I had a similar problem when my daughter was in kindergarten.  She and her 2-year-old brother became very competitive about being the first one to get into the car when I picked her up.  It was a struggle for a while, me fruitlessly yelling, “stop” while they raced towards the parking lot.

In this case I found a reward for good behavior worked better than a punishment. I reminded them not to run and to stay by me before we left the building.  I told them there was a snack waiting in the car for those who walked nicely next to me.

Teaching your kids pedestrian safety from a young age is important since auto pedestrian accidents are the second leading cause of injury related deaths in children.

Try these parenting tips to keep your kids safe in the parking lot.

Talk it out.

Kids behave better when they know what to expect to encounter and what is expected of them.  Before you go out the door, talk to your kids about how to behave in the parking lot. Tell them to stay close and never run.  Review safety rules like looking both ways.  Praise them for their good behavior while you are walking to the car and when you get inside.  My kids love it when I let them call Dad or Grandma on the cell phone to brag when they’ve behaved well.

Lessen the load.

If there’s something you can leave in the car, do it.  The less stuff you have to deal with, the more free your hands are to take care of the kids.  Even children as young as 2 or 3 can carry their own stuff in a small backpack with little trouble. Take your shopping cart all the way to the car, even if you just have one bag.  Do anything that will leave your hands free to take theirs.  Remember whatever you may feel you need to carry is not as valuable as your child.

Take a “hands on” approach.  Even if you can’t hold on to your kids, they can hold onto you.  Kids can hold onto your pockets or purse, or a shopping cart or stroller.  When standing near the car, they can keep a hand on the car.  Giving your child a specific place to hold helps her remember to do so each time.

Smaller children can also hold the hand of an older child.  Giving an older child this responsibility can help them model good behavior for the younger child.

Make it a Game.

Ask your child to count steps, or name the colors of the cars he passes on the way through the parking lot.  Teach children to wait for your signal before venturing off in a parking lot.  Say “red light” when you want them to stop, and green light when it’s okay to go.  Help your children go slowly by having them walk like they are stuck in gooey mud.

Be Alert.

Always teach your children to look both ways before walking into a traffic area. They should see you doing the same.  Teach them how to recognize dangers like running cars or corners where a car may turn into their path unexpectedly.  Point out these dangers when you see them.  Use traffic signals and crosswalks where available.  Always be alert in a parking lot. Watching your kids is more important than talking on the cell phone.

For more parenting safety tips, visit our Child Safety home page.

Water Safety Begins in the Home

Parental responsibility are two key words to remember when your child is in or near the water. Accidental drownings happen far too often and, unfortunately, a good portion of them happen in the home. Begin teaching your child at an early age that a parent should always be with them when they are in the bath tub. Never allow a small child to turn on the bath faucet or bathe alone. When bathing a child, a parent should always be right there within arms length. Small babies should be bathed in a baby bath tub which holds very little water to help keep the baby safe. Giving your baby a daily bath will help them become used to the bathing experience. For babies 6-9 months a sit-n-splash device designed with surrounding support helps the child sit upright in the tub and provides a further measure of safety. For active toddlers, the best protection is having mom or dad right there during the bath. Bath time for toddlers can also be water safety teaching time. Talk to your child about water safety while helping them bathe and show them how to blow bubbles in the water by blowing through the nose and mouth. Encourage them to practice the bubble blowing technique. The fun pre-school song below is often used in Parent/Tot Swim Classes and is fun to sing during bubble blowing.

“I had a tiny turtle,
His name was tiny Tim.
I dropped him in the water
to see if he could swim.
He drank up all the water.
He ate up all the soap,
And now my little Turtle
Has bubbles in his throat.”

Mom or dad can also help a toddler learn how to position their body for back and front floats. These basic learning experiences will help to prepare a child for level 1 swimming classes and help them further understand water safety.

Water safety in the home does not end with the bathtub. Any free standing water in the home presents a danger to small children. Buckets of water should be carefully monitored so that a small child does not fall in. Toilet lids should be closed or, even better, locked so that an exploring child does not fall in head first. The washing machine should also be carefully monitored for the same reason. Keeping your child safe and making them aware of water safety at home will help prepare them for bigger water experiences.

Let’s Hit the Pool!!

Small children are naturally curious and a big sparkly swimming pool is sure to draw their attention. Children’s lungs are small and a small child can drown within two minutes. If you have a backyard pool, a high fence with vertical bars and a self-locking gate are essential to keep your child safe. The fence should surround the pool and be at least four feet high. All pool access doors within the home should have a barrier, ideally the pool fence. A home itself should never substitute as part of a pool fence. Small children can easily slip out if a pool access door is carelessly left unlocked.

A self-locking gate to the pool entrance will automatically lock when the gate is closed. Be sure to keep the key in a safe place where children will be unable to access it. A pool that is in good repair is also a safe pool. Concrete, diving boards, waterslides, as well as the gate and fence should always be in good repair. Chipped or broken concrete can provide unsafe footing and a break in the fence or a broken lock on the gate could result in an unfortunate tragedy.

