A previous post centered on children and making the home a safe place to raise them.  Since this topic is so very important, it deserves more attention.  We all live in various types of dwellings, each with their own hazards.  From the city to rural areas, and the small towns in-between, kids will be challenged by their surroundings like a real-life obstacle course.  Just hoping for the best is not enough when it comes to being  a protective parent, keeping yourself  informed, and passing on the knowledge to them will improve their chances.  We’ll be narrowing the scope of the discussion on several key issues to provide specific examples of ways we can guard our children from harm.

City life provides convenience and simplicity when it comes to transit, shopping, and entertainment.  A short (or painfully long) bus ride will take us to anything we need; work, school, grocery, clothing, shows, sports, events, and many more exciting destinations.  Realize the potential for acquiring a debilitating lung disorder is much greater for children amidst all this traffic.  Even in the country, kids who take a bus to school suffer much greater exposure to diesel fumes than a kid riding in a car ahead of the bus.  The Centre for Sustainable Transportation commissioned a report that every concerned parent should be aware of.  It cites scientific data that states our children are at risk.  The leading cause of death injuries to children over one year old is traffic accidents.  So how can we balance our need for transport and the real danger that it presents?  Demand greener mass transit from our government.  Vehicle use should be a last resort, and carpooling made common practice to reduce exposure to harmful fumes.  Leave the car in park until all seat belts are buckled.  Don’t allow distractions and horseplay while driving, things happen far too fast.  Remember that we set the standard for how our kids will behave.  Cycle with a helmet, even if it doesn’t look cool.  Study alternate routes to get to where your kids want to be.  Though these ways may take longer, the journey will be a more pleasant, less stressful part of the overall trip.  Bike paths, nature trails, parks and less travelled roads with sidewalks for pedestrians are safer for many reasons. 

It has to be said, there are predators out there.  This should not be a surprise to our children.  For various reasons certain people have developed a need to take advantage of the innocence of childhood. Naivety is dangerous, and when a kid choses to walk alone they become susceptible to those who watch for such an opportunity. My opinion is at the age of ten, girls and boys can understand what sex is, that men and women are different. They may not understand why pervasive behavior exists, and to be honest, neither do I.  Youth struggles for independence so they often push safe boundaries without the proper amount of caution. Facts are abductions happen.  Have a talk with other parents before you approach your young ones, work out what you need to say. It is a difficult subject to tackle, but when these things are left unsaid kids are left open to attack. Living in areas of high population density increases the likelihood a kidnapper is present. At the same time, country life leads to more frequent occurrences when children are left alone. In any place, they need to know who to call, what to look for, where to avoid, and most importantly that you care about them and don’t want anything bad to happen. Please add your thoughts to the comments.

Children grow up so fast. One day they are playing with their toys, and the next day with yours! Tools left out will be seen as fair game. Power tools can be as dangerous as a loaded weapon when an unattended child gets a hold of them. Chemicals and combustibles (IE paints, fuels) should be in a vented metal cabinet, only accessible with a key or combination. At minimum, put things away if there will be a kid in the area because they may attempt a project of their own. The home workshop is a great place to have some stress relief, get some work done, and just get out of the house for a while. Be sure to keep a lock on the door. When kids are in the shop, school them on personal protective equipment and safe work practices.  At a certain age teachers will have classes dealing with technologies and manufacturing.  This can be a great opportunity to work on hobbies together.

Whether they are at home in the back yard, or down the road at the neighbourhood park, kids are going to be curious about other living creatures.  Unfortunately the animal life that shares our living spaces are not as warm and fuzzy as they sometimes appear.  Diseases that can kill humans can be present in rodents their whole lives and they never manifest any symptoms.  Natural defence instincts will result in vicious attacks if a child approaches the nest of newborns and the mother is nearby.  Allergic reactions are common and occur due to a sensitivity to the fur on most animals.  In addition, there are many insects and plants that can cause rashes and irritation when they are handled, even inadvertently. It’s a good idea to be aware of any pets or pests that may live in your neck of the woods and defend your kids against them.  Have them come to you before they try to make contact with a strange or wounded creature.  Go for nature walks with them and use reference materials to identify the plants and animals that they should avoid.  Young people are like sponges for information so they will love to learn about the things their eyes see.

