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One of the most important responsibilities we have as parents is to keep our children safe. Thousands of children are injured every year from accidents that occur in the home. No matter how busy we are trying to balance family and career, creating a safe home environment for our children should always be our number one priority. Most in-home accidents occur when a child is left unattended or when the necessary precautions weren't taken ahead of time to prevent the accident. To ensure your home is safe for your kids, consider the following precautionary measures: 1. Make sure all potentially dangerous items are removed from your home or are secured under lock and key. Keep small objects out of reach as they present a choking hazard. Lock all cleaning agents, medications and other products containing toxic chemicals in a cabinet. Cover all electrical outlets with safety protectors. Don't leave items like cigarette lighters, matches or medications in a handbag or briefcase where children can find them. 2. Never leave your child unattended, even for a few seconds. Many accidents occur from falling down a stairway, in a slippery bathtub, out of a high chair or through an open window. Many a toddler has slipped outside through an unlocked door and wandered into the street. All stairways, windows, screens and doors should be secured. Large objects such as TVs and wobbly furniture should also be secured to prevent toppling over. 3. Always keep the family medicine and liquor cabinets locked. Not only do these pose a real danger to curious toddlers who may accidently ingest them but also to your adolescents and teens who may purposely ingest them. Statistics show that many adolescents and teens experiment with and become addicted to drugs, pain killers and alcohol that they find in their own home. 4. Keep a complete list of emergency phone numbers handy including the police and fire departments, family doctor, paediatrician and poison control centre. If you employ a day care provider or babysitter, give them a copy of the list as well and also include all work and cell phone numbers. 5. Make sure you have sufficient smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors throughout your home. Also have an emergency exit plan ready to implement in case you ever need one. Providing a safe home environment for our children requires a combination of precautionary measures and common sense. As parents, we must always remain vigilant without suffocating and do everything we can to keep our children safe. These great home safety tips are broght to you by Jacqui Vincent, mum of four and the owner of http://www.MyKidsShoes.com.au, Australia's leading online supplier of kids shoes online.
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