Our little ones depend on us completely on everything and that is their well-being, good health as well as their safety. Our homes have a lot of potential for injuries and this makes them hazardous places for kids. Prevention is better than cure, right? Tragedy can strike with the best precautions in place but it is always better to take preventative measures to minimize the possible causes as much as we can. To avoid finding you and your child in an emergency situation, make your home a child friendly environment because we all know they have the mind of their own that pushes them to explore.

SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR CHILDREN

Avoid burns
Burns can be caused by heat, chemicals and electricity. I have seen too many infants or young children with severe burn scars.
~ While cooking place pots with handles at the back with handles facing inward or away from possibility of being bumped.
~Electric socket outlets (known as plugs) can be covered with protective covers to avoid them sticking their fingers in them. Electrical shock can cause serious internal damage than it looks on the outside.
~Do not touch the child if they are being shocked without breaking the electrical current(switch off or push the child aside using for e.g. wood cooking spoon or broomstick) otherwise you will be shocked as well.
~Never leave the child alone next to heaters unattended, they might even stick anything into it that can start fire. Rather switch it off completely in a way that the child cannot switch it back on or take the child with you.
~Some chemicals can cause severe burn if they come into contact with the skin. Keep them out of their reach but rather always keeps the lids tight or preferably use child safe lids in case they come into contact with them.
~ Do not leave matches or lighters where children can find them & be sure to teach young ones the danger of fire.

Poison
We sometimes keep poisonous stuff in our households that can be for cleaning purposes or for keeping insects or rats away. Babies do not know what is good or not for them, they normally put whatever they hold in their mouths.
~ Methylated spirits, toilet cleaners and other household cleaning substances must be kept away immediately after use.
~ If you use rat traps use them where the baby cannot crawl to and never forget to thoroughly    wash your hands after handling them. Better yet always use
gloves that are for single use only.
~Rather have a part of the cupboard that can be locked and keep items like this in them and remove the key for safe keeping.
Alternatively install safety latches on your cabinets

Medication
The little emergency pharmacies we keep can be helpful as well as hazardous. First aid kids have gloves in them that can either be chewed & lead to choking or can be pulled over the baby’s head and cause difficulty breathing. They also have sharp dangerous objects like safety pins and scissors.
Kids never get enough of syrups we give them when they are sick because they are normally sweet should they get hold of them there are very high chances of drinking up the whole bottle.
~Get first aid storage that can be locked & the key to be accessible to adults only. Key easy access is very important should it be needed during emergency.
~Or keep them in child proof container

Stairs
~Strength of the railings should be checked
~Doors giving access to balconies must be locked
~Install safety gates on both sides of the stairways

Toys
~Toys must be age-appropriate, young toddlers are not to play with toys that have small parts.
~Check toys regularly for any damage that can be a hazard
~most toys come wrapped in plastics or bubble wraps that have a warning sign on them, take note and throw them away immediately.
~Remember walking rings elevate them & allows them to walk around, supervise all the time as they can reach other dangerous places or they can trip & fall over uneven surfaces.
~Balloons are a serious hazard, supervise them when playing with them. My daughter once played with an inflated balloon that burst while playing, she then picked it & started chewing it so it got stuck on her throat & started suffocating to almost losing her when no one was looking.
~Always pack them away when not in use
~Playgrounds is a place of jumping and falling and they can have ropes or nets & ropes can cause strangulation and there is danger of fractures.
~24hours supervision on their playground with strict rules of playing safe and correct use of their playground equipment.

Water safety/Drowning
Drowning is still a leading cause of death in children while most who drown can actually swim. It is not only about swimming pools because babies can easily drown in their own bath tubs if left unattended even for a second
~Toilets are also drowning hazards, cover them with or use safety latches if you can.
~Do not keep water in buckets or baths, should need arise close buckets with lids and ensure no access to the bath.
~Keep the pool fenced with locked gates
~Remove the toys from the pool so they don’t attract children.
~Cover it with a solid safety cover that is properly installed not a net
~Water that is as little as 2cm can cause drowning in small children so be aware of anything around the house that can accumulate water even when it’s shallow. There is a lot of potential danger of drowning in and around our homes, it doesn’t take time or too much water.
~Children are drawn to water let’s keep them safe around it or away.

Pets
our most favorite pets are dogs,
~vaccinate them to protect both you & the children from Rabies
~Teach kids how to handle dogs & what to do based on their reactions
TIP: Familiarize yourself with how to act in an emergency, learn basic CPR, do a regular check on your first aid kid& keep emergency contacts on all your phones if you have more than one.

***STAY VIGILANT AND PLAY IT SAFE***