Safety Tips
Read these 28 Safety Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Parent tips and hundreds of other topics.
Secure Gate
To keep young children from opening an outside gate and getting on the street, secure the gate with dog-leash clips. Attach them to the fence with a short chain. Your child won't be able to open them, but you will, even with one hand.
Glass Door Safety
To avoid toddlers walking into sliding glass doors, place a piece of colored tape on the glass at his eye level. This will remind him that the glass is there!
Car Safety for Kids Over 8
Use seat belts on kids older than 8 and over 80 pounds. The shoulder strap should rest comfortably across the child's shoulder and chest; don't put it behind her back or under her arm. The lap belt should rest across her upper thighs, not her abdomen.
Safe Doorknobs
To prevent your child from turning a doorknob you don't want him to, try this. Place a sock over the doorknob and attach it with an elastic band. When your child tries to open the door, the sock slips because your child's grip isn't strong enough and he won't be able to open the door.
Fire Extinguishers
Purchase a multipurpose fire extinguisher for every level of your home and learn how to operate your fire extinguisher before you need it. Check the pressure gauge regularly, and have the fire extinguisher recharged when the pressure reads low.
Summer Sun Safety
Sunscreen takes at least 15-30 minutes after application to be effective. If it is applied when kids are already in the sun, they are unprotected for that period of time.
Fire Escape Plans
Create an escape plan and practice it with your family. Make sure windows open easily and practice exiting through them. Install fire ladders where needed, and make sure all family members know how to use them. Know the location of the nearest telephone outside your home and teach your children how to dial 911 to report a fire.
At Home Alone
The age when it is safe for a child to stay at home alone really depends on the maturity of the child. The average age is around 11 or 12, but there are some things to consider before allowing your child to stay alone. One critical factor is whether your child has the judgment to handle an emergency. If there is a fire, can he be trusted to get out of the house immediately, or will his first impulse be to rescue the cat? Legal implications vary from one community to another. For information about which laws apply to your situation, check with the office of your city attorney, county attorney or state attorney general. If you decide that your child is able to stay alone, teach him how to get help when he needs it—by calling 911 in an emergency, or contacting you or another adult in other circumstances. Instruct him in basic first aid; he should know what to do if he cuts himself while preparing a snack, for example. If he's allowed to use the microwave or stove, make sure he knows how to do so safely. Teach him not to tell strangers on the phone or at the door that he's home alone.
Kitchen
Ever have trouble keeping an eye on your toddler while cooking or doing dishes? My two year old taught me a good lesson. Our child-proof home included cabinet locks. They are a good measure but frustrating to children. Designate one cabinet in your kitchen to your toddler. Fill it with plastic containers, wooden spoons, plastic utensils and leave it unlocked. While you are in the kitchen they will keep themselves busy discovering and playing, and you can still keep an eye on them and know they are safe.
Identification cards
Often local agencies have free child identity cards and processing. These usually include a recent picture of your child along with their fingerprints, height weight, and any identifying marks. These are then usually turned into local law enforcement agencies and should be updated every year.
Keep Tabs on Your Kids
As an added safety feature in your home, hang bells on the doors that need to stay closed for your child's safety (basement door, doors near stairs, etc.). If you hear the bells ringing, you will know someone is opening the door. This can also be useful on front and back doors and your fence gate.
Paint Brush Safety
To keep your paintbrushes safer for your kids to use, cut all the handles down to about four or five inches long. Not only will they be safer, but young kids will find them easier to use.
Car Seat Safety
Putting your child in a car seat correctly is the most important thing you can do to protect him in case of an accident. Infants must ride in a rear facing car seat until they are 1 year old and 20 pounds. Kids over 1 and between 20 and 20 pounds should be using forward facing seats. Children 4 to 8 and 40 to 80 pounds should sit in a booster seat, using the vehicle's lap and shoulder belt. Always put car and booster seats in the backseat.
Extra Protection
As an added safeguard for keeping young children safe from medicines and other potential hazards (including vitamins, ointments, bug sprays, etc.) try keeping them in a small suitcase with a combination lock. It keeps them safe from little hands, yet still convenient for you.