As parents and caregivers it’s our duty to protect children against things that may bring them harm.  The healthy brat is a happy brat.  For accurate, concise information on how to keep our kids healthy click this -> Canadian Institute of Child Health

The world becomes a different place when a child is born.  I have been a father for ten years now and I still remember the change that took place back then.  Everything I did from that day on was done with my daughter in mind.  The loud music got softer, the bright lights were dimmed, and the whole apartment became a lot safer.  A little paranoia is a good thing because despite our best efforts, statistics show over 20,000 kids under 14 visit Canadian emergency rooms in the course of one year.  Estimates say just as many accidents go undocumented.  Some laws have been created to force parents to take precautions such as mandatory car seats and bike helmets, however a large portion of keeping our young safe relies on instinct and common sense.  Examining the dangers in your home and creating a plan to mitigate them will help you sleep better, and when you are looking after children you’ll need a good night’s rest!

Let’s first look at falls.  Like using a seat-belt, strap a baby in every-time they’re on the change table, it’s too high up to take the chance.  Not unlike monkeys, kids love to climb.  Whether it’s a set of stairs, the living room couch, or the dog, they’ll try to get on top.  Falling is by far the most common of injuries, accounting for fifty percent of accidents involving children from ages 1-9.  While there is no substitute for parental supervision, our busy lives often demand us to leave the little ones unattended from time to time.  Furniture with sharp edges should be re-evaluated and glass is obviously something to avoid.  If possible, a separate room with soft padding on everything is ideal.  Blocking access using doors and gates is easy with infants, but becomes more difficult as they become toddlers.  Part of normal learning is watching and mimicking every move “big people” make, including opening those doors and gates.  Assume he or she can get through as soon as they can reach the knob, at which time you’ll need to resort to a latch or lock located higher up.  The reality is you will never forgive yourself if something bad happens, so figure out the safest solution to each situation.

The first visit I make to a friend or client’s home includes a peek into the low cabinets.  Invariably I discover chemicals under the kitchen sink.  Unless some type of childproof latch is used, curious explorers will find boxes of soap, containers of bleach, multi-surface cleaners, and even aerosol cans.  The nature of their inquisitive minds will be to experiment with these items, usually ending with something going into the mouth.  I hope you are getting up from the computer chair right now to re-evaluate the location of your household chemicals, there is no time like the present.  Any dangerous substance in your home should be labelled with instructions for first-aid and you should read them before a situation arises.  Since kids’ systems are still developing, ingesting a small amount of a poison will have tragic results. In all cases these numbers are invaluable.  Keep your local centre’s number on the fridge or by the phone.

Each meal you’ll reach for the utensil drawer, and if hungry rugrats are observing, it won’t be long before they want to get their own fork and spoon.  I maybe assuming too much here, but the contents of that drawer may also include your knives.  Vertically challenged youth can’t see what they are reaching for and Murphy’s Law says the knife will be found first.  It may be inconvenient to relocate items in your kitchen, but it is much more inconvenient to take your child to the hospital with a laceration.

You’ll want to get down to ground level and see your living spaces from a new perspective to realize potential hazards.  While you’re down there, . . . you’ll notice how interesting those cords and wall receptacles look.  Find out which breakers aren’t being used and you’ll be better off, to shut them off.  Since we live in homes with an increasing number of electrical devices it may be difficult to eliminate the need for live plugs.  Look for spring-loaded, sliding covers that screw on to replace your plain ones.

Until someone creates a human sized hamster-ball, children will hurt themselves, it’s part of life.  Take precautions, be prepared for the worst.  When the inevitable bump or scrape occurs, there will be no need to overreact, because it’s not as bad as it could have been if you weren’t prepared.  There is plenty of information available, check this out.