Keeping Children Safe

The best defense for your child is calm, rational, well-informed, well-aware parenting. Know your children well and know their habits. Talk to them. Listen to their needs and fears.

Using new technology and gadgets can be a sensible, intelligent way of ensuring your children's security. Ideally, these should only be an extension of your own involvement with them. And never let irrational fear be your guide in making security choices.

Learn to have faith in your child's innate sense of right and wrong, and they, too, will have faith in themselves and their own instincts. It's a fine line, but one you have to find. The following are some simple rules and guidelines regarding your child's safety:

In the home

  • Keep your home as safe and neat as possible.
  • Teach your children to pick up their toys after they are done playing with them.
  • Keep extension cords and electrical cords out of traffic areas.
  • Purchase appropriate child safety products, such as plug covers, TV anchors, etc.
  • Make sure your children never tell anyone if they are home alone.

By the pool

  • The best defense is close parental attention, though this is not always possible, of course. Using the buddy system is also very good.
  • Use gates and locks where possible. Have several kinds of safety equipment on hand.
  • Don't rely on waterwings or other floatation devices to keep your young child afloat.
  • Don't participate in outdoor water activity during bad weather.
  • A pool alarm is an excellent new product to help keep your young child from drowning.

If someone accidentally swallows poison

  • Remain calm.
  • Phone 9-1-1 immediately.
  • Keep the poison handy so that emergency personnel can know what it is.

On the street

  • Teach kids to yell and scream and fight if they are ever assaulted in any manner
  • Create a password between you and your child. People who have no business picking up your child or any other intrusion will not know the password.
  • If your children are ever asked for directions or to "help find a puppy," (or other), they should simply yell "Get the police to help you," and walk or run way.