ΜΕΤΡΑ ΑΣΦΑΛΕΙΑΣ

Παραθέτω επίσης το παρακάτω κείμενο (δυστυχώς είναι από nwesletter στα αγγλικά) το οποίο έχει μια λίστα με τα μέτρα ασφαλείας που χρειάζονται σε αυτούς που έχουν παιδάκια αυτής της ηλικίας. Κάποια από αυτά είναι λίγο παρτραβηγμένα για εμάς που ζούμε στην Ελλάδα (π.χ. όπλα, πισίνες) όμως προτίμησα να τα αφήσω στην λίστα.

Επίσης, προσπαθώ να βρω κάποια ολοκληρωμένη λίστα σαν αυτή στα Ελληνικά. Όταν την βρω θα κάνω Post.

Childproofing Checklist: Toddlers and Beyond

Being upright reveals a whole new world of places for your child to explore — tabletops, shelves, drawers, and other spots previously out of reach. Instead of getting down on all fours to figure out your childproofing strategy, start looking up — to some little climbers, that high-up cupboard is the equivalent of Mount Everest, and your toddler might try to reach the top just because it's there.

Bathing

-Never, ever leave child in tub unsupervised, not even for a few seconds.

Put nonslip mats in — and next to — bathtub.

-Nice to have:

Soft cover for bathtub spout.

Covers for bathtub knobs.

Crib

-Don't leave toys (or anything else that would help him climb out) in crib when child is sleeping.

-Keep drop side of crib up and locked when you're not in the room.

Bed

-Consider moving child from crib to bed when he's 35 inches tall.

-Use a detachable rail to prevent falls from the new bed and/or put padding on the floor.

-As an alternative to a regular bed, place crib mattress on the floor.

Preventing burns

-Don't carry hot food or drink and your child at the same time.

-Keep hot food and drink away from edges of tables and counters.

-Don't hold child while cooking at stove.

Turn pot handles toward back of stove.

-Secure oven door with an appliance latch.

-Install a stove guard and knob covers.

Car

-Keep child in a rear-facing car seat as long as possible, and move to a front-facing one no earlier than when he's a year old and weighs 20 pounds.

-Install car seat properly, preferably in the middle of the back seat.

When driving, lock the doors and windows if you can.

Clothing

-Don't use clothing with drawstrings.

Doors

-Use doorstops and door holders to protect child's fingers.

Electrical outlets, cords, and appliances

-Put safety plugs or outlet covers over unused outlets or block with furniture.

-Hide electrical cords behind furniture or use hide-a-cord device.

-Keep blow dryers, toasters, and other appliances unplugged and out of reach.

Preventing falls

-Never leave child alone in highchair or let him climb on furniture from which he can fall.

-Use window guards and safety netting on windows, decks, and landings.

-Cut looped window blind cords; use safety tassels and cord stops.

-If railings have openings wider than 4 inches, block with plastic garden fencing, Plexiglass, or other material.

-At the store, use safety belt on shopping cart (or bring one of your own).

Fireplace

-Install a fireplace grill and keep it in place when a fire is burning.

-Move gas fireplace keys out of reach.

-Stow logs, matches, and fireplace tools out of reach.

Fire prevention

-Check batteries in smoke detectors monthly.

-Check batteries in carbon monoxide detectors (if you have them) at least twice a year.

-Review fire escape route and start talking to your child about it.

First aid

-Take a CPR class in your home.

-See guide to choking and CPR.

Forbidden territory

-Keep knives, breakables, heavy pots, and other dangerous items locked up or out of reach.

-Control access to unsafe areas with safety gates, door locks, and knob covers.

-Put locks or latches on accessible cabinets and drawers that contain unsafe items.

-Keep trash cans in inaccessible cupboards or use cans with child-resistant covers.

-Cover or block access to radiators and floor heaters.

-Secure refrigerator with appliance latch.

-Keep small fingers out of VCRs with a VCR lock.

-Don't use tablecloths or placemats — child can pull them and what's on them down.

-Distract child from forbidden places by keeping one cupboard unlocked and filled with lightweight, child-safe items.

Furniture

-Remove clutter and move protruding furniture that child could trip on.

-Attach corner and edge guards to furniture that will become a hazard as child walks, climbs, and grows taller.

-Secure furniture that can topple (bookcases, chests of drawers) to the walls.

-Keep televisions on low, sturdy furniture, pushed back as far as possible.

-Secure tall, unstable lamps behind furniture.

Guns

-Get rid of them — they're not safe around children.

-If you must have guns, store them, unloaded, in a locked and inaccessible spot.

-Store the ammunition in a separate locked and inaccessible spot.

-Use additional gun safety devices such as trigger locks.

-Start teaching your child that guns are weapons, not toys.

Playgrounds

-Make sure surface under equipment is rubber, fiber, wood chips, mulch, sand, or pea gravel — not asphalt, concrete, or grass.

-Make sure all bolts and screws are tightly fastened and all "S" hooks are closed.

Poison-proofing

-Survey your house and move cleaning agents, medicines, vitamins, toiletries, mothballs, and other potentially toxic items out of reach or lock them up.

-Remember that your purse or a visitor's purse may hold medicines, toiletries, and other toxic substances — move handbags out of reach.

-Get rid of toxic houseplants such as philodendron or move out of reach.

-Post the number for the Association of Poison Control Centers' national emergency hotline

Sun

-Keep child out of the sun as much as possible, especially during peak sun hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

-When child is outside, protect skin with hats, light-colored clothing with long sleeves, and a broad spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 15.

Toilet

-Install a toilet-seat lock (top-heavy toddlers can fall in and drown).

Toys

The safest toys:

-Are securely put together and in good condition.

-Have no buttons, eyes, beads, ribbons, or other pieces a child could pull off and choke on.

-Are not too heavy (if a toy would harm child if it fell on him, it's too heavy).

-Have no strings or cords longer than 12 inches.

-Are appropriate for toddler's age and physical skills.

-Can't be hung around toddler's neck.

Street

-Teach child to be wary of cars and to hold grown-up's hand in street or parking lot.

Water

-Don't leave child unattended even for a moment in or near a pool or other water.

-Around your pool, put up fencing at least 4 feet high with a self-closing, self-latching gate.

-Empty wading pool and store upright after each use.

-Don't leave even small amounts of water, cleaning solutions, or other liquids in buckets or other containers.

Windows

-Cut off or tie up dangling cords on drapes and blinds.

-Mark sliding doors and other expanses of glass with colorful stickers.

-Install window locks so windows can be opened for air but not far enough for child to climb out.

-Don't depend on screens to prevent falls.

-Move furniture that child could climb on away from windows.