keeping kids safe Archives

A Guide to Keeping Your Children Safe Outside the Home

January 8, 2020 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

Having a child can be worrying for new fathers, especially as they grow older and start to become curious about the world and have minds of their own. As a new dad, you might be concerned about your child’s safety when out and about as well as how to protect them in difficult circumstances. However, there are many methods to make your parenting experience more peaceful by finding ways in which you can keep your child safe in the big, wide world.

· Ensure Your Car is Safe

Every child needs the correct type of car seat to keep them safe when traveling and make sure that they are secure in an accident. Many car seats cater to both children and newborns, including the Clek Fllo, which is compatible with an extension called the Infant Thingy that makes this seat viable for young children. To find out more about the car seats on offer for your child, ParentingPod offers reviews on a number of different car seats, including ‘Clek Foonf Car Seat Review: Luxury, Style, & Safety But Is It Worth It?’, which details all that you need to know about the popular Clek Foonf car seat.

You should also use seatbelts to keep children from harm, even if they are using a car seat, as this will prevent them from hitting the windows of your car or otherwise hurting themselves in the event of a car accident. You can also keep kids safe within a car by installing child locks, stopping them from being able to open the door by accident.

· Take Precautions in Crowded Areas

Your child, especially newborns, should never be left unattended in any location outside of the house, especially in crowded areas such as shopping areas and parks, without a trusted adult’s supervision. You should be present until they are at least 8 years old, or even older, and you should not allow them to walk home from school or run errands until this time.

· Teach Them Safety Lessons

There are many precautions that you can teach your children that can help them to remain safe when they grow older, especially when you are not with them. One of the top schemes that have been used to teach children about safety is the Stranger Danger rule, which teaches children to be wary of strangers and to say no to anything offered to them when out and about by themselves.

· Have an Emergency Plan

Anything can happen when you are out and about, and although this should not put you off exploring with your child, it is important that you have an emergency plan in place so that your child knows what to do if they find themselves alone. This can include meeting in a certain place if a child becomes separated from you, showing them the lost child points in shopping centers and at events, and teaching them how to safely ask for help in shops or from other families.

· Be Mindful of Roads

Roads are one of the biggest dangers to your child’s safety when you are exploring the world together, and you should always be mindful of roads, even in rural areas. You should teach your child to cross a road safely as soon as they start to walk. This includes showing them how to stop, look in the direction of oncoming traffic (often both ways), and then crossing only when safe to do so. You should also teach them how to spot safe crossing places, such as marked pedestrian crossings and traffic lights.

· Protect Them Online

The modern age has introduced many new dangers for children as they grow up, and the internet can prove to be dangerous due to factors such as cybercrime, bullying, and child grooming. With 60% of children using the internet at home, you can protect them online by monitoring their online activity and any social media accounts that they have, placing parental controls on devices, and teaching them how to spot crimes and problems that they should be aware of.

· Find a Safe Day Care

Children, especially newborns, often attend day care, and this can be their first experience of aa location outside of the home. However, you still need to ensure that they can be kept safe at these locations by checking the facilities and reviews of the day care in question, asking to see the credentials and experience of the staff running the day care, and asking for advice from other parents in your local area to help you to find a safe and happy daycare for your children.

Keeping your child safe can help you to get the peace of mind that you need when you are a parent. Although it can be difficult to keep your child safe at all times without becoming a helicopter parent, there are many ways, as shown above, that you can help to prepare your child for the challenges that they may face outside of the home.

3 Ways To Keep Your Children Safe

October 31, 2019 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

All parents want their children to be safe, happy, and healthy. Unfortunately, in today’s society, there are many potential dangers to children, including cyberbullying, accidents, and abduction. While it’s important to let your children grow in independence and explore new experiences, it’s also essential to ensure that they are safe and aware of the potential dangers in the modern world. Many parents worry about keeping their children safe while at home, school, or playing out of sight. Luckily, there are many ways to care for your children’s personal safety – here are three ways to keep your children safe:

1. Educate them about their safety

You should start educating your children about their safety from an early age. With younger children, teach them the importance of never speaking to strangers or wandering off without a parent or trusted adult. Make sure that your children know their full address, name of their parents, and contact details as soon as they are able to understand. Practice this with them to make sure that they remember this critical information. You should also teach your children what number to call in an emergency situation. When children get older, get them into the habit of always telling you where they are going and when they will be back.

