Keeping your kids safe requires care and attention. You need to establish a safe environment at home, ensure they buckle up in the car and gear them up properly when they are old enough to participate in sports. You also need to teach them safety rules and be vigilant about knowing where they are, what they are doing and whom they are with. Prevention is the key.
Small Kids and Babies
Small children and babies especially need your help to stay safe. Placing your baby on her back to sleep cuts the risk for sudden infant death syndrome, according to the Centers for Disease Control, or CDC. Never leave a small child unattended, because it literally takes only seconds for your child to get into something she should not, according to the National Institutes of Health. Buy an approved car seat that fits your child, install it correctly, and make sure she buckles up in it every time she is in the car. According to the CDC, half of all children younger than 5 who die in vehicle crashes are not properly restrained, and vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among children.
Wash Hands
Teach your child to wash his hands properly and regularly. This is one of the top things you can do to prevent illness, according to the CDC. Scrub with soap for 20 seconds.
Safety Gear
Gear your child properly for play and sports. Make sure she wears a bike helmet; bike helmets reduce risk of serious injury by 85 percent, according to the CDC. Wearing eye protection during sports lowers the risk of significant eye injury by 90 percent. Make children wear life jackets in and around the water, and never leave them unattended in or near the water. Teach your child to swim by the time she is 5, recommends Robert Preidt of Health Day.
Outside
Reduce your child's risk of sunburn and skin cancer by covering him in the sun with sunscreen or light clothing. Light clothing also can keep away mosquitoes, which carry West Nile virus. Teach your child how to cross the street safely, and make sure he only crosses with adult supervision until he is old enough to understand and follow the rules for crossing on his own.
Inside
Childproof your home. Store dangerous substances including medicines and cleaners in locked cabinets. Cover unused electrical outlets to prevent injuries. Install smoke alarms, and test them monthly. Block stairs with safety gates. Ensure banisters or handrails are secure. Remove things in your home that are tripping hazards.
Adult Dangers
Know where your children are all the time. Know their friends and the parents of their friends. Screen caregivers carefully. Establish rules for checking in. Do not leave kids unattended in cars. If your child does not like to be with a certain adult, find out why. Teach your child that she can say, "no" to uncomfortable or confusing touches or actions. Also teach her to remove herself from such situations quickly, if possible, or to scream, kick and resist. Have her practice yelling, "This person is not my parent," according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
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