As both a mom and pediatrician, child safety and preventing injuries is a top priority of mine. And walking through my home, you can tell I have spent a significant amount of time over the past several years child-proofing.
In fact, it started even before I had my kids with puppy-proofing. I have a yellow lab and along with many other ridiculous habits, she always went for our electrical outlets. Before I even had my first baby, I was covering them so she wouldn’t try to lick them! One of my friends even boasted when I was pregnant with my first, that she had guessed it because she noticed my outlets were covered when she came to visit. Well, she was right. I was pregnant, but the outlet covers were actually for my dog!
Once my first son was born, my child-proofing expanded from outlet covers to gates for the stairs, locks for my cabinets, and after my second son began walking, locks for my toilets too. It made potty training a little more challenging but was certainly worth the investment to keep him safe.
Throughout my house you can find many of the same child safety gadgets that would find adoring the aisles of your local baby store.
While many gadgets I’ve purchased, other child-proofing I’ve done with minimal cost associated with it. Strategically placing cleaners up high and out of reach was one way to keep costs down. A simple piece of paper with the words “Please keep door closed at all times!” written with a Sharpie and placed on my basement door was another. Nothing fancy, but it did the trick.
Small toys, such as Legos, are given a home upstairs in my older sons’ closets to protect both my youngest from putting them in his mouth and the soles of my feet from being punctured. Child-proofing isn’t just for the children — us moms can benefit too.
Moving into our basement and garage, I’ve put great effort into ensuring anything hazardous is also out of reach. And finally, I’ve made it a priority to remove any plants from our yard that I could identify as a possible danger to my kids or my pet.
These interventions, along with many more, are just a few of the steps I’ve taken to keep my kids safe both inside and outside my home. Within my four walls and the perimeter of my yard, I have done what I can to minimize their risk for injury while also giving them a safe space to play.
But even with all of this we do as parents to keep our children safe, what about when we step outside our homes? What about the rest of the world where our children grow up and play in? How do we keep our children safe in those environments too?
We work together, and we advocate for safer neighborhoods.
It was just last summer, when I, myself, picked up the phone and called one of the towns in my area regarding their use of pesticides. Through a miscommunication between the town and the soccer league, and yellow markers that had been knocked down in the area my kids played, my children and several others had unknowingly played soccer on a field that had just been sprayed with pesticides. I learned through my phone calls that it was a miscommunication, but it is my hope that after my advocacy that the town and the league improve their communication in the future so this does not happen and again, and further, that they reconsider the products they use in the future in areas where children will play.
The good news is, there are many people out there who are already advocating for child safety and who are actively playing role.
And as a parent with a toddler, I can honestly say, when I go someplace with my one year old and I see outlet covers inside a home or an office, I actually feel a sense of relief and even, support. Those outlet covers are a symbol that someone thought of my child, even if it wasn’t him specifically they were thinking of. Someone thought of the child that might be curious, and the parent that might be trying to protect that child. That small piece of plastic can provide safety for a child and reassurance to a parent that he or she is not alone.
With my older children, it’s the people who slow down as they drive by my kids riding on their bikes that brings me comfort. Slowing their speed lets me know they are aware of my kids and their safety, and me and my desire to protect them. Taking my kids out for fresh air and exercise along our street can either frazzle me or relax me and it is often largely dependent on who and what we run into along the way.
And it’s not just me who notices it. Last summer, my oldest son would frequently comment on the speed of cars passing us by when we went for a walk or took a bike ride. He would often ask why some people slowed down to say hi, often our friends and neighbors, and why others zoomed past as though they didn’t even notice us. There was a sense of safety with some drivers, and a sense of danger with others. I think about that frequently when I drive, keeping an eye on crosswalks and looking for young kids who might be outside playing. One person can make a child feel safe outside, another can make them feel they are in danger. I often wonder if some of the kids who love being outside these days have simply been surrounded by more people who help them feel safe and welcomed when they step out their front door.
Stepping out into our own community, we often come across many pets in our travels, most often dogs. Some of which will be on a leash and gently guided to the side as my kids pass by, while others have less friendly reputations and can be very alarming to my kids and I, leading us to take an alternate path. We are dog lovers but as their mom, I am also very aware that dog bites are common and that children are most at risk for getting bit. Even a friendly dog can be unintentionally provoked by a child. But when I see a dog owner notice my children and carefully lead their dogs to the opposite side of a path, I sincerely appreciate the gesture. With that act of kindness, a stranger can suddenly feel like part of our community — the one that prioritizes keeping my kids safe.
Just as we child proof our homes, our communities have a responsibility to do their own “child-proofing” to keep our kids safe.
From choosing plants that are safe for pets and children, to removing poisonous ones that can be harmful, we all play a role in keeping the kids in our neighborhoods and communities safe. What we put on our lawns and into our waterways, matters. How fast we drive down the streets where they ride bikes and play, matters. Putting fences up and locking gates to secure pools, matters. And slowing down to give a child on a bike a wave or a smile, matters. That act of kindness can positively reinforce their time outside and keep them coming back out for more. Children need safe neighborhoods to play in.
So as pools are being reopened and the weather is warming up, I wanted to include five ways we can all spread the word and make our neighborhoods safer this summer.
1. Remove plants that may be a hazard to pets or children.
- https://www.chop.edu/news/health-tip/know-plants-your-garden-your-child-s-safety
- https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Backyard-Safety.aspx
- https://publications.aap.org/pediatricsinreview/article/18/5/162/36706/Poisonous-Plants-When-They-Are-a-Threat-to
2. Eliminating or even limiting the amount of pesticides you apply to your lawn with safer alternatives, can be helpful in limiting exposures to children and pets.
- https://www.epa.gov/safepestcontrol/citizens-guide-pest-control-and-pesticide-safety
- https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/all-around/Pages/Protecting-Children-from-Pesticides-Information-for-Parents.aspx
3. Slow down when driving through neighborhoods where children are playing.
- https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/sports/Pages/Biking.aspx
- https://www.keepkidsalivedrive25.org/take3tosee
4. If you have a pool, follow the appropriate guidelines for gating the area surrounding the pool and keep those gates closed and locked.
5. Keep pets from being able to approach children as they walk or bike by.
- https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Before-Choosing-a-Pet.aspx
- https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/all-around/Pages/Dog-Bite-Prevention-Tips.aspx#:~:text=If%20a%20dog%20bites%20your%20child%2C%20follow%20these%20steps%3A&text=Immediately%20wash%20out%20the%20wound,to%20your%20local%20police%20department.
I hope these five tips are helpful. And please continue to support safe areas for play, such as parks and playgrounds, in your neighborhoods. Keep them clean and continue to raise funding for them, if need be.
Teachers, please advocate for your kids to learn outside. Kids learn beyond the classroom and you might find some of the kids who have a harder time in the classroom, thrive once you take them outside.
Grandparents, friends, and extended family, I encourage you to look at the resources above and see what you can do to make your backyard safer. And then, whenever possible, keep hosting your gatherings outside as often as you can, giving the kids you love and adore, more time outside running around in the fresh air. More time outside playing and enjoying themselves with the family and friends that they love and adore.
As communities, we need to ensure we are working together to get kids outside and playing, safely.
