Top 6 Child Safety Principles All Parents Should Know
One thing that all parents wish for when it comes to their children’s growing-up years is a safe environment. The parents believe that a safe atmosphere will help their little one become mentally as well as physically healthy, ensuring that he/she enjoys different phases of life. It is quite important to pay more attention to children during their toddler and infant stages. Truth be told, more care is required to make sure that they don’t hurt themselves. If you are stressed, don’t be. We, at MomJunction, have your back. Here, we bring you some safety tips that may help you out:
1. Sleep Safe
Ensure that your baby is not surrounded by any hats, scarves, pacifiers, or toys while sleeping. Also, check what is the distance between the two bars in the infant’s crib. If you can fit a can of an aerated drink easily, then the gap is perfect. The mattress should be hard and the bed sheets should be tucked in properly. Try not to use blankets with laces as it may result in breathing issues for your little one. And, ensure that your baby sleeps on his/her back. It brings down the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) significantly (1).
2. Prevent Injuries Or Falls
Place your furniture properly to ensure that nothing tips and falls over, hurting your little one in the process. If your house has a staircase, get safety gates installed at its top and bottom. Set up safety bars on the windows. When you are keeping your child down, put him/her on the floor instead of high-elevation furniture such as a chair or a table. If you are putting your angel down on a high chair, make sure that he/she is all buckled up. And, if your child has started crawling or walking around the house, please ensure that he/she stays away from hanging wires, heating appliances, or stairs.
3. Suffocation Scares
Make sure that your angel doesn’t play with small toys that can be swallowed. If you are planning to feed your baby something new, just do a double-check if it is edible for him/her. Try to keep away his/her toys, crib, or any other furniture away from electrical cords and wires. Look under the bed, sofa, etc. to check whether there is something that your baby may put into his/her mouth.
4. Beware Of Fire
First and foremost, ensure that there is a smoke alarm at your home. Keep your tiny tot away from hot stove; put a protective barricade if need be. Put the hot pots and other utensils out of his/her reach. Once you have used the blow dryer or iron, switch it off and keep it back at a safe place. Don’t hold your baby in the arms while cooking even if he/she is calling for your attention. And, do keep the matchboxes and lighters out of your little one’s sight.
5. Stay Safe Near The Water
Once you have bathed your little one, drain the water out of the tub quickly. Keep the door to your bathroom always closed. Even if your child has learned how to swim, be careful when he/she is in the pool. If you are at the sea, you know how unpredictable the water can be. So, look at him/her with a hawk’s eye and never lose sight of your angel.
6. Poison Scare
If you fear that your little one has swallowed something, try not to do anything unless you have consulted your doc, even if it’s over the phone. Keep all your prescribed medicines out of your toddler’s reach. Keep the cabinets that hold the detergents or cleaning agents locked. You may also want to keep away anything that is operated with lithium battery such as remotes, alarm clocks, or flashlights. And, always keep your doc’s number on the speed dial.
We are sure that you must have already taken care of most of these things. So, don’t fret so much; keep doing your thing. Happy parenthood!
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