Child safety is and will always be the top priority of every parent. Children are loved, nurtured, and guided so they can be the best versions of themselves one day. However, during their developmental stage, kids tend to be very active, energetic, and curious. When they’re left unattended, they may be vulnerable to many forms of danger in their very own home – and failing to protect their children within their arms’ reach is every parent’s fear and nightmare.
Parents must take extra precautionary steps to keep their children safe at home to avoid these probable unfortunate events. There are many tips, safety gadgets, and reminders to take note of. All of them are essential for the home to be more secure, comfortable, and free from danger zones. Let’s look through the preventive measures and learn that the number one rule in raising children is none other than ‘Safety First’.
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Baby Monitors
To ensure the safety of an infant, a baby monitor is highly recommended. First, some of the devices and equipment are critical in keeping children safe, especially for babies. These safety devices vary from CCTV cameras, cribs, high chairs, etc. However, among them, baby monitors are the most popular and effective. It’s because baby monitors, as the name implies, check the activity of the baby all day and night.
There are variations of this product, like one with a breathing monitor, which prevents a baby from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). A baby monitor is equipped with technology that allows parents to be notified in case something happens. Moreover, it’s easy to install and connect to a screen that will display the child’s situation. It’s perfect for parents who are occupied with another task and want to keep an eye on their baby simultaneously.
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Smoke Alarms
Another safety measure that parents should consider is smoke alarms. Technically, these sensors would detect smoke inside the house and set off to let the people be aware of the impending danger. In case of emergencies such as house fire, this device would be a great help not just to the children but to the entire family too.
Furthermore, smoke alarms are effective countermeasures against smoking. Secondhand smokers have a higher fatality rate than smokers themselves. It’s unhealthy for family members to smoke around young children. This activity will affect them physically, and they could catch the bad example too.
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Accident Prevention
Children are always prone to accidents. This is because their physical body and their mental capacity to decide aren’t fully developed yet. This means that kids often act based on their instincts. They play however they want and stuff their mouth with whatever they think is food. This is precisely why young children need undivided attention to ensure their safety since the danger is just lurking around the corner. Although there are safety videos for kids online, here are some preventive measures that parents could easily follow to avoid accidents.
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Crawling & Walking Safety: Toddlers are a lot to handle, especially when they start learning to walk. They love to make use of their newfound freedom to explore. To avoid accidents, make sure that the home’s flooring is free from hazardous and sharp objects. If possible, install temporary baby fences at the section before the stairwell. Also, parents should secure shelves and things that might be easily knocked over. This is to ensure that no falling debris can endanger the child.
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Water & Electricity Safety: These two are some of the most dangerous hazards parents should be wary of. When there’s water, drowning is probable; likewise, when there’s electricity, electrocution is possible. To resolve this problem, never leave the kids unattended during bath time and not fill the bath to the brim. Furthermore, unplug all devices and never give the kids access to metallic objects that they might use to insert in the sockets.
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Burns & Scalds Prevention: This accident usually occurs in the kitchen where boiling, heating, and burning happens. Therefore, instruct the kids to always be careful during the cooking time and comprehensively explain that recently used pots and pans are extremely hot, so the kids will avoid touching them. Of course, keep away all these after use so they won’t have access in the first place.
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Poisoning Risks: Most often than not, kids think everything is a snack. Aside from toys that might cause choking and suffocation, keep away all chemicals they might consider candies, such as mothballs and pesticides. Also, keep detergents and cleaning agents locked away in the utility or storage closet.
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CPR & First Aid
Other skills that parents must learn and hone are CPR and First Aid. It pays a lot to be able to attend to the kids in case of urgent emergencies. For example, CPR will be helpful in case of a potential drowning, and fatal choking can be prevented through Heimlich Maneuver.
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Emergency Contacts
Along with CPR & First Aid, parents must compile emergency numbers to easily access them, like a sticky note on the fridge, telephone phonebook, and emergency numbers on the mobile phone. It’s best to call help from the experts and not solely rely on CPR & First Aid.
Conclusion
It’s without a doubt how children are very susceptible to danger. For parents, whose primary goal is to protect their kids, it’s highly recommended for them to start babyproofing the house. Take note of the risks, remove the hazards, and finally, keep the child away from any possible dangerous situation.
