Safety Starts at Home – Preventing the Most Common Careless Household Accidents
We all experience those accidents around the home – the ones that we know are completely stupid and should have known better to avoid, but happened anyway. Whether it’s because we’re rushing around and not being as careful as we should be or one of those freak things that occurred because someone else in the house is at fault, these injuries can sometimes be serious.
The Most Common Careless Accidents that Happen Around the Home
The Dishwasher Daggers – No, it probably wasn’t you that put the sharp knives pointing up in the dishwasher but before you put your hand in be sure they’re not facing up. A woman actually died when she tripped on the open dishwasher and impaled herself on a knife that was pointing up.
The Furniture Polish Peril – If you, or a family member, are using furniture polish on a piece of furniture in a room with tile floors, apply carefully. If the polish gets onto the floor it will create a surface as slippery as ice. Not only could someone slip and break their leg, hip or arm but could also hit their head on the edge of the furniture that was being polished.
The Garbage Gouge – Whether it’s tossing a glass jar into the garbage, which then breaks or throwing away a broken glass, be careful when you are lifting the garbage bag out of the can to take it outside. As you lift it, the glass can cut through the bag and lacerate your leg.
The Handrail Hazard – As we’re racing down the stairs in the morning with coffee cup, or baby in one hand, and a purse or diaper bag in the other, we can turn a quick trip into a tripping hazard. It’s easy for the strap of the purse or diaper bag to get hooked onto the top of the hand rail, sending you, the hot coffee and even your baby tumbling down the stairs.
The Small Pet Stumble – Even if you’ve had your pet for years, there’s going to be that one time you turn around from the stove with a pot of boiling water and your cat or small dog will be behind you, causing you to trip and have scalding water cover you, your pet and anyone else around you.
The Car Door Crunch – When we’re late for work, school or some activity, getting our toddlers into their car seats seems to take forever. Make it a habit to insist on “hands on head” however, to be sure there are no little fingers in the door as you slam it shut. And be sure any older children still standing outside the car have their fingers away from the hinge to prevent the same thing.
The Stockinged Feet Slide – For many of us who don’t like shoes worn in the home, we’re usually in socks, tights or some other soft covering on our feet. And, on stairs without carpeting or treads, it just takes one foot placed the wrong way to go sliding down the entire staircase.
Safety First: The Shocking Truth about Sex Abuse – How to Protect Your Children from Predators
The sex abuse cases that you see on the news or hear about are just the tip of the iceberg. Even as the magnitude of Penn State sex abuse case hit the news, I knew it was only a matter of time before more schools would become embroiled in similar crisis.
Unfortunately, my predictions were accurate. The Citadel admitted to failing to take action against a student accused of inappropriate behavior with a boy a summer camp and now Syracuse University has fired assistant coach Bernie Fine amid allegations that he molested at least two ball boys.
While hearing about these stories in the media horrifies virtually everyone, most parents still sit back and think, “This happens to other people, not my child.” This denial is understandable – it’s too painful to even think that sex abuse could happen to one’s own child. But the sad reality is that it is happening all too frequently.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, about 1 out of 5 girls and 1 out of 10 boys will be sexually abused during their childhood. To put that in perspective, in a class of 20 students, at least 4 will have been sexually abused by the time they graduate from high school.
What Can We as Parents Do to Protect Our Children?
First, we can’t assume our children, even our older children, understand sex abuse. Understandably, it’s a difficult topic to bring up, but as parents we must.
Using recent events as a teachable moment, I started to discuss the topic of sex abuse with my extremely bright nine-year old. I was shocked to find that she didn’t understand that if someone – even someone she knew – touched her genitals it was against the law.
We sometimes assume our kids know more than they do and it’s critical that we teach them what to do if someone tries to sexually abuse them and look for signs if they already have been abused.
Start Conversations about Sex Abuse Early and Often
A child as young as three-years-old needs to understand when touching is inappropriate. Discussing their body should be treated just like a conversation about any other safety issue and discussions about touching their body should never be considered “dirty” or “bad.”
It’s important to use the appropriate words when speaking to children so they gain a healthy body image. “Private parts” or “special hug” could mean something different to a child. Be clear in the parts of his or her body that should not be touched. This isn’t a conversation to have once; it needs to be revisited as your child matures.
Seek Out Educational Resources on Sex Abuse
Let’s face it – this is one of the most uncomfortable conversations you can have with your kids but thankfully, it’s not something you need to tackle alone. Take advantage of the educational resources available to parents.
Jill Starishevsky, a New York prosecutor of child abuse and sex crimes, has written a book My Body Belongs To Me (www.mybodybelongstome.com) which teaches children about inappropriate touching and can be used as a guide for caregivers and parents to discuss abuse with their children.
