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YOUR FAMILY CHILD SAFETY Under this section our first advice to you would be to make your home safe because the greatest gift you can give your family is a safe home. Next, be sure you know the important phone numbers. Knowing them alone is not enough. Post them by your telephone so they'll be handy in the event of any unforeseen circumstances. To ensure that your child is safe at home, especially if it is a crawling toddler, your first and foremost action would be to child proof your home. And how do you do it? Yes, by getting on your knees. Take a crawl through your house, room by room and see what is within your child’s reach.Any valuable and breakable things should be put away or up high for the next couple of years. The same goes for any dangerous stuff. The same goes for any dangerous stuff. It is possible to teach children to stay away from things they shouldn’t touch. Nevertheless, why take the chance at the risk of your child’s safety. It is better to be overly cautious than not paying enough caution to simply safety measures that could mean a great deal to your child’s safety indoors.

CHILD SAFETY INDOORS Below are some safety tips to ensure child safety indoors. Store all your dangerous household items safely. Lock away medicines, toxic bleaches, drain cleaners, paint solvents, polishes and waxes in a secure place, out of your child’s sight and reach. Don’t keep them under a sink or in plain view of your especially if you have a toddler around. Use safety latches and locks for cabinets and drawers in kitchens, bathrooms and other areas to help prevent uncalled for accidents. Keep all plastic wrapping materials, such as plastic bags and trash bags, away from children. Children playing with plastic wrappings run the risk of suffocation. Also, never use thin plastic materials to cover mattresses or pillows. Your intention of trying to protect these items is not worth the dangers they might cause to your child. Disconnect electrical appliances when they're not in use. Children could be electrocuted by this failure. Place furniture away from high windows so that children won't climb onto a window seat or sill. Don't depend on window screens to keep your child from falling out. Screens are designed to keep bugs out, not to keep children in. q Be sure to take down any tablecloths or doilies that usually have objects sitting on top of them. One pull and a child could have whatever is on the cloth dumped on his or her head. Keep the tops of stairways blocked so your baby or toddler can't fall. Also, never leave a small child unattended around outdoor deck stairs, concrete steps, or a swimming pool. Check around the house for any exposed screws, bolts, or fasteners with sharp edges or points and any other furniture designs that might entrap a child’s head. Do away with them immediately.

When you put up a safety device, make sure your child isn't watching. Little children learn things very fast. Don't hang objects with strings or elastics around cribs or playpens where your child might become entangled and choke to death. Also ensure that there are no curtains or Venetian blind cords hanging within your baby's reach. Ensure that your child's toys have not broken or come apart at the seams, exposing small removable parts or pellets that might become lodged in a child's windpipe, ears, or nose. Check toys for small components that might be swallowed or inhaled. Even such common items as coins, pins, buttons, or small batteries can choke a child. When choosing toys, look for labels that give age recommendations. Some toys or games, which are safe for older children, may contain parts that could be hazardous in a younger child's hands. Plastic wrappings on toys should be discarded as soon as the toy is opened, before the wrappings become potentially deadly playthings. Careful toy selection and proper supervision of children at play is a necessity and the best way to protect your children from toy-related injuries. Fire drills are very important. Make sure you have fire drills on a regular basis. If your children are old enough to understand, teach your children the quickest route out of the house, and also show a back-up route in the event that the main route is blocked. Your child should understand that it's best to get on all fours and crawl through smoke because smoke rises, and all the good air will be close to the floor. Whenever possible, practice the fire drills until you and your family can get out in the quickest time possible. The more you practice, the better you will be.

HOME ALONE SAFETY Do we actually know when is it okay to begin leaving our child at home alone? Well, the answer really is different for every child. In general, children under 10 should not be left on their own while babies and younger children should never be left alone even for a few minutes. For children aged 10 and above, before leaving them at home alone, make sure that they are mature enough to be on their own. To test yourself in knowing whether a child can be left alone at home, first and foremost, ask your self these questions. Is your child at least 10 years old? Does your child feel at all frightened or apprehensive about staying home alone? Does your child follow your instructions and your rules? Can you count on your child to tell you the truth? Can your child be counted on to stay clear-headed in an unexpected or emergency situation? Can your child calmly dial any local emergency number, give their full name (and yours), street address and phone number, and explain the situation? Before leaving your child alone at home start out with short trial runs, leaving your child home alone for 15 minutes or so and gradually increasing the amount of time your child spends alone. Things you should do in order to help protect your kids even when you are not around: Let your kids know exactly what you expect of them - discuss your house rules. Make sure you have a list of important numbers where your child can find it. Post it on the fridge or near the telephone if possible. Review basic safety rules on a regular basis. Discuss how to respond in the event of an emergency situation, and role play responses. Teach your child a little bit on basic first aid. Instruct your child not to enter your house if the door is open, unlocked, or if anything seems unusual. Remind your child not to answer the door (without your prior approval) - Install a peephole at his eye level. Instruct your child that he should never let someone at the door or on the phone know he is alone. Be sure you feel that your child can comfortably handle using the telephone, operate the security system/door, and can safely use any appliances they might be using after school. Be sure you have a working fire extinguisher and your child knows how to operate it (and you have smoke detectors with fresh batteries appropriately placed throughout your house.) Plan escape routes and meeting place outside your home in case of fire. Ask that your child let you know immediately if anything makes them uncomfortable or frightened.

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