Did you ever notice how toddlers love to try to stick their finger in the power outlets in your house? It seems like it is a natural instinct to want to stick your finger in an outlet when you are a young child. I don't know why but it doesn't stop there. Even as children grow up a little and mature a bit, and once they are aware of the dangers of electricity, kids still aren't usually completely aware of the electrical hazards around them.
I would like to provide a few tips in this article regarding electrical safety and kids. The truth is one zap can kill you. Plain and simple. Just like a bug in an outdoor 'bug light.' So knowing where dangers may lie is the first step toward avoiding an accidental injury or even death by electric shock.
Fallen electrical wires are something to stay away from. Sometimes after a storm or even a car accident you may see fallen electrical wires laying on the ground. Just because they are not sparking for showing signs of being a live wire they usually are. You have to stay away from fallen wires. Don't even get close as the rest of the wire could fall down and who knows where it might land.
For instance, if you were involved in a car accident and there are wires laying across the car but it looks like you can get out and escape...don't! Just a short while ago a young girl from my home town was killed exactly in this way. First her friend, the driver got out and she was fine. So the girl in the passengers seat also got out carefully. A moment later a branch fell out of the tree they hit and knocked a power line down and it killed upon contact.
Kites can be dangerous too. Just because that crazy nut Ben Franklin was flying a kite with a key on the end of it doesn't mean it is safe to fly kites in the rain. If your kite gets struck by lightning say goodbye! You could be finished in an instant. Don't fly your kite near any electrical wires either as the same thing can happen.
Don't pull cords out of the electrical socket by just yanking on the cord. It could break and cook you in your seat! Always remove a cord from an electrical outlet carefully by holding the appropriate part of the cord near the plug. And if you see any damaged cords in your house let someone know right away as they could even just catch fire. Electrical cords are dangerous.
Never put your finger in the light bulb socket! This one is really dangerous as even grown ups who know better can touch the inside of the socket if they are not careful. This is the same as grabbing a live wire, it will zap you and could easily kill you. Also parents should keep this in mind and never leave a light bulb socket empty for too long. Buy a new light bulb and screw it in as soon as possible, just to make sure that you remove a potential hazard.
Last but not least cover your power outlets or electrical outlets with outlet covers. This prevents your little ones from sticking their fingers in the holes of the outlet. We already talked about that and I'm sure you agree. Kids just love that mysterious power outlet. Of course it doesn't have to be just a finger but anything they stick in the outlet can hurt or kill them.
So cover your cords and outlets and make sure your appliances are unplugged when you clean them and stay away from fallen wires.
It has been shown statistically that the majority of accidents to newborns and infants are totally preventable. What it takes is for every new parent to be aware of the risk factors for newborns, and taking active steps to prevent it. You need to arm yourself with valuable knowledge in the care of your baby.
Here are 16 basic safety precautions which every new parent must know:
1. Do not put baby to bed with a bottle. Babies can choke or acquire ear infections, tooth decay and other dental troubles from having something in their mouths overnight.
2. For neck support, and because a newborn cannot sit up, roll a towel or get a support pillow that goes around the newborn's head. You'll use this in the car seat, stroller and wind-up swing. As newborns cannot sit up yet, many umbrella strollers - the easy folding, simple-looking, portable one-seat strollers do not give newborns the support they need, or are not sufficiently padded. Hence the support pillow.
3. Ensure your stroller has seat belts and crotch straps and that you use them. Strollers should have a wide base to prevent tipping and brakes that work.
4. Do not have aspirin around for children. It's been linked with Reye's Syndrome, which can be fatal. Never give a newborn something the pediatrician has not recommended, anyway.
5. Do not use (or minimize) baby powder or talcum on a newborn because it can be inhaled into the baby's lungs.
6. Never tie a pacifier or any other objects on a string around a baby's neck. Don't use homemade pacifiers. Check pacifiers and nipples frequently to ensure the nipple-part can't be sucked off and swallowed, and see that it has no holes or tears. The guard or shield around the nipple of the pacifier should be larger than the baby's mouth and should have ventilation holes so the baby could breathe if it did get in there, anyhow.
7. Keep toys on strings, drapery cords, laundry bags or other objects with strings off the baby cot and away from newborns to prevent strangulation. Mobiles on cribs should be securely fastened and not have long strings. Remove them before the child can reach them.
8. The slats of the crib should be no wider than 2 3/8 inches apart. Be sure to check, especially if using an antique, hand-me-down or secondhand crib. Mattresses should fit tightly up against the sides and there should be no corner posts.
9. Install a smoke detector in the baby's room or nursery.
10. If you have a playpen or portable crib with mesh sides, never use it with a side left down. Newborns could roll into the mesh pocket and suffocate. Better yet, don't use mesh-sided playpens.
11. Never, not even once, take your baby in the car without him or her being strapped in the car seat, and the car seat properly belted in the car according to manufacturer's directions. And never use a carrier device or sling-type seat as a car seat, unless it is specifically designed for this purpose. A low impact crash may not hurt an adult, but can prove fatal to an unsecured newborn.
12. Baby changing tops should have safety straps and/or railings to prevent the baby from falling off.
13. Do not use honey in any food or on the pacifier for babies not yet a year old. It can cause infant botulism.
14. Remove unnecessary objects from the crib, bassinet or playpen when baby sleeps to prevent suffocation. That means no pillows, stuffed animals or floppy toys. Don't cover the crib mattress in anything like a plastic garbage bag, dry cleaning bag or light plastic sheet. These can block a newborn's breathing in the event that the baby end up with its face down.
15. Crib or play gyms should be used only until the child is old enough to pull up and push up on hands and knees. Remove the gym when the baby is sleeping. You may wish to use this only on the floor, with baby lying on a soft blanket.
16. Keep small toys away from small babies. Toys go automatically into mouths and choking can, and does, result. Be especially careful of older toys with parts that can be pulled off, like teddy bear eyes, or parts that can break into small pieces.
Both Chris Lees & Thomas Choo are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Thomas Choo has sinced written about articles on various topics from Sleep Disorder, Fitness and Babies. ChampBaby is a premier , with expert articles on baby gifts, baby shower, breast feeding, and baby names suggestions. Visit. Thomas Choo's top article generates over 3600 views. to your Favourites.