Kiddie Pool
To prevent your kids from slipping in the kiddie pool, stick bathtub decals on the bottom of the pool. Choose a fun design and let the kids decorate the pool themselves.
Emergency Cell Phone Calling
The Federal Communications Commission now requires all cell phone service providers to accept 911 calls from any wireless phone, even an old one with no working number. This means that if you keep your old phone when upgrading to a new one, you will always have a handy and free way to call for help. A great thing to lend to someone who must travel but does not have their own cell phone.
Skateboard Safety
If you are nervous about getting your child a skateboard, perhaps you are concerned about his safety. If this is the case, perhaps you can make a deal with him that he can have a skateboard only if he practices certain safety rules, such as wearing a helmet and pads, etc. I believe that certain cities even offer skateboard safety classes. If he doesn't follow the rules, then he will not be able to keep the skateboard. If this isn't OK with him, then he will have to do without the skateboard. If there are other reasons that you don't want him to have a skateboard, address those issues, and try to establish rules about them as well. For example, homework has to be done each day before the skateboard comes out. This way you should be able to reach a compromise where your son can have his skateboard and you can rest easily.
Stair Safety
To prevent small children from squeezing through or getting stuck in stair railings, try attaching a clear plastic carpet runner to the railings. It is economical, easy to remove, sturdy, and does not spoil the look of the stairs.
Red Light, Green Light
To keep kids who like to run ahead in control, I use this simple game. If I say "Red Light", they must stop immediately. "Yellow Light" means slow down, and "Green Light" means they can keep going. If they don't follow the traffic rules, they get their driver's licences" taken away, and have to stay by my side for the rest of the trip.
Who am I?
Make sure at an early age to teach children their full name, address and phone number. I.D. bracelets are sometimes a good idea especially if your child walks to and from school by themselves. If a child can let someone know who they are or where they live it can mean allot to your child's safety if they get off course on their destination.
Fire Safety
Install a smoke detector on every level of your home, including the basement. Test smoke detectors weekly and replace smoke detectors once a year. Replace smoke detector units after ten years and never borrow a battery from your smoke detector.
Medicine and Poison safety
A child is accidently poisoned every 30 seconds
And more than 50% of all poisoning occur at HOME children under 5 years of age. Each year thousands of children are poisoned by common household products such as insect sprays, cleaners, paints, bleach, perfumes and medicines
The first step in preventing unintentional poisoning is to keep common household chemicals and medicines out of sight and out of reach of childre. Store chemicals, cleaners and medicines in locked cabinets and on higher shelves. Special toddler locks are available for kitchen cabinets.
Keeping an Ear Out
Attach (with a clip) a couple of bells to the back of your toddlers clothing. When you're out of the room you can listen to determine where your toddler is. Use a removable clip, so that you can add it to the outfit of the day.
Choke Alert!
A simple test to check if a toy is safe enough for small children to play with is to try passing the toy through a toilet paper tube. If the toy is small enough to pass through the tube, it is small enough to be a choking hazard.
Aquarium Safety
When child proofing a fish tank, there are two main concerns with toddlers and fish tanks- either that they will tip over the tank, or get into the water on the top. To prevent these, you need to ensure that the tank is secured to a non-tip stand, and ensure that the top of the tank is not easily opened. To be completely safe, it would be a good idea to either move the tank into a room where your child doesn't go or not allow your child in the same room as the fish without an adult. Whenever your child is looking at the fish with an adult, teach him not to touch the glass, and only to look at the fish.
Water Drips
To prevent bath-time burns, always turn the hot water off first when filling the tub for your child. This way, if your child reaches under the tap they will not be burned. Also, any dripping from the tap after you turn off the water will be cold.
Put Kids in the Back
Children up to the age of 12 should always ride in the back seat of your car. A child who rides in the back is about one third more likely to survive a crash than one who sits in the front. Sitting in the center rear position raises his chances for survival another 10 to 20 percent.
Burn Prevention
The hot water that pours from your faucet can cause third-degree burns in seconds. Most modern water heaters are preset at 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 Celcius), a temperature that can cause severe burns in seconds. Some older models are set even higher. Turn down your water heater to about 130 Fahrenheit (54 Celcius). At this temperature it can take 30 seconds before hot water scalding causes third-degree burns.