Of course the best drowning protection around a pool is the parent. Never leave a child unattended around a pool and never take your eyes off them. Let the answering machine catch the phone calls and let the doorbell ring! Too many pool side tragedies occur when a parent steps away, even for just a moment. If your child is 3 or older, talk to them and help them learn and understand these pool safety rules.

1. Never get into the pool by yourself!
“Mommy or daddy should always be with you in or around the pool. You should never ever get into the pool without mommy or daddy.”

2. Walk, never run around a pool.
“The pool is made up of concrete.” Have the child feel the sides of the pools and ask them if it is soft or hard. When they understand that it feels hard, explain that if they run around the pool they could fall and hit their head on the hard surface which would give them a big “owie.” Tell them they should never, ever, run around a pool.

3. Never push or jump on other people.
“It’s fun to swim and play with our friends, but we need to be careful that we do not push them or jump on them, even during water games. This might cause them to get hurt.”

4. Swim in the pool where it is safest for you. Help children who are old enough understand that the numbers on the sides of the pool are depth levels.
“Since you are just learning how to swim, you need to stay in the shallow end which is here.” As children grow and become more proficient in swimming, they may want to try swimming in the deeper water as well as diving. Help your child understand which areas of the pool are safe for their particular skills. Also, be sure to guide your child to deep enough water for any diving experiences.

5. Don’t eat just prior to swimming as cramps could develop and never eat or chew gum while swimming which could cause choking. ”Don’t eat for one hour before swimming and you must never have food or gum in your mouth when swimming in the pool. You could choke.”

Floaties or water flotation devices are fun, but they should never substitute for parental supervision. A small child could easily get turned upside down in a ring and floaties could accidentally get punctured or slip on a child’s arm and be ineffective. In the pool, or any water situation, nothing substitutes for the eyes of a watchful parent.

Who wants to go Boating!!

Summer water fun may also include boating. Boating is a fun experience for children. It is exciting to travel over the blue-green water and watch the water spray. Many family boating experiences occur on lakes or ponds. As with a pool experience, children should be carefully monitored so that they do not climb over the sides of the boat and fall. Explaining boating rules to your child will help them have a safe boating experience

1. A Coast Guard approved life jacket that is appropriate for the child’s size should be worn on the boat and in the water at all times. Before the boating experience, be sure to have your child try on the life jacket at home to be sure that it fits properly and is in good condition. Have them wear it in your backyard or local pool to get an idea of how it feels to float in the water Have them practice swimming strokes with the jacket on until they are comfortable with the feeling.

2. The water in lakes and ponds can be murky and the bottom could be full of rocks, trash, and/or plant life. Depth levels in lakes and ponds are not clear cut and both children and parents need to exercise caution. Have your child wear water shoes to protect their feet from whatever is on the bottom and be sure that they are extra cautious in their diving. A no-diving rule is highly recommended. Plant life in a lake can easily wrap around little legs and feet. Be
sure to watch and listen for your child carefully, should they find themselves tangled up in a weedy situation.

3. Propellers also pose a threat to any child swimming near the back of a boat. Before the boating experience, show your child where the propellers are located on the boat and explain how they rotate to make the boat go. Make your child aware that the blades are sharp and when they are going they move very fast. Help your child understand that they should never, ever swim near a propeller and that while swimming the propeller should always be turned off and the boat anchored. Instruct your child to swim away from the boat if the propeller is accidentally turned on while they are in the water. Before going boating, have your child practice going down the step ladder into the water. Show them how to get into the water and swim or push off in a direction that is opposite to where the propellers are located.

4. As with a pool experience, eating just prior to swimming is not a good idea. Food and gum in the mouth while swimming can cause choking. Alcoholic beverages should not be consumed as they might interfere in an adult’s operation of the boat and a parent’s ability to supervise their child in the water. Also, be sure to follow proper safety precautions and local advisories should the fine boating weather turn into a storm.

Ah, a Relaxing Sea Side Vacation

A family vacation to the ocean sounds very inviting and relaxing. The ocean is beautiful and the breeze refreshing. The picture alone can put any frazzled parent to sleep. But when visiting the sea-side with children, parents will want to keep their eyes wide open and these safety tips in mind.

1. Check the local weather and sea side conditions before you go. If there are lifeguards on duty check the weather conditions at the lifeguard station on the beach. Lifeguards can also inform on areas where the waves and rip-tides are strong and unsafe for swimming. They can point out markers and flags that will indicate safe and unsafe areas.

2. Children should stay close to the shallow water of the shore with parental supervision. Be sure to watch toddlers carefully as small children can drown in a very shallow amount of water. Older children who want to swim deeper into the ocean should always swim with an adult buddy who is a strong swimmer. A life jacket may also be used, but parents should exercise caution. Floating and swimming in a life jacket requires a child to know how to float and swim over waves. A child unfamiliar with how a life jacket feels and works in ocean water could wind up in trouble and be tossed by the ocean waves. The local Red Cross offers lessons and training on how to properly wear and use a life jacket.

