Keeping safe

Protecting children in the home

Most accidents happen in the home which is why it is important to ensure that your home is a safe place for all your family, especially for young children. One of the highest reported incidents of accidents at home is children being scalded by hot tea. Make your home as child friendly as you can.

Make sure that all medicines, drugs and cleaning chemicals are locked away out of reach. Certain places are full of danger, such as kitchens, sheds and even garden ponds. Supervise toddlers at all times, an accident only takes seconds. Use safety devices such as door locks, stair gates and bed guards when your child is too young to understand the dangers. Some toys are made up of very small pieces which a baby or toddler could choke on. Be aware!

Make your child aware of the dangers of roads and railways. Always use an appropriate car safety seat for their age and height. Outside the home they should never be alone. Teach them to run, yell and tell if approached by a stranger.

Play is important it is very important that children are allowed to get muddy sometimes, shout and scream and feel free. It is easy to be over protective. Balance is the key. Give them a bit of independence as they grow, as long as they are safe.

Protecting children in the pub

Signs that your child might come to harm in a licensed premises include: You’re drinking a lot; you don’t know where your child is; they keep running off; there’s adult entertainment available. Adults can buy young people aged 16 or 17 beer, wine or cider (not spirits) to drink with a meal as long as they’re with them. It’s against the Law for children under 18 to buy alcohol, or for an adult to buy it for them.

It’s important to know about any risks there are for children in pubs, as well as other licensed premises, which means anywhere that supplies alcohol or entertainment. For example, restaurants where you’re eating a meal and places like nightclubs where you might take your children for an event like a wedding reception or family party. Children have a right to be protected from harm - not just physical but emotional and moral. It’s up to everyone to do what they can to protect them.

If you’re taking your child somewhere where there’s alcohol, remember that the more you drink the harder it will be to look after them. They can wander off or receive unwanted attention from strangers.