Child Safety 

For parents their child's safety is the prime concern. In this topic you will find guidelines of childproofing when they are alone at home and how to keep your home safe for the kids. This section is divided into two topics as under. 

CHILD SAFETY TIPS 

How to make your home safe for kids 
Childproofing your home against unintentional injuries is essential. You have to take special care and caution if your child is still a toddler. According to surveys carried out by childcare associations it is seen that each year more children die from avertable and callous injuries, which could have been easily avoided if proper, care and caution was taken by parents than from all childhood diseases combined. With foresight and action, you can help prevent accidents like burns, cuts, falls, poisonings, drowning, choking, and other serious injuries. 

Following are a few tips to ensure the safety of your child: 

• Always keep small objects and toys with small parts away from children under three. Children have a habit to put every thing that they get on the floor in their mouth. Ensure that nothing is lying on the floor especially things that can be harmful. Check labels on toy packages for age-appropriateness before letting children play with the toys. 
• Never allow your child to play in the kitchen and kitchen cabinets. Teach him that kitchen is not the place to play because by establishing a cabinet as a play space, the child may feel all cabinets are play spaces and so the child may  want to play in the kitchen cabinet also which can be very dangerous and risky. 
• Keep plastic bags completely out of children's reach. Not only plastic bags but also all small plastic items should be removed and kept away from the reach of children. 
• Also  keep your purse and those of all guests, out of children's reach. 
• Stay alert - remember: nothing takes the place of close adult supervision. Make sure grandparent’s house and Crèche is also  safe for your child. No one regrets the time they spent taking precautions, only the time they wish they'd spent. 
• Buy cabinet and drawer latches and locks. Also buy toilet locks and make sure to lock the toilets when you are not around in order to avoid accidents by drowning. 
• Don't store cleaning supplies under the sink, even if it's locked. 
• Buy covers for electrical outlets. Children are very curious and just might want to know what's there inside the hole and might put their finger into it. Help prevent tots  from putting fingers or objects into the outlet thereby ensuring their safety. 
• Install security gates wherever necessary in order  to avoid untoward accidents. Use pressure gates only between rooms. Install permanent gates at the tops and bottoms of stairs. 
• Face baby away from the valve when he's in the tub. Cover cold- and hot-water handles to prevent child from turning on water. 
• Use stove guard to prevent your child from reaching or touching the stove. 
• Use wall hook to hold long phone cords thus keeping them out of children's reach. 
• Avoid having open wiring done at places, which are within your child's reach. 
• Always  keep the front door closed so that  your child doesn't wander outside all alone. 

Keeping kids safe when they're alone in  the house 
In today's modern world, it has become important for both husband and wife to work in order to provide the family of all basic necessities. Hence the  child is either left with babysitters or with grandparents. However it is not possible for every parent to leave their child  in the supervision or control of caregivers and hence if the child is left alone at home it becomes necessary to teach the child certain basic things so that he can take care of himself when he is home alone. There's a lot of stress involved in leaving  your children alone. That's where coaching and teaching comes in. 

When it comes to a child's safety, the home can be a dangerous place. In fact, reports estimate that among  children between the age group of 14 years and younger, 50 percent of deaths and 45 percent of nonfatal, accidental injuries occur at home. 

Deciding whether your child is grown up and mature enough  to stay alone at home without any adult supervision is a tough decision to make. It is always good to let your child take care of himself and you should always teach him to never be dependent on anyone, but remember that your child's safety comes first. Thus when determining whether or not your child is ready to stay home alone, assess  the child individually, not just as part of an overall age group. Generally a child develops mentally to stay home alone at the age of 12 or 13 but it varies from child to child. Children develop at different rates, and parents must consider each child individually. 

Parents to consider questions when  they decide to keep their kids alone at home 

How long will I be gone? 
If you are not working but have to occasionally go out to run some errands then confirm whether your child is comfortable with  the idea of staying alone at home. A child who isn't quite ready to be alone from the time school's out to when working parents get home might be ready to stay alone while a parent runs a few quick errands. 

Is my child emotionally ready? 
Find out whether your child is emotionally ready to stay alone or not. Don't impose anything on the child. If a child is afraid to be left alone, he or she isn't ready  and thus you have to give your child more time. 

How would my child react in an emergency? 
Children need to know when  and how to call for an emergency. Teach your child how to operate fire extinguishers, and how to follow their family's fire escape plan. 

Does my child exercise good judgment? 
Parents need to be confident  and sure that their child will follow directions on answering the telephone and door, on allowing playmates and strangers  in the house, on computer and television usage, and on getting along with siblings. If  your child is not confident enough to handle himself as well as take proper care of the safety of the house then it is not time to leave your child alone at  home and you need to give more time to him. 

Lend emotional support to your child 

Lending emotional support to your child even when you're away will help her feel confident about your trust and concern. First have confidence in yourself that your child can take care of himself/herself and always encourage him/her so that he/she builds up his/her own confidence. Surprise your child with cheery notes offering loving encouragement or thoughts on what a great kid you have. Always tell them that you are proud of them and give your full encouragement in whatever they do. If your child routinely stays at home after school until you get home from work, ask him/her to call you every now and then to check in. Most of all encourage your child to express any concerns she may have about staying alone. If your child is not yet ready to stay alone at home and is not confident about it then be patient with him/her. Don't impose anything upon your child. Be frank with your child. Know his/her mind. If your child is shy and reserved and is not able to speak out his/her mind then try to know his views and don't jump to conclusions. Remember your child's safety is your ultimate concern and any sacrifice is worth it.