2. Upgrade your home security

Upgrading your home security is an effective way to create a safer living environment for your whole family. Make sure your property has a visible security system to help deter criminals from targeting your home. Check this regularly to ensure that your alarm system is working efficiently. You can further enhance your home security by installing CCTV cameras to monitor your front door, yard, and any other entrances to your property. This can also provide you with peace of mind when your children are playing outside, as you can keep an eye on them via remote live feed to your smartphone. BodyGuardz offers a fantastic selection of smart home products that can help keep you, your family, and your valuables safe. This includes personal emergency hubs and portable 360-degree security cameras that can be set up to watch your children in the backyard.

3. Keep them safe online

Using the internet and smartphones is now a normal part of our children’s lives. While these advancements offer many benefits, they also have several potential dangers such as cyberbullying and online grooming. According to a study by PixelPrivacy, “around 60 percent of teenagers have received a message from a stranger online, and over half have replied.” You must educate your children on the potential risks and teach them how to stay safe while using the internet. Here are some useful tips to help keep your children safe online:

Limited the amount of time that your children spend on the internet.
Ask your children whether they have seen anything online that has made them feel uncomfortable.
Tell your children how they can stay safe on social media networks, i.e. where the report and block functions are and how they can set information to private.

Ways to Keep your Child Safe When on Vacation

November 1, 2018 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

When you head off on vacation to somewhere nice and sunny, ensuring that you keep your child safe is clearly an important consideration factor. Children of all ages will look at their adults to help guide and coach them on what to do in terms of keeping safe. Whether it is the sun or well being you are looking to protect, here are some things that you should look to keep in mind.

Sun Protection

It sounds really simple but it is clearly extremely important for you to keep you children safe in the sun. Between the hours of 12pm and 3pm when the sun rays are the strongest is when your child is most at risk. Depending on the age of the child will also determine the level of protection you may wish to consider. If the child is an infant then the recommendation is that you keep them away from as much direct sunlight as possible. This can include keeping them in the shade or placing a hat on them. If the child is a little older then it is important to get the right level of sun cream (or block) on them to minimize any skin damage or risk of something a little more serious. If the child is playing in the outdoor water then it is even more important that water proof protection is put on. As the water is cool, you may not realise how much sun you are actually being exposed to which can be an even greater concern.

Correct Clothing

It is important to keep the right balance of protecting your child against sun rays but also allowing them to cool down. There is many different outfits that are suitable and specifically for the water you may wish to look at Folpetto swimwear options. On the other hand, if you are going on vacation somewhere colder then you should think about the clothing required for this type of weather also. Head wear is particularly important in these circumstances as this is the area where heat leaves the body the most.

Security

Keeping an eye on your child when on vacation is important to ensure they remain safe. Whether they are at the pool playing or at the arcades, they are always at risk of something happening. You may wish to do a little research of the area in advance to understand if there are any common security concerns. Some areas have specific “children clubs” where you can look to then ensure that your child is watched by an adult. Although this is more reassuring it is still not an invitation for you to let your guard down as there is still the risk of something happening here.

Do Your Research

Wherever it is you are going on vacation, you should do your research of the area and understand the weather, security and risks. This is even more important if it is an area that you are not particularly aware of. It is a good idea to also make sure that you have the correct level of insurance in place if something goes wrong. If you are in another country and you need medical help then the insurance cover is specifically important to make sure that there is no hesitation in your child getting any help or treatment. The internet is a very powerful source of information and before jetting off on your vacation, simply just “Google” what you want to know about the area, resort or people in order to help you prepare the best you can for your child.