KEEPING CURIOUS KIDS SAFE AT HOME
When your child is at home, you may think that they are perfectly safe. Unfortunately for parents, especially parents of curious kids, that is not always the case. Nearly 1400 children died from home related injuries last year according to SafeKids.org, including suffocations, falling TV’s, toys, consuming button batteries, and falls.
When your child is curious, even more things in your home become a danger. Fortunately, there are a lot of things that you can do to keep your kids safe without having to wrap them up in bubble wrap.
Talk About It
Making sure that your kids understand why certain things are off limits can be a life-saver. When it comes to kids, especially curious ones, they love to do things that they are told not to do. So, if you tell them not to go into a certain cabinet or not to play with lighters, chances are they will do it. However, if you sit down with your child and have an honest talk with them about what is in the cabinet they shouldn’t go into and why it is dangerous, they are far more likely to obey the rules.
It is also important that they understand fire and why they can’t play with matches, candles, or lighters in the house. Thousands of house fires happen each year from kids playing with fire, so it is important to talk about fire with your kids and explain the danger of it.
As kids get older, child-proofing methods begin to be figured out which can make it even more tempting for them to get into things, so talking about it can be a very necessary step in keeping them safe. And, if they understand things, they won’t be nearly as curious about them.
Prepare for the Plundering
Kids plunder. They love to get into things and they love to climb up on top of things to see what they can see. Make sure furniture, televisions and objects that could topple over are securely anchored to the walls, so that when they do decide to climb it won’t be as dangerous.
BayCare recommends that parents should lock up potentially dangerous substances and materials (medications, cleaning products, plastic bags), secure choking and strangulation hazards (blind cords, drapes) and block access to stairs and hazard-filled areas (kitchens, bathrooms, garage). Try to think of all of the places that your child is probably curious about (including things in your bedroom) and lock whatever you do not want them to get into.
Give them an Outlet
For some kids, curiosity that starts at home comes from boredom. When that happens, it is a good idea to get them involved in programs outside of the house. One great place to go is the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County Family Resource Centers . There, your child can meet other kids, make arts and crafts, and learn all about safety while you get the help and safety tips that you need at the same time.
Curious kids are a great thing, it means that they are using their minds and that they want to figure out life all around them, and keeping them safe at home doesn’t have to seem like climbing a mountain.
For more information on how to keep kids safe at home, visit TBParenting.com .
by Angela Ardolino of Tampa Bay Parenting, TBParenting.com