Additionally, the website Stop It Now! (www.stopitnow.org) is a great resource with guidebooks, the latest research and treatment options.
Teach Your Child the Courage to Talk about Sex Abuse
Sex abuse occurs because, even though the child feels uncomfortable and knows it’s wrong, they’re too scared to say anything.
Remember, this isn’t about strangers. Statistics have shown that in the vast majority of child sex abuse cases it is someone that the child knows, either a family member, friend or trusted adult, whom they have been taught to respect.
The abuser will tell the child that if they tell anyone about the abuse they won’t be believed, that the abuser (someone they care about) will have to go to jail, that their family will break up or that the abuser will hurt the child’s mother.
Your child must be told by you that they should never believe these comments and that you will always believe them if they come to you with this information. Suggest to them other people they could tell if they were abused such as a teacher, another family member or even the police.
Kids need to understand that most adults are not going to abuse them but that it is not appropriate for any adult to ask to be their friend or keep secrets. If anyone makes them feel bad, uncomfortable or scared with their words or actions they should tell you immediately.
Even if you have had conversations with your kids, abuse can still occur. Parents need to be willing to consider upsetting possibilities – that the abuser could be a stepparent, brother or grandfather. It’s also important to remember that the abuse often occurs in a familiar, safe place such as their home, school, afterschool club or the abuser’s home.
Watch for signs that could indicate your child has been abused:
- Sleep problems – Nightmares that are frightening or sexual in nature
- Changes in eating habits – Dieting excessively, refusing to eat, trouble swallowing
- Behavior issues – Mood swings, rages, anger, depression, withdrawal
- Suddenly reluctant to be alone with a certain person or go somewhere familiar
- Acts out sexual behavior with stuffed animals, writes or draws sexual images, asks other children to act out sexual scenarios or becomes sexually promiscuous
- A regression in older children to bed-wetting or thumb sucking. For younger children, new phrases for their body parts and refusal to take off clothes at appropriate times such as bathing, using the toilet or changing for bed.
- For teens, self-mutilation, running away, and suicide attempts.
If you are at all concerned, talk to your child immediately and explain that nothing they did was wrong. Remind them that it’s your job to keep them safe and they can trust you to protect them if something has happened. Immediately have your child checked by your pediatrician and keep any potential evidence for the authorities.
Safety First: Teaching Kids Safe Surfing Habits – How to Guide Your Children in an Online World
The Internet is a wonderful way for children to learn about the world, to be creative, to study, to be entertained, and to communicate with friends and family. But it can also bring risks, exposing young minds to inappropriate content and strangers who may not always have the best intentions. During this holiday season, keep in mind your kids will spend more time online and you need to be watchful.
For concerned parents, it’s no longer possible to keep our kids away from computers and pretend the Internet doesn’t exist. Instead, we need to properly prepare them for a digital future and coach them so they can make good decisions. That means understanding our children’s online activities and developing rules and guidelines that both the parent and child can embrace.
5 Tips for Providing a Safe and Secure Environment Online
#1: Be informed – Find out what your child likes to do on the Web, which sites he likes to visit, and which games he plays. Spend time together online and show an interest in what he’s doing. Asking him what are his favorites will also allow you to create a teachable bonding moment.
#2: Start a dialogue – Talk to your child about online safety and be specific about your concerns. Let him know there are safe and unsafe web sites, just as there are safe and unsafe places to go in the real world. Talk about the importance of resisting contact with people he doesn’t know, and immediately telling you about anything that makes him uncomfortable.
#3: Protect personal information – Teach your child to respect personal information, both his own and other people’s. Teach him never to share passwords, phone numbers, addresses, or other personal information, and to never post pictures or information about other people without their permission.
#4: Click smart – Teach your child not to open files or click on links unless they are from a trusted source. Talk about the dangers of malware and how viruses can harm files and the performance of the computer.
#5: Install parental controls – Install a top-rated suite of parental controls to protect your home computers and monitor your child’s use. All-in-one solutions include blocking features to restrict or filter inappropriate content, time-management controls to limit screen time, and tools to monitor your child’s communications. Let your child know that you have installed parental controls; trust is the foundation of good decision-making.
If you maintain a dialogue and are consistent in your approach, your child will quickly develop the good online habits that will be so important through the teen years and beyond. Don’t leave it to chance or let others teach your child. Become an online parent today!
Want more tips on online parenting? Visit TheOnlineMom.com for tips on how to keep your family safe and secure online!
Safety First: School Bullying and Violence – How Safe is Your School and What Can You Do?