3. Older children with stronger swimming skills should only swim out into the ocean with a parent or older family member. Before a seaside vacation, teach older children how to swim out of a riptide. A riptide is a strong current that will quickly pull a person out to deeper water. It is caused by a wave build up on shore where waves build up and pull out to the ocean. They often occur near stationary objects like piers and reefs. Instruct your child on how to swim out of a riptide and how to be safe in the ocean before you ease into a lounge chair.

1. Never swim alone in the ocean. Always have an adult buddy.

2. A strong pull on your body carrying you farther from shore and into the ocean is a rip tide.

3. If you feel you are caught in a riptide, start swimming parallel to the shore.

4. Swim for a bit and as soon as you feel the pull stop, start swimming quickly for the shore.

5. If you tire or find yourself in trouble, yell loudly for help to your adult buddy or to the life guard and people on shore if your adult buddy is unable to help you.

6. Never panic. Panicking is hard not to do in a dangerous situation but panicking can waste valuable energy that needs to be directed toward swimming.

7. Never allow your child to swim in an area where sharks may present a threat.

8. Water shoes are also a good idea in the ocean in the shallow areas only, particularly if there is a lot of undersea life and if there is a danger of crabs.

Always advise your child to be alert while swimming in the ocean. It’s a big, exciting place which can present danger as well as beauty.

Whatever is on your agenda this summer for water fun, be sure to keep your child safe. Teach your child to always swim with a buddy, use sun-screen, and follow the safety rules for each individual water experience. Small babies and infants should always be held or supported in the water and all children deserve conscientious parental supervision. Help your children become more proficient swimmers. Enroll them in swimming lessons through a national program such as the Red Cross, YMCA, and Starfish. These programs can be found through City Parks and Recreation Programs as well as at local recreational centers. The YMCA even offers a free class called Splash to help children learn more about water safety. When water safety tips and rules are taught in the home, accidents are less likely to happen. Summer fun can start and end with peace of mind knowing your child understands water safety.

Links to help teach your child water safety:

This website boatingsidekicks offers fun car games and activities to help children learn how to be safe while boating.

This site offers a fun water safety book that you can down load and help your child color.

The American Academy of Pediatrics statement on water safety. This site AAP Water Safety also offers information on first aid, CPR and how to keep your child safe.

More information on barrier and fence protection around a pool.

Short Bio on the Author: Debby Hoffer lives in South Jordan, Utah and is the mother of five children from age’s fourteen to four. She has written articles for Mythos software and had a short quote in the “Vent” column in the Arizona Republic. Debby has participated with her children in Red Cross Swimming and Starfish programs. As a child, Debby enjoyed boating on Utah Lake as well as fishing and swimming in the pond located on her family property at Lone Oak Farm. While living in Arizona, Debby had a friend whose child died in an accidental drowning. Debby wants all children to be safe and hopes this article is informative and helpful to parents everywhere.

As hard as we may try, we cannot watch our children every minute, especially those curious toddlers. Taking steps to prevent accidents before they happen will not only keep your child safe, but will give you as the parent peace of mind.

It is important to remember that children are creative and get into the craziest things, so examine your home from a child’s perspective. Keep in mind that children of different ages require different childproofing products. Parents often find a safety checklist useful in making sure that nothing is overlooked when childproofing their home. We recommend the following childproofing checklist: Protect Your Kids

There are many fabulous products on the market designed to assist you in childproofing your home and even your yard. Do your research and re-evaluate often to make sure that your home is childproof. Do it for you, and most importantly do it for your child.

Find a variety of safety tips and information at Safe Kids Links

Our choice for Child Safety Products to protect your family and give you peace of mind. MyPreciousKid

Start by checking the references for the babysitter.

Here are some suggestions from the American Safety & Health Institute (ASHI), a first-aid training and safety organization.

Home Safety: Have the sitter keep all doors shut and locked, and do not open the door for anyone.. Provide instructions for any callers at the door in addition to NOT revealing that the parents are not at home.

Emergency Information: Make sure Emergency numbers such as police, fire and poison-control, are posted by the phone. Also leave phone numbers where you can be reached.

First Aid: Make sure the sitter knows where to get all first aid materials

Water Safety: Always watch children near water, the bathtub, shower, pool, even a bucket, children can drown in just one inch of water

Fire safety: Show the sitter your plan for getting everyone out of the house. Show the sitter and remind the older children of the outdoor meeting place in the event of a fire.

Food Allergies: Be sure to tell the sitter if your children have food allergies. Make sure the sitter understands what you want them to prepare for the children.

Telephone: Never reveal that there is no parent present. You may prefer they not answer the phone at all.

Medications. Leave written instructions for times and amount of medicines to be given to the child. Remind the sitter not to give the child any medication without your permission.

Try these three websites for quick help on most child safety questions:

Kid Source A useful collection of child safety topics.

KeepKidsHealthy A pediatrician’s guide to child health and safety.

MedlinePlus An easy to use U.S. Government child safety information site.