Keeping your child safe

In collaboration with KKH injury Prevention Working Group, we have consolidated a list of tips to keep things safe for your growing child as they explore the house! Click here to find out more. 

How To Keep Your Child Safe At Home?

From 12 - 24 months, your child will begin to explore places that used to be out of reach. Your child will love to climb and will quickly learn how to open doors, drawers and even bottles. Your curious child might get into some trouble and hurt themselves badly. If you plan to have your child cared for by a relative or a babysitter, you have to ensure that the caregiver follows your instructions as closely as possible. Here are some measures and precautions you should take to ensure your child’s safety. 

Living Room and Bedroom 

You may think that your child is safe here but you still need to ensure that child-proofing details are in place. 

• Ensure that there are window grilles in the rooms and that they must be locked at all times. Keep the keys in a safe place. 
• Window guards and stops are necessary to prevent your child from opening the windows. 
• Ensure that all cabinets and wardrobes are fixed onto the wall to prevent them from toppling over onto the child. 
• Keep clothes racks in less accessible corners to prevent toppling over.
  
• Place furniture – chairs, side tables, shelving units – away from windows to prevent your child from climbing up and falling out of the windows. 
• Cover the corners of furniture with edge protectors, especially those with sharp edges. 
• Keep stairs and floors free of clutter so that your child will not trip and fall. Safety gates are a must at all stair entrances to block your child's access to stairs. 
• Always ensure that the floor is dry so that your child does not slip and fall. 
• Ensure that your child cannot get out of the house by themselves or enter rooms that are not child-proofed. 
• Do not allow your child to jump on the bed, sofa or other furniture. 
• Teach the child not to climb on top of any furniture. 
• Avoid bunk beds for children younger than 9 years because of the risk of falls. 
• Do not leave tobacco products, matches or lighters lying around where your child can reach them. Your child may either burn themselves or attempt to use the tobacco products. 

Kitchen and Bathroom

These are some safety measures you may want to implement in the kitchen and bathroom. 

• Lock bathroom and kitchen cabinets. You do not want your child to come into contact with liquids like cleaning detergents or bleach, or with sharp objects like knives, scissors or shaver blades. 
• Use a stove guard. Place pots and saucepans with their handles facing the side or the back. Your child’s skin is much thinner than an adult’s and burns more quickly and deeply. 
• Keep your child away from hot liquids to prevent burns and scalds. 
• Use an appliance latch or lock to secure washing machines, microwaves, ovens and dishwashers. 
• A toilet seat lock will prevent your child from falling into the toilet bowl. 
• Make sure pails and bathtub are empty. Babies can drown in as little as 5cm of water. 
• Use rubber mats in the bath or wash area to prevent your child from slipping. Make sure you buy the non-slip mats. 
• Keep the bathroom floor as dry as possible. 

Playground Safety 

Play is a very important part of any child’s development. Play requires active, voluntary and spontaneous participation from a child. It aids in the development of language, motor, creativity, problem-solving and social skills. Spending time at the playground can be a good option. 

Here are some simple safety guidelines: 

Reducing the risk of injury at the playground 

• Do not let your child play in clothes that have cords or drawstrings. 
• Do not bring your child to the playground during rainy weather. 
• Supervise your child closely at the playground and ensure they play with age-appropriate equipment. 
• Inspect the playground for hazards such as broken or poorly maintained equipment. Ensure there are strong handrails and barriers to prevent falls. 
• Do not place the child on your lap while going down the slide as their hands or legs may get caught on the side of the slide and the weight of the parent may cause a fracture.

Teaching your child the basic rules of safe play 

• Not to walk across a moving swing or see-saw. 
• Slide down feet first and sitting up; and only one person on the slide at a time.
• No pushing or rough play and your child has to learn to wait for their turn. 
• Hold on with both hands when swinging or climbing. 

For more information on learning through play, please visit the ECDA Child Care Link. 

Water Safety 

You may be thinking of taking your child for water-play or teaching your child how to swim. Here are some safety rules: 

• Make sure your child is always closely supervised when in the water at all times. Always have an adult within an arm’s length of your child in the pool to provide prompt help if needed. 
• Do not get distracted and lose sight of your child. Avoid distractions of any kind like reading or using a mobile phone. 
• During social gatherings, adults can take turns to be the “designated watcher”. If you must leave, take your child with you. 
• Ensure home pools have a four-sided fencing of at least 1.2m tall that may be latched to prevent your child from entering the pool unsupervised.  
• Drain the tub immediately after use, keep toilet lids closed at all times.
• Keep your child out of the water during bad weather such as thunder, lightning or rain. You should also endeavour to learn CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) and learn to recognize signs of distress.
• Do not depend on air-filled swimming aids, such as water wings, in place of a proper life jacket. Flotation devices are NOT life-saving devices. 
• Follow safety rules and signs. Make sure you know where the lifeguard and rescue aids are. 
• Do not allow your child to play or run near the pool as they may slip and fall. Supervise children who are near the pool to prevent accidental unsupervised entry into the pool.
• Always supervise your child at all times, whether at home, at the playground or in and near the pool.

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Read these next:

• Fall Prevention Measures to Keep You Safe From Harm
• For Every Home, a First-Aid Kit for Home Safety
• Keep Your Family Safe With These Fall Prevention and Home Safety Tips