The meaning of the aphorism “My home is my fortress” is simple - our native walls give us a feeling of security. And indeed, we often think about dangers from outside and do not expect threats within the walls of our home. But with the arrival of a small child in the family, it is worth thinking about the safety of your cozy nest.
To create a safe environment for children in the home, we suggest considering the main risks and ways to avoid them.
Sources of danger
Electricity
To protect children from electric shock, it is necessary to cover all sockets in the house with special covers. The covers prevent children from putting their fingers or other objects into the outlet. There should be no pilot sockets, extension cords or wires, especially bare wires, within a child’s reach.
Burns
Eliminate or limit access to hazards:
- hot surfaces: gas or electric stove, heater, oven, kettle, iron, etc.;
- hot liquids: boiling water, hot tea, soup, etc.;
- hot items: frying pans, pots, candles, etc.
How to protect children from burns?
- matches and lighters should be out of reach of the baby;
- after using an iron, curling iron or hair dryer, be sure to unplug them and put them in a safe place where a child cannot reach them;
- cook on distant burners and keep cooked food where the child cannot reach;
- long handles of ladles and stewpans should be turned away from the edge so that the child cannot reach them;
- do not hold the child in your arms while cooking on the stove;
- close the bathroom so that the child cannot open the hot water tap on his own.
Pinching
Drawers and furniture doors, interior doors can pinch a small child's finger. You can create a safe environment for your baby using special blockers and locks for doors and drawers.
Contusions
Children are active and inquisitive, so they often stumble, fall and hit themselves. Install soft pads on sharp corners of furniture to reduce the risk of injury from impact. If the floor in the house is laid with slippery tiles, it is better to lay soft carpets on top.
Bathing
Don't leave children alone in the bathroom. A child can drown even in a small amount of water! After bathing, drain the bath immediately. It is also recommended to use rubber mats with suction cups to protect your child from slipping and falling during bathing.
Advice: From an early age, teach children to sit in the bathtub on the opposite side of the faucet so as not to accidentally turn on hot water and get burned.
Windows and stairs
It is worth installing blockers or protective grilles on windows. A barrier to the stairs or balcony for children should be a “safety gate” (partition).
Items in the house that are best kept away from children:
- household chemicals;
- sharp objects: razors, scissors, needles, knives and other objects that can cause cuts and punctures;
- medications;
- small objects such as coins, buttons and toys may be swallowed or inhaled by children;
- small electronics: wireless headphones, lithium batteries, etc.;
- glassware, heavy figurines, etc.
Advice: Parents should periodically inspect the apartment from the child’s height level in order to promptly notice and remove objects that may be dangerous.
Alone at home
In addition to creating a safe space, it is equally important to teach children safety rules. This is especially true for older children, who may be left at home alone, and must be able to make decisions independently in emergency situations:
- learn and write down on paper the main emergency numbers;
- the child must know the phone numbers of parents and trusted adults. They can also be written down and left in a visible place, such as on the refrigerator;
- Explain to your child that you cannot open the door to strangers, even if it is a neighbor or some other familiar person. You also cannot answer calls from unfamiliar numbers;
- close the windows when leaving;
- if you live on the first floor, explain to your child that he should not go to the window if someone is knocking on it, and not talk to strangers, even if they ask about it;
- matches, lighters and other sources of open flame should be out of reach of children. Often the craving for experiments in children awakens precisely when they are left alone!
Growing up is an exciting stage in a person's life, but it also comes with risks. Children do not have enough life experience to independently assess danger, so it is important to explain to them what may be dangerous and why.
Parents should constantly remind their children of safety rules at home, but do this without intimidation. It is important to build a trusting relationship with your child so that he feels cared for and not just controlled. Then he will be more inclined to follow the established restrictions.
Resources: gdemoideti.ru; allremont59.ru; secretmag.ru; playroom.com.ru
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