Think bullying and violence at school isn’t a problem? A recent survey of parents asking about safety concerns at their school shows the need for parents to take a proactive approach to keeping kids safe at school:
70% of parents reported their kids had been bullied – Interestingly, only 18% said the bullying was physical in nature. That means the majority was cyberbullying and verbal bullying (typical of “mean girl” behavior). As parents we can’t assume that bullying is the same as when we were kids.
Cyberbullying has reached epidemic proportions and while it happens online, it doesn’t mean that the school shouldn’t get involved in putting an end to it. Cyberbullying over the weekend spills into school on Monday. Be sure you inform school officials if your child was involved in a cyberbully incident so that they can monitor the situation during the day.
While 65% of the parents brought the bullying to the schools attention, the bullying continued in over 30% of the cases – This is particularly disturbing since both the parents and the child end up frustrated and confused as to where to turn for additional help.
According to the American Justice Department, 75% of school shootings have been linked to bullying and harassment. Continue to push the school for a resolution to a bullying incident and, if necessary, get local law enforcement involved.
A whopping 51% felt only somewhat confident that schools did a good job handling bullying and violence – Schools are working hard to reach out to students by developing programs that deal with bullying directly. Research shows that “zero-tolerance” policies aren’t enough on their own. These policies must be paired with programs that promote a balanced social atmosphere at school.
Such programs should focus on the fact that bullying is not a rite of passage and not acceptable at school. Technology solutions such as surveillance cameras help tremendously in cutting down on bullying. Find out from your school their specific plans on addressing bullying and violence and the safety devices they have in place to help.
After being bullied, the thing that worried parents most were a kid bringing a gun to school and a sexual predator getting in – All of that worry can be put to an end with new technology solutions, like visitor management systems. The system scans a visitor’s identity to confirm who they are and also runs their identity through a national sexual offender database.
There are also notification systems to instantly notify students, parents, and teachers of emergencies and critical information. These notifications will cover school violence, weather-related, or facility issues.
Less than 30% of respondents said their schools doors are locked at all times and only 35% even needed to show a photo ID upon entering the school – If your child’s school does not keep their doors locked at all times or require a photo ID before entering the school, SPEAK UP! There have been way too many incidents that have already occurred.
If the doors are unlocked and no one is checking your photo ID that means anyone can enter, including: predators, non custodial parents, disgruntled former employees, unhappy alumni who hold a grudge against a teacher, or gang members. Test out your schools safety procedures yourself. If you can find a way of getting into the school by bypassing a check-in, then so can anyone else.
Safety First: Are You Safe from Online Stalkers? How You May Be Inadvertently Compromising Your Personal Safety
Just when you thought it was safe to send a photo….
I was so excited when I bought my first smart phone. I was one of those “bad” moms who never remembered to bring a camera along to the playground, birthday party or school events. Then, once I had a camera built into the object that never was out of my hand – voila la! – multitasking at its best!
What I didn’t realize was that the cute photos I took of my darling daughter on the swings at the local park and then posted to my Facebook page had, embedded within them, the exact longitude and latitude of where the photo was taken.
That’s right, any predator with the touch of a keypad would be able to tell which park my kids played at. If I posted several photos around town and at home, it’s conceivable that someone who the help of a bit of pattern software could predict my whereabouts throughout the day.
It’s called geotagging and what most people don’t know is the ability to “tag” the exact location of a photo is on all smart phones. What’s even worse is the tagging function is usually automatically enabled or the ability to tag photos not exposed as an option.
Getting the location information off your photos is critical – for the same reasons you choose not to post your home address on Facebook. Fortunately, there’s a great site, I Can Stalk U that walks you through how to disable geotagging on your particular smart phone.
Geotagging is just another example of how our children are growing up in a world with vastly different threats than what we grew up with. Whether it’s the issue of geotagging or sexting, our kids have to become more aware of how their online actions can and will effect them in their future.
Talk to Your Kids about Protecting their Identity Online
- Images from their phone that are uploaded to Facebook or other social media site will stay in the virtual world forever for all potential employers and college admissions professionals to see
- Sharing user names and passwords with anyone, including good friends, girlfriends and boyfriends, opens them up to having their reputations destroyed through fake postings or photos
- If they have posted photos of themselves and are now facing “sextortion”, the threat from someone posting those photos in other places unless they agree to pose for other ones or be extorted in some other manner, they should report it to the proper authorities as it is a criminal offense.
Sadly, the good old days when life was simple are long gone. Today, our kids are facing so many more issues than we ever did. It’s up to us to help them become cautious and savvy when it comes to their protecting their safety online.
