friends online.

What you should be worried most is their interactions in the virtual world. Strongly warn your child against sharing personal information online and advise them to come to you when someone is being pushy and asking too many questions. Make it crystal clear it’s not their fault in any way if they’re approached by dubious characters online. It’s never a comfortable subject to broach but it’s necessary to do so in today’s world.

You can block access to adult sites, but it’s best not to monitor their online activity and their search history. Children deserve some privacy just as you do. Talk to them about what you consider inappropriate stuff and explain why you don’t approve it. In many cases, this approach works better than simply restricting or monitoring their activity. Kids are smart when it comes to technology and they can find ways to bypass your security settings.

Teens 15-18: Safety tips

We’re not talking about kids at this age; they’re almost adults, they consider themselves adults and expect you to treat them as such. This is very hard on a parent who still sees the young kid in their now moody teenager. You still need to keep them safe, but there’s only so much you can do.

Indoor safety

There’s not much to worry about indoor safety when a teenager is concerned. They’re perfectly capable to use household appliances, cook for themselves, and generally take care of themselves. There’s nothing you can hide or lock – if they want to find something they will rest assured.

With teenagers, the only thing you can do is talk and treat them like grown-ups.

There is one exception to the ‘you cannot hide anything from them’ rule – guns. Those are to be stored under lock and key, keeping firearms and ammunition in separate places, at all times, no ifs or buts.

Drugs and alcohol abuse

The kid knows you have alcohol in your house so you need to explain why it is bad for him. Warn your child you will be very upset if he ever touches the alcohol in the house and explain there will be consequences. However, don’t dwell too much on the idea of punishment, but rather explain the risks of alcohol consumption in general. A teenager will most certainly be offered a drink at some party so he needs to be prepared to say no (hopefully!).

When your kid gets his driver’s license, be very specific when you talk to him about drunk driving and the consequences of such actions. Don’t be afraid to use strong words as this is a very serious matter.

The same goes for drugs and prescription medication abuse. These are subjects you cannot ignore and pretend they do not exist. Chances are there are kids at school who take drugs. Use a calm voice and explain why this is very bad, list all the negative consequences of doing drugs. You can use scary examples, like a famous person whose life was destroyed by drugs.

Your worst enemy is not the drug itself, but the notion young people have that this is what makes them look cool. Explain to your child that cool and well-rounded people don’t do drugs, it’s the weak ones that need a mind-altering substance to make them feel better about themselves.

Online bullying and sexting

Technology has opened up new avenues for vicious bullying among children and if you read the news you probably noticed most cases now happen online. Or in some cases, the bullying in the schoolyard is amplified by vicious social media campaigns.

Virtual bullying

With teenagers it’s very hard to say what’s bothering them – is it love, are there body image problems or is it a hate campaign against them. If you notice behavioral changes and your kid suddenly doesn’t want to go to school anymore this should raise the alarm. You cannot spy on their phones, but watch your kid while he’s on the phone. Is he upset by the messages he receives, do you detect anger? The only thing you can do, unfortunately, is to try to talk about the problem, try to have your kid confide in you. However, if you are disturbed about your teenager’s behavior contact the school, talk to the teachers, and eventually take your child in for counseling.

Online predators

Talk to your teenager about pedophiles and online predators, comment on stories of this kind in the news and always make it clear you are enraged by people who do this sort of things, emphasizing the fact that the young persons involved are the victims in this scenario and cannot be blamed for anything. You might have something to say about lack of judgment, but now it’s not the time to say it. If your kid finds himself in such a situation you want him to come to you, not be afraid of you being judgmental.

Explain to your kid why sending nude pics is a bad idea. Don’t be ashamed of such subjects, these things happen and you want your child to know and be prepared for such a situation. Many youngsters were ruthlessly blackmailed after unthinkingly sending out nude pictures to someone they thought they could trust.

A friend for life

You cannot avoid conflicts with a teenager, but try to keep them to a minimum. Remember it’s a difficult age, fraught with worries and uncertainties, not to mention raging hormones. Make allowances for a harsh word or a tone of voice you find inappropriate. A teenager doesn’t need you as a guardian, but rather as a friend. You can impose certain rules, but try to keep a friendly manner at all times. As your child moves into adulthood, there’s a new relationship that you’re building with him and this is for life. Even when your kid is no longer under your care, there will be times when he or she will need help. If you’re a friend they trust, they will come to you!