Safety at home and outdoors

As your child grows, develops and begins to explore his or her world there may be times when he or she might hurt themselves unintentionally. Accidents or falls can happen within the family home or when out and about.

Your child is naturally inquisitive about their environment and seeks opportunities to learn about it by playing and exploring. This is a normal part of their development; however your child will also have a limited understanding of the dangers around them and this is when accidents sometimes happen.

How to prevent accidents

There are lots of things you can do as a parent to prevent accidents whilst encouraging your child’s natural development.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Accidents and  the NHS have some helpful information you can use to think about ways of protecting your child.

Some useful tips include:

• Never leave your child on a raised surface alone even for a brief moment –this includes your bed or sofa
• Never leave your child in a bath alone even for a brief moment
• Children like to climb –so never place anything under a window which opens
• Never hold a hot drink and your child at the same time
• Keep nappy sacks out of the reach of your baby or child – they are a risk of suffocation
• When offering small foods such as grapes, cherry tomatoes or soft fruits ensure the foods are cut into quarters to prevent accidental chocking
• Pull cords on blinds or curtains can be a hazard for small children – keep them short and out of their reach.
• Watch these short videos, on different safety topics including blind cord safety 

Where to seek help

Whilst prevention of accidents and effective home safety is always best, there may unfortunately be times when despite all your efforts your child may experience an accident and you may need to seek additional medical advice and support.

In an emergency call 999.

First aid kits

It is a good idea to have a simple first aid kit at home containing basic equipment for times when your child has had a minor accident or superficial wound.

This may include simple items such as plasters and bandages. You can buy these from your local supermarket or pharmacy; or you can also make your own kit.

Keep it somewhere easy to access in the family home so it is ready if needed.