Teaching your child about the world means telling your little one about history and nature and being kind to others, but it also means letting them know how to stay safe.
Home safety
As you might have learned when you started baby-proofing, the average home has a surprising amount of danger. Outside of the usual staircases, drawers, toilet lids, and cabinets that might be fastened shut with childproof plastic latches, there are also electrical outlets, kitchen knives, ovens, window blinds, and heavy objects and furniture that can tip over to worry about.
Show Baby the things around your home that could pose a danger, and explain how you’d like them to act around them. “Never touch this,” “Only touch this with me,” “Ask me to get that for you,” etc. In addition to laying down verbal rules, it’s your responsibility as the adult to expect them to forget or disobey. Toddlers are curious, and stating a rule isn’t enough for most kiddos. As your child becomes a more skilled climber and problem solver, you may need to adjust your own methods of securing certain items. If you have guns in your home, you should follow local laws around gun storage and consider maximizing any safety options, including storing guns off-site. According to some research, gun injury is three times more likely if guns are stored in the home.
Outdoor safety
When Baby steps outside, there are some things to avoid to help them stay safe. Even on the calmest street, it’s important that Baby knows to look both ways before crossing, watching out for cars and bikes, even in a crosswalk.
If Baby doesn’t know how to swim, they should know to avoid bodies of water. Warnings aren’t enough. However, any child who cannot swim should be 100% supervised by an adult who can swim near any water. Other things to look out for might include poison ivy or oak and certain plants or bugs that could aggravate allergies.
Stranger safety
Many parents grew up with the rule of “Don’t talk to strangers,” but being safe around strangers is a little more nuanced than that. You’ll want to make sure Baby understands what a stranger is, that they can be nice, and that they can look just like any other trusted adult. The key is often helping Baby understand strange or unsafe behavior. Most children who are harmed by an adult are harmed by someone they already know. For more details on how to start these conversations early and often, check out our article on strange behavior here.
Help Baby understand who they can find and trust in an emergency. Many people in uniforms, like police officers, firefighters, and security officers, can help Baby if they get lost. People like store managers, librarians, teachers and parents with children in tow are also typically on the approved list.
Food safety
If Baby has food allergies, it can feel like every location is dangerous. You and Baby need to work together to avoid allergens. Baby might not totally understand what foods could be dangerous, and you might not be with them 100% of the time.
When you’re with Baby while they are eating, consider explaining what they are eating and why it’s safe. “You’re allergic to peanuts, so I looked at the label to make extra sure there are no peanuts.” Explain that if a caretaker gives them food, they should first explain their allergies and ask if the food is still safe. If it’s complicated, you will want to leave approved snacks and explain the gravity of offering off-limits food to other adults. Children who may need an Epipen should learn as early as possible how to self-administer their medication, and any caregivers should also feel comfortable with using one.
The bottom line
“Safety” and “danger” are two sides of the same coin, but there’s a way to communicate issues around food, stranger, outdoors, and home safety without scaring Baby. Children are natural explorers, and helping them explore within safe limits is so important.
Be honest, and tell them that you love them, you want them to be safe and healthy, and that’s why your family has rules and boundaries. You want to do everything you can to keep them safe, happy, and loved, and they will be able to feel that.
Sources
- “What to teach kids about strangers.” National Crime Prevention Council. Bureau of Justice Assistance. 2016. Web.
- “Teaching children to avoid ‘stranger danger.'” Illinois Early Learning Project. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Education Early Childhood and Parenting Collaborative. 2016. Web.
- Andrew Anglemyer, Tara Horvath, George Rutherford. The Accessibility of Firearms and Risk for Suicide and Homicide Victimization Among Household Members: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med.2014;160:101-110. [Epub 21 January 2014]. doi:10.7326/M13-1301
