Introduction
Babies and young children learn about their world by exploring it. This means that as soon as they are able to, they will crawl, touch and grab at whatever is in their line of vision. They are curious by nature and need careful and gentle guidance from a young age about what danger is and what to stay away from. Shouting at or smacking children will not teach them about safety.
Most accidents happen in the home and this is why it is important to ensure that your home is safe for all your family and especially young children. There are many situations each year in which children will overdose on their parents' drugs and medicines.
Some advice on reducing danger:
- Make sure that all medicines and drugs are locked away well out of reach and your use of them is private to avoid your child copying you
- Certain rooms are necessarily full of danger, such as the kitchen, and should remain out of bounds or made safe by the use of safety devices
- Are your children contained within the house? Is the safety chain high enough on the front door even for an active toddler?
- Crawling and exploring are an essential part of children's development - keep an eye on young children, especially near wires and sockets
- Beware of pets around young children. Even trained and good-natured animals can turn on them
- Make sure that irons, saucepans and hot drinks are kept out of reach of children. Scalding and burns are common and avoidable accidents
- The home that you live in is full of dust and this can trigger or make worse any allergy your children may have such as asthma. Keep your home as dust-free as possible
- Inhaling cigarette smoke is bad for children's health. Children will be affected by passive smoking and your smoking may encourage them to smoke when they are older
- Check toys for safety marks. Ensure that your child does not play with toys that are not suitable for his or her age, especially if the pieces are small enough to choke on. Some toys can be very dangerous
Spend some time exploring your house as if you were a young child. This will show you the many potential dangers which if not removed, could harm your child. Make a list of these potential dangers and remove them to safety or protect your child against them by using safety devices. Remove dangerous objects like medicines, drugs, syringes and household chemicals out of the reach of children and lock them away safely. Explain safety to your child from an early age using your tone of voice and facial expressions alongside explanations to convey your message.
For further advice and information visit the 'Other websites' section on this page.
Helpline telephone numbers
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA): 0121 248 2000
Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT): 020 7608 3828
Also you could talk to your health visitor. To find your nearest health visitor visit the NHS Direct website.