Child Safety for Elementary-Age Kids

Child Safety for Elementary-Age Kids

Child Safety for Elementary- It’s a fact of life: children will get occasional cuts and scrapes throughout their formative years. From organized sports to backyard roughhousing to a tumble from the playground monkey bars, childhood activities and everyday mishaps are bound to leave a few marks.

But AGC Pediatrics has several tips to help parents keep their children as safe as possible through the bumps and bruises of adolescence:

• Always have your child wear a helmet and kneepads while riding a bike or skateboard.
• Teach your child how to swim, or have them take lessons at a rec center or swim club. Stay close to your child when enjoying time in the pool or at the beach.
• Hold your young child’s hand when crossing the street. Teach them to always cross at the crosswalk and follow the signals for pedestrians.
• Instruct children on fire safety. Create a fire escape plan with your family and practice it. Keep matches out of children’s reach.
• Securely lock and store firearms completely out of children’s reach.
• Emphasize the importance of using sports equipment properly and following the rules of the game.
• Do not allow your child to play in the street.
• Make sure children cannot enter storage trunks around the house, where they could get trapped.
• Teach children how to be safe around pets. Remind them to be respectful of our furry friends—for example, don’t pull a dog’s tail or put fingers in its mouth.
• During craft time, only allow young children to use blunt, child-safe scissors, and always supervise their use.
• Make sure children do not play on or near a hot stove or heater.
• Call 911 immediately if your child sustains serious or life-threatening injuries.