Safety of Your Child
3 to 6 years old

In today’s world, there are a whole host of new issues that earlier generations didn’t face while growing up. Of course, no one can protect their children from everything or foresee all the possible dangers they may face; but with a little child safety planning we can protect them from a lot - that is what a parent is meant for.
It requires a lot of patience to take care of an active young child. Children should not be left alone at any places - home or car - until they are old enough to take care of themselves in an emergency. Babies and young children must be supervised at all times.

Following are a few safety tips for you to keep your child safe.

HOME SAFETY
The home is the most common place for young children to be injured. Try to make the home environment as safe as possible by removing any hazards. Parents can prevent injuries by carrying out a home safety evaluation and putting child safety measures into place.

  • Keep medicines safely locked away and out of the reach of young children.
  • Store medicines in original containers with original labels.
  • Cleaning liquids, paints, powders and dangerous chemicals should be kept away and out of the reach of young children.   
  • Check furniture for sharp edges, especially coffee tables and other small items.
  • Small toys or game parts should not be left where babies can pick them up and swallow or choke on them.
  • Keep sharp and dangerous objects out of children's reach.
  • Exits and passageways should be kept clear at all times.
  • Keep the number of the doctor, hospital, and emergency services near the telephone in case of a serious accident.
  • Teach your children the basics of electric safety. They should know, not to put objects into the plug points and not to touch anything that has a wire attached
  • Keep any electrical wires in the house tied up or out of reach of the children. .
  • Keep all matches and lighters out of the hands of children. If possible, keep these sources of fire in locked drawers.
  • It is important to keep pot handles turned in towards the back of the stove. This will prevent a child from grabbing onto the handle and pulling the pot onto themselves.
  • Hot items should be kept at a safe distance from children.
  • It is preferable for children at this age to stay away from animals, even with their own pets.
  • Try to learn a few basic rules of first-aid - it might save the life of someone you love!
  • Every home should have basic first-aid supplies on hand. These are important since they may be needed at a moment's notice in order to treat in the case of accidents.

ROAD SAFETY
Children learn road safety watching what their parent is doing. If they see parents taking risks they will probably take risks too. One of the best ways that you can help your child to stay safe is to set a good example when on roads.

  • Hold your child’s hand when you are walking on road.
  • Explain what you are doing when you cross the road together. This helps your child to understand how you decide when it is safe to cross.
  • Discourage your child from playing or walking in the middle of the road even it is empty.
  • Make sure you get your child in and out of the car from the pavement side.
  • Insist that children wear an appropriate and properly adjusted child restraint or seat belt on every car trip.

BODY SAFETY

Talking to children about body safety at this age can be difficult for parents, but we have to teach our children about the private body parts and how to protect themselves, as we teach them road safety or car safety.  

  • Teach your children proper names of all body parts such as genitals, penis, vagina, private parts.
  • Teach your children privacy, modesty, personal behaviours, and boundaries are important.
  • Teach them the difference between good touching (like a pat on the back or a quick hug for something done well) and bad touching, which is any touch that makes a child uncomfortable.
  • If the child is feeling uneasy about someone giving them a hug, don’t pressurize them to do so. Respect the child’s liking/disliking to touch and hugs.
  • Teach them that it is NEVER all right for someone to TOUCH, LOOK or TALK about one’s private body parts except to keep them clean and healthy.
  • Tell them it is never right for someone older or bigger to ask the child to TOUCH, LOOK or TALK about their private body parts.
  • If someone tries to break this rule, your child should say "NO" and then scream and run away.
  • Encourage your child to talk to you about their day, every day. 
  • Teach them to tell you if an older person ever asks them to keep a secret. Tell them there is no secret to be kept from parents.
  • If a stranger approaches them, they do not have to speak to him or her; they should just move towards parent. 
  • They should not accept candy or any other items from a stranger.
  • Teach your child at least one relevant phone number of a person who can be contacted in case of emergency.

Be a good listener - If your child says something that concerns you, calmly use questions to draw them out. If your child does not want a certain babysitter, ask why. Or if your child complains that someone tickled them, ask “Where did they tickle you?” Do not show your anger or agitation to them. Simply talking to your child may be your first step in keeping them safe from child abuse.

Young people are at risk of assault, abduction, and abuse. Skills and knowledge are the keys to keeping kids safe. The good news is that there are simple and effective ways of teaching children how to protect themselves that will work most of the time. Just telling children about safety or just showing children what to do is not enough. Children learn best by actively participating. It is important to do this in a way that is not scary, but fun and comfortable.