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Child Safety

Many parents, hoping that they will not have to deal with the inconveniences of baby proofing, wait "to see" if problems develop before taking action. Others, deciding that the baby should learn not to touch, take preventative measures only after it becomes obvious to them that this strategy does not work.

 The best time to start thinking of baby proofing your home is as soon as you know you are expecting a child. This is often far from about-to-be parents’ thoughts. With all the newly found pride and adventure surrounding having a baby, few want to consider their baby ever suffering an injury. Rather than ignoring the issue, it would be better to include safety as you go. Start looking around for the things that are a RISK to a baby who has so little understanding of the world and what could hurt them. When you identify the risky things, plan for what you will do about it.

Studies have looked into 3 strategies that most parents adopt to keep their child safe: Remove, Supervise or Teach. Those who choose only to Teach children what not to do, are found not only to be ineffective in prevention, but they actually leave their children vulnerable to injury. Studies also find that being in the same room is not enough to prevent an injury. It is a fact that is is impossible that you cannot be with them at all times. A child could grab a knife from a drawer and start running around with it as you turn your back to go to the fridge to prepare your meals. With regard to Remove and Supervise strategies, neither alone is found to be as effective as combination of the two.