Your adult-friendly home has many potential hazards for a child. But you can keep your child safe by finding out what the risks are, and then preventing or removing them. Show
But even when you think you’ve removed all the home safety hazards, the reality is that children can still have tumbles and falls. That’s why supervision is one of the keys to child safety at home. Also, as your child grows and learns to climb and open things, you need to be alert for new hazards. You’ll probably need to change the environment to make sure your home is still a safe and creative place to play and explore. And along with supervision and a safe environment, you can also improve home safety by teaching your child about what’s safe and what’s not. If children have a creative space to play and explore, with plenty of interesting things to do and look at, they’ll be less likely to seek their own stimulation by exploring areas you might not want them to get into. Baby furniture and equipmentSafe baby furniture and baby equipment will help to protect your child. Always look for cots, mattresses, portacots and high chairs with the Australian Standards mark. There are no Australian Standards for change tables and safety gates, so it’s important to look carefully at the safety features of any tables and gates you’re interested in. Burns and scalds preventionTo prevent burns, keep your child away from fire and hot surfaces. Keep a close eye on your child whenever they’re near things that can burn – especially around stoves, ovens, microwaves, heaters and other appliances. Hot food and drinks and too-hot baths are a major cause of scalds for babies and children. Here are some simple safety precautions to avoid these risks:
Print out our illustrated guide to burns and scalds first aid for easy reference in an emergency. You can also read more about first aid for burns and scalds. Electrical safetyHere are tips for electrical safety at home:
Falls prevention at homeFalls are the most common cause of injuries and visits to hospital in every age group. You can help to keep your child safe by watching the new skills they’re learning, and the new places they can reach – and then adjusting your home. For example:
Don’t leave babies unattended on raised surfaces like change tables, sofas or beds. Babies might roll or wriggle off and fall. Furniture safetyChildren can be seriously injured if furniture tips and falls on top of them. Here are ways to reduce the risk of this happening:
Glass safetyWhen children are running around at home, it’s easy for them to run into glass windows and doors. Here are tips to keep your child safe around glass:
Household tools and backyard safetySome simple precautions can help you keep your child safe around household tools and other backyard safety hazards:
House firesHouse fires can be caused by cooking accidents, smouldering cigarettes, electrical faults, candles, incense and children playing with lighters and matches. Working smoke alarms are an essential fire safety precaution. By law your home must have at least one working smoke alarm installed on each level. For overall fire safety at home, you should install a smoke alarm outside the sleeping areas of your home. It’s also a very good idea to install alarms in bedrooms where people sleep with their doors closed. Test your smoke alarms every month and replace batteries each year. Replace the smoke alarms themselves every 10 years. Poisoning preventionPoisoning is one of the leading causes of injury to children under five, and children are often poisoned by common household chemicals and medicines. You can make your child’s environment safer by:
If you think your child has been poisoned, call the Poisons Information Centre on 131 126. Strangulation and suffocation preventionMany homes have everyday items that could strangle or suffocate a child. These items include soft toys and bedding, blinds, cords and ropes, and bags, boxes and packaging. Here are some essential safety tips to keep your child safe from suffocation and strangulation:
Water safetyWater safety depends on 100% active adult supervision whenever your child is around water. This includes around baths, pools, ponds, dams, rivers, creeks, baths and buckets with water. If you have a pool, by law you must have a pool fence and self-locking gate that meets Australian Standard AS:1926. Regularly check and maintain the pool fence and gate to make sure it’s in proper working order. Never leave the gate propped open. For bath safety, always supervise and give your full attention to babies and children under five years in the bath. Never leave children alone in the bath or bathroom. Never leave older children or siblings to supervise. Print out our illustrated guide to indoor safety and our illustrated guide to outdoor safety for more tips. CPR and first aidIt’s a very good idea to do some first aid and CPR training. First aid training is recommended every three years, and CPR training is recommended every year. You can do training with organisations like the Royal Life Saving Society, the Red Cross and St John Ambulance Australia. Keep first aid kits in your home and car, and take a kit on holidays too. Print out our illustrated guides to CPR for children under one year, CPR for children over one year, choking first aid for children under one year and choking first aid for children over one year. Emergency numbersMake a list of emergency numbers to keep near your telephone. Below are some suggestions for numbers to include:
Need more information on child safety? Contact Kidsafe or the child safety centres or child health promotion units at the major children’s hospital in the capital city of your state or territory.
Skills such as taking turns, playing make believe, and kicking a ball, are called developmental milestones. Developmental milestones are things most children can do by a certain age. Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, behave, and move (like jumping, running, or balancing). Because of children’s growing desire to be independent, this stage is often called the “terrible twos.” However, this can be an exciting time for parents and toddlers. Toddlers will experience huge thinking, learning, social, and emotional changes that will help them to explore their new world, and make sense of it. During this stage, toddlers should be able to follow two- or three-step directions, sort objects by shape and color, imitate the actions of adults and playmates, and express a wide range of emotions. Positive Parenting TipsFollowing are some of the things you, as a parent, can do to help your toddler during this time:
Child Safety FirstBecause your child is moving around more, he will come across more dangers as well. Dangerous situations can happen quickly, so keep a close eye on your child. Here are a few tips to help keep your growing toddler safe:
Healthy Bodies
For More InformationCDC’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” Campaign CDC’s Parent Information (Children 0―3 years) CDC’s Essentials for Parenting Toddlers and Preschoolers CDC’s Breastfeeding Information CDC’s Information on Infant and Toddler Nutrition CDC’s Protect the Ones You Love CDC’s Information on Vaccinations My Plate – Infantsexternal icon My Plate – Toddlersexternal icon HealthyChildren.orgexternal icon Just in Time Parentingexternal icon (JITP) Healthy Kids Healthy Futureexternal icon National Highway Traffic Safety Administrationexternal icon (NHTSA) National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.external icon (NICHD) World Health Organization information on infant nutritionexternal icon CDC’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” Campaign CDC’s Parent Information (Children 4−11 years) CDC’s Essentials for Parenting Toddlers and Preschoolers CDC’s Healthy Weight Information. CDC’s Youth Physical Activity Guidelines My Plate- Preschoolersexternal icon HealthyChildren.orgexternal icon Just in Time Parentingexternal icon (JITP) Healthy Kids Healthy Futureexternal icon National Highway Traffic Safety Administrationexternal icon (NHTSA) CDC’s Parent Information (Children 4 — 11 years) CDC’s Healthy Weight Information. CDC’s Youth Physical Activity Basics CDC’s Kids Quest CDC’s BAM! Body and Mind My Plate – Kidsexternal icon. HealthyChildren.orgexternal icon Just in Time Parentingexternal icon (JITP) Let’s Move-Kidsexternal icon National Highway Traffic Safety Administrationexternal icon (NHTSA) StopBullying.govexternal icon SAMHSA’s KnowBullying appexternal icon Teens Healthexternal icon CDC’s Adolescent and School Mental Health CDC’s Parent Information (Teens 12— 19) CDC’s Healthy Weight Information. CDC’s Youth Physical Activity Guidelines CDC’s Pregnancy Prevention for Teens. CDC’s BAM! Body and Mind CDC’s Information on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth Health American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatryexternal icon My Plate – Teenexternal icon HealthyChildren.orgexternal icon Just in Time Parentingexternal icon (JITP) National Highway Traffic Safety Administrationexternal icon (NHTSA) National Institute of Mental Healthexternal icon StopBullying.govexternal icon SAMHSA’s KnowBullying appexternal icon Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)external icon Teens Healthexternal icon |