This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. All opinions are 100% mine.
As parents we try and do everything we can to protect our kids from dangerous things. I can remember when my son was born. He was our first child and my husband and I were fanatics about making sure that our home was safe. Even then we had a few accidents and learned a lot those first few years about dangers that lurk around every corner. No one gives you a manual when your child is born, although that would be nice! However there are many resources out there to help parents prevent accidents. There is even a special day devoted to it.
Safe Kids Day
Safe Kids Day is a day that was made for the purpose of increasing the awareness of accidental injuries and raising funds to help prevent them. Safe Kids Day supports the life-saving programs of Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit organization working to protect children from accidental injuries, such as drowning, fires, burns, poisoning and traffic injuries.
Each age presents it’s own challenges when it comes to safety risks. However there are some that extend across all ages. Nationwide and Safe Kids have come up with a checklist for 4 of these critical areas which include TV and furniture tipovers, poisoning, drowning and fire. Please take a look at the list below and make sure that you are taking precautions in your home when it comes to these safety precautions.
- Secure TVs and furniture to the wall using mounts, brackets, braces or wall straps to prevent tip-overs.
- Be attentive when your children are near water, including baths, hot tubs and pools. Teach them never to go near or into water alone – an adult should always be present.
- Install a smoke alarm AND a carbon monoxide alarm on every level of your home, including your basement, and place them near sleeping areas. Test both types of alarms monthly and replace batteries annually.
- Prepare a fire escape plan, and make sure your family knows what to do and where to meet in case of an emergency. Practice the plan twice a year – the goal should be to get out in under two minutes.
- Store household products like bleach, detergents, laundry packets, dishwasher liquid or cleaning solutions in their original containers, locked up and out of children’s sight and reach.
Nationwide will be releasing a new short video on Safe Kids Day that will be showing some of these safety tips in action. You can see the video below.
How Can You Get Involved?
- First and most importantly make sure you home is free of dangers. Even if you think that your home is safe, do a quick run through to make sure there isn’t something you missed. A great way to do this is by creating you own checklist of safety actions from a master checklist of activities with My High 5.
- Attend a Safe Kids Day event in your community. Events will take place in April, May and June of 2016.
- Make a Donation to Safe Kids Worldwide.
- Tell your friends and Family about Safe Kids Day and how they can help.
- Visit the Make Safe Happen website and download the app. There are resources for all ages and room specific tips to help prevent injuries.
All kids are precious so lets make sure that we all do everything we can to make sure that they are protected! For more information on Make Safe Happen and to download the app be sure to visit the Make Safe Happen website.