November is National Child Safety and Protection Month

By Randi Malach, Program Director

Since November is National Child Safety and Protection Month, it is a good time to review how well your household is set up for your children. Take a moment to check out the 8 areas below to help keep your children safe:

1. Use safety gates.
2. Prepare for bedtime by removing all soft, fluffy and loose bedding from the baby’s sleep area.
3. Choose decorative plants that are nontoxic because common household plants can often cause serious sickness.
4. Keep things tidy by using storage bins to store toys and baby supplies, preventing anyone from tripping.
5. Put locks on anything and everything that little hands can open.
6. Be cautious of choking hazards. Be vigilant about coins, marbles, keys, jewelry, paper clips, water bottle tops, safety pins, removable rubber tips on doorstops, jeweled decorations on children’s clothing, crayons, and hard and round foods.
7. Use angle braces or anchors to secure large furniture to the wall. Place TVs, VCRs and stereo systems on lower furniture, as far back as possible.
8. Set hot water heaters no higher than 120 degrees F. A lower water temperature reduces the chance of scald burns. Munchkin’s White Hot Super Safety Bath Ducky can help you manage the temperature of water in your children’s baths.