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Feb
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Posted by jesstrump
February 21, 2007 |
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We had two police officers come to our M.O.P.S. group last night to discuss safety. I learned so much! They presented us with lots of information on how to keep ourselves and our kids safe. Here is a list they gave us with the top 10 safety mistakes that parents make:
- Failure to buckle up your child. Let your friends and family now that no matter how harmless the car ride seems to them or inconvenient your insistence is, you will not risk your child’s safety by putting them in a car without a car seat and neither should they. Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of kids.
- Ignoring car seat manufacturer recommendations. 90% of carseats are not installed properly! To find out if your carseat is installed correctly go to SeatCheck.
- Not exercising enough caution when walking or strolling in parking lots and streets. Always be alert and only cross at crosswalks. Don’t think that just because you see a vehicle that the driver of the car sees you.
- Not teaching your child to swim. Did you know that children can drown in as little as one inch of water? Some tips to avoid this are to use a fence with a locking gate to keep children away from your pool, empy and turn over water containers, teach children to swim when they are ready which is usually 4 or older, and never let your children swim alone. Go to Club Swim to find an swim instructor near you.
- Neglecting to change the batteries in you smoke detectors and/or not having smoke detectors place correctly. Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and test them each month to make sure they are working. Change your battery twice a year and replace your detectors with new ones every ten years. Practice family fire drills once or twice a year so your children know what to do in case of an emergency.
- Allowing children to play with toys that are dangerous or inappropriate for their age. Make sure you select toys to suit the child’s age and abilities. Look for sturdy construction without sharp edges or points. Check periodically to make sure your children’s toys haven’t been recalled.
- Giving your child foods that can cause choking. The top 10 choking foods for children under 4 are apples, carrots, celery, grapes, hot dogs, hard candy, peanut butter, nuts, popcorn, and raisins.
- Leaving a child unattended on a bed, at a table, and near stairs. Use bed rails, always make sure child is strapped into high chairs, swings, changing tables, and strollers, keep furniture away from windows, don’t leave baby alone on high surfaces, and use safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs.
- Allowing your child access to poisonous substances. Lock up poisons and medicines or put them out of children’s reach. Make sure to find out which household products and plants are poisonous.
- Not making yourself and your child aware of local natural dangers. Accessive heat, dogs and other animals, and excessive cold are just a few examples of things you need to teach your child about that could be potentially dangerous.
I hope this list is a helpful reminder!
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