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Child safety
is one of the most important issues parents face today. From infants to toddlers, school-age children and teenagers, child safety is an ongoing process and concern. Child safety begins the moment you bring your baby home from the hospital with transporting him/her in a proper infant safety seat. Caring for a baby may be the least stressful period of your child’s life, from a child safety concern (acknowledging other’s may disagree with this statement.) Not to say that feeding, changing diapers, bathing and other infant needs are not a lot of work, but once a baby starts crawling and walking - keeping them safe and out of harm’s way is an around the clock job. There are literally dozens of child safety topics, including infant safety seats, child proofing your home, including safety gates, playground safety, school safety programs, plus child abduction concerns. It’s vital that your child understand to never interact with strangers, without having them become afraid of everyone they don’t know. Most people in the world today love children and are kind and helpful, but unfortunately child abduction or kidnapping does happen and is a real child safety concern for all parents.
Once a child reaches the teenage years, other concerns come into play, such as internet safety. Communication is key when your children become teenagers. Let them know you’re there for them, ready to listen and not judge. Regarding the internet, be sure you know what websites your children are visiting and read those web site’s privacy policies. Children’s web sites are not permitted to request personal information without a parent’s consent. However, be sure to tell your child what personal information should never be given online, such as their home address, phone numbers, name or location of their school. Internet accounts should be in the parent’s name, and they should control the passwords and use their names for the primary screen name. Also, check out the various types of software that are available to monitor websites or have filtering capabilities for computers. Some online service providers also offer safeguarding programs.
Another factor of child safety involves disposing of outdated medications, and hidden poisons and chemicals. Carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas produced by malfunctioning fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces, water heaters, ovens, stoves, gas dryers, and emergency generators. It can be deadly. Install a carbon monoxide detector, just as you do a smoke detector and be sure to check the batteries twice a year (spring and fall when you change your clocks is recommended.) Also, if your home was built prior to 1978, it may contain lead paint. This is dangerous if the paint is flaking or peeling. If you suspect lead paint in your home, hire a licensed professional to cover it with an approved sealant or remove the paint completely. For more information, visit the National Lead Information Center’s website or call 800-424-5323.
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