Most parents worry about the safety of their child when he or she is at school. Worries include bus accidents, bullies, and more.The Columbine High School deaths and the September 11th terrorist attacks have intensified the concern that something tragic could happen while our child is in school.

Statistics reveal that parents need to be more concerned about accidents in the home; a place we often think of as being safe. We let down our guard at home and tend to relax our vigilance in looking for danger.

Parents can help guide and protect their child from accidents in the home. It starts by thinking about prevention. One of the best ways to keep your child safe is to be aware of the hazards in the home that include toys, coins, and poisons. Here are some of the most common safety hazards and how to prevent accidents:

· Small coins or other bright and shiny objects are among the most dangerous. Approximately 200,000 children under the age of 10 visit the emergency room every year to have something removed from their throat, ear, or eye. Toddlers explore their environment using all their senses including taste. Smaller items typically get put in the mouth and cause a choking hazard when they are accidentally swallowed. Always be on the lookout for small things that are on the floor that might interest a small child.

· Aspirin and other medications need to be kept in a locked medicine cabinet. Be sure to check dosage and expiration date before giving medications to your child.
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· Fire safety plans for your home are vital. Make the time today to review the exits in your home and come up with multiple ways your families can leave the home in an emergency.

· Dangling cords can easily be pulled bringing a TV or other heavy object onto your child. Explore you home from the height of your child and look for cords that are in easy reach of a toddler.

· Trampolines and other outside toys including bicycles can be extremely dangerous if children are not given safety instructions.

Keeping your home safe is an ongoing process. Here are some room-by-room safety precautions:

Kitchen:

1. Turn the handles of pots and pans on the stove inward so children can’t pull them down or bump them. When possible, use the back burners when you cook.
2. Put latches on lower cabinets and drawers to protect children from potential hazards and from using them as a step to climb onto the kitchen counter. Once the cabinets are locked, be sure all hazardous materials such as dish detergent are kept in these cabinets.
3. Keep a fire extinguisher near the oven.

Family Room/other living areas:
1. Put covers on fireplace corners.
2. Keep small, breakable figurines out of children’s reach.
3. Put smoke detectors in the sleeping areas of your home and on each floor. Be sure to check them every 6 months to be sure they are working.

Bathrooms:
1. Use a non-slip mat in the bathtub or shower.
2. Never leave a young child alone in a bathroom. Drowning can occur even with a minimal amount of water in the tub.
3. Set your hot water tank temperature to less than 120 degrees to prevent unintentional burns from hot water.

When it comes to the safety of children, parents have to think and watch all the time for potential dangers. Teach your children how to use the phone to dial 911 in an emergency and involve them in making your home a safe one to grow and play.

For more ideas on keeping your home safe:

Read “Child Safety Made Easy” by Lori Marques, Lisa Carter and Mike Nelson. This is a good resource for parents and others that are caring for a child in their home.

A free “Be Ready” book to help you talk with children about disasters and preparedness can be downloaded from the Red Cross at this link: http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/eduinfo/Beready.pdf