Toddler Safety
Toddler Safety
Toddlers are very keen to explore the world around them and love their independence. When they start walking, they want to reach and touch everything within access. It is important to be aware of their safety and set up your house in a toddler-friendly manner.
Safety Education for Your Toddler
It is important to teach your toddler about safety. Explain what is safe and what is not. You can do so by telling stories about the dangers hidden in different corners of the home or on the playground. Your child may not follow the whole message but will at least collect some warning cues that may keep him or her on a safe track.
Safety Measures in the Kitchen
The kitchen may be your children’s favourite place—particularly in Pakistan—because you are there cooking most of the time. They will be fascinated by all the cooking procedures and may even want to experiment themselves. It is also important to teach older brothers and sisters how to take care of their younger siblings in the kitchen, because toddlers will want to join them in their experiments, too.
Another point to consider is that places you think are out of reach may in fact be accessible to your toddlers. For this reason, it is very important to keep knives and scissors in a place children can’t access. Lighters and matchboxes are also extremely attractive to kids and should also be stored securely away from curious hands.
While cooking, keep the handles of cooking pans and tawa (iron plates) at the back of the stove so that kids cannot touch them. Make sure you put the hot tawa away from your toddler’s reach. When finished, parents should turn off the main gas supply so that there is no danger of an accident if your child plays with the knobs on the stove.
Safety Measures in the Washroom
Washrooms can be a dangerous place for kids because they are fascinated by water. First and foremost, water poses a drowning hazard for toddlers. The hot water tap should also be checked regularly to ensure that it is set at a temperature tolerable for a toddler. Otherwise they may turn on the tap and burn themselves with a geyser of scalding water.
Never leave your toddler unattended while she is taking a bath. Drowning accidents can happen in bathtubs, portable swimming pools, and even buckets. Stay with your toddler, even if she just wants to play in the water. Never forget to empty the tub or bucket after taking a bath or playing.
If kids are left alone in the washroom, they will often try to taste the soap or shampoo. Some children eat detergent, too.
Safety Measures for Stairs
Stairs can be dangerous for young toddlers. In their effort to climb stairs, they may lose their balance or slip and roll down them, which can result in serious injury. You need to close the door to the stairway at all times. If there is no door, arrange the furniture in such a way that your toddler cannot access the stairs. Most importantly, you need to teach your toddler how to climb the stairs: practice going up and down while holding your kid’s hand.
Safety Measures for Pakistani Restaurants and Parks
Entertainment is essential for human life, but there are few entertainment opportunities in Pakistan. In big cities, people live in small houses and apartments where there is no room for physical activities. And people do not send their kids outside to play either, even in small towns and villages, due to security risks. Hence, many people like to dine out to provide physical activity and entertainment.
Most restaurants have play areas for young kids, but parents need to be very careful, as some of these play areas are extremely unsafe. For example, some restaurants have ‘jumping castles’ for kids, but they haven’t covered the rods with soft foam.
There are also risks to be aware of in parks. Fatal accidents can happen when a park’s management ignores safety measures or fails to maintain playground equipment. We are all familiar with news about breaking swings causing children’s deaths. Therefore, it is primarily the duty of the parents to make sure that equipment in play areas is safe for young kids.
Overall Safety Measures at Home
There are a few additional things that need to be managed carefully to make your home child-friendly. Glass windowpanes must be protected with a safety sheet so that they won’t cause injury if broken. If your furniture has sharp corners, either rearrange it in such a way that it is not dangerous to kids or use safety corners to prevent injury. Keep your cupboards and suitcases locked because kids can accidentally lock themselves in them.
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