1.
Have your baby
tips on safety in hand and do a safety check around the house, picking
out any safety issues you want to fix. Afterwards, commit yourself to
addressing and fixing all the items that you spotted.
2.
Baby’s
Car Seat Safety
o Be sure the seat is properly installed (refer
to installation instructions and vehicle owner's manual)?
o If possible, place the seat in the center of
back seat. Never use the front passenger side when there is an airbag.
o Infants less than one year and 20 pounds must
be placed in the rear-facing position.
o A child must still be in a car seat until they
are four years old and weigh at least 40 pounds.
3.
Pool
and Hot Tub Safety
o Consider having a locking 5 foot fence or a
safety cover for your pool and/or hot tub.
o Get alarms on all doors leading from the house
to the pool area.
o Remove all toys and debris from the pool and
the pool area?
4.
Gun
Safety
o Have you talked to your children about guns?
o Tell them they are never to touch or play with
guns, even if someone wants to only show them a gun, they are to leave and tell
another adult immediately.
o For gun owners:
Put all ammunition
in a separate, locked place.
§ Never keep live rounds in your gun.
§ Keep the unloaded gun in a locked gun safe and
the keys stored in a separate location.
5.
Write up a fire
escape plan for your home and share the plan with everyone in the
family so they know what to do.
6.
Check
all fire safety equipment.
o Are the smoke alarms working?
o Make sure the fire extinguishers are full and everyone
in the family knows how to use them.
o Make sure flashlights are strategically placed
in with extra batteries and that everyone in the family knows where they are.
7.
Teach
your kids the stop, drop
and roll technique just in case their clothes catch on fire.
8.
Check
the baby's crib.
o Are the slats less than 2-3/8 inches?
o Are all the slats secure?
o The corner posts should not be any higher than
the end panels and they should never extend over the end panels.
o Are there holes in the mattress?
o Remove all stuffed animals.
o The crib should not be near any windows,
electrical outlets, lamps, etc.
o If you baby can pull themselves up, you should
remove all mobiles.
9.
Check
condition and sturdiness of toys. Throw away any toys with sharp edges or ones that are
broken or falling apart.
10.
Check
your children's clothing for
loose buttons and remove strings.
11.
Be sure the baby's
pacifier is always in good condition. Never use strings to attach the
pacifier to baby's clothes or crib.
12.
Is your family’s
sleepwear fire retardant? Check labels to be sure.
13.
If you have them,
check your safety gates andplay yards and make
sure they are in good condition. Stay away from or replace older accordion
style safety gates. They are a strangulation hazard.
14.
When your baby is in
the baby carrier, be sure to never place it on counter tops or any
high surfaces. Babies have been known to wiggle and tip themselves over.
18.
Never use old or used baby
walkers. They can be dangerous (especially old ones that don't meet today's
safety standards). Never use them around or near stairs.
19.
Do
a stroller check.
o For collapsible strollers, be sure the latches
are secure before putting the baby in it.
o Always check that your child's arms are out of
the way when reversing handle directions.
o Be sure to use the safety strap.
o Never hang heavy bags on the stroller handle.
This can cause the stroller to tip over.
20.
Review
your cooking habits.
o Turn pot handles towards the back of the
stove.
o To lessen the chance of accidents, it is best
to use the back burners when cooking. This keeps the hot food further away from
the reach of children.
21.
Make sure you talk to
your children about stove and oven safety.
22.
Remove
all unused freezer or refrigeratorsstored in your garage or yard. If you must keep it, be sure to
lock the doors or store them with the door facing towards a wall that will not
allow the door to open. Curious children can climb inside and suffocate.
23.
Check
the latches on your
cupboards. Replace any latches that have broken.
24.
Here are the 12 most
common choking foodsfor kids under five:
1.
Popcorn
2.
Hot dogs
3.
Chunks of meat
4.
Raisins
5.
Ice cubes
6.
Chunky peanut butter
7.
Peanuts (nuts of any
kind)
8.
Hard candy
9.
Grapes
10. Raw carrots
11. Potato chips
12. Corn chips
25.
Never leave your toddler or baby alone
while eating. If they begin to choke you need to be nearby to assist.
26.
Look for and remove
all loose change around the house. Babies and toddlers love putting
things in their mouths and loose change on the floor or in the cushions of the
couch are choking potential hazards.
27.
Get rid of any old or expired
prescriptions and medications. Be sure your medicine is safely and securely
stored away. Just a word of warning: do not call medication "candy"
in front of your children. Kids are not able to discern the difference.
28.
NEVER leave your baby unattended
in the bathtub under any circumstance. Wait until the baby can sit up
by themselves to give baths in the tub.
29.
Clean
your yard. Make sure there is
no equipment lying around such as trimmers, lawnmowers, hoses, etc. that could
cause injury to your children.
30.
Check the cords
on your blinds and draperies. Be sure they are tied up or cut off and kept
out of your child's reach. The loop of the cord should break apart if you slide
your hand between the two cords.
31.
Secure
your bookshelves firmly to the
walls. An unsecure bookshelf can topple over on a child, especially if the
child grabs or climbs on it.
32.
Make
sure you know CPR and basic first aid techniques. If you do not, enroll in an infant/child
CPR and first aid class.
33.
See your house from
the point of view of your baby. Get down on your hands and knees and crawl
through your house and look for any potential hazards.
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