Kids & Company Blog

Indoor & Outdoor Safety

To me, the transition from August to September always feels like a new year. I was always so so excited to get everyone off to school and often a new room in child care...from toddler to preschool! It is almost like the start of a new calendar year. September is a time to take stock of the plans for fall, programs to enroll in and to think about perhaps planning some winter travel. Safety has been a recent topic discussed on Kidco social media, and I wanted to share my top tips for safety while travelling and at home.

1.       Preparing for Busy Places

The end of summer is a popular time to go away or enjoy fun outdoor venues. While these little trips create great memories, they can also be busy and stressful. It is a good idea to take a picture of your children before you leave for a busy venue. At the very least you will have a nice photo of them before they mess up their outfits with food, sweat, and fun! In the worst case scenario, you have a current photo of what they’re wearing should they temporarily wander and you need to ask park employees for help.

2.        Keeping Safe in a Crowd

Especially when you’re venturing to chaotic festivals or amusement parks, it’s important for kids to know what to do in any scenario. When you enter the venue, point out a meeting spot that can be easily found in case you get separated. Make sure to remind even small children of who they should ask for help and what they should say. One of the scariest moments of my life was when my almost two year old baby number eight wandered away from us as we were eating at Disneyland. He was missing (just wandering around!) for about fifteen minutes! I felt paralyzed and barely able to look for him! As we travel now with my grandsons, I have a new sense of cautiousness.

3.       Safety at Home

Safety starts at home! Our days enjoying the sunshine outside are sadly numbered. I feel like most people do a spring or fall tidy, so it’s a great time to evaluate your home for any potential hazards. Keep a sharp eye out for unconventional choking hazards such as magnets within reach on the fridge. Baby gates can be great, however they cannot protect baby from every set of stairs! Try teaching your baby to crawl downstairs to safety as early as possible.

The transition from August to September can be a busy period no matter what age and stage your family is at! However, it’s never a bad time to teach your children a little about safety. As parents with young children it’s easy to worry about every little bump and fall. Thankfully, those kinds of accidents seem to be more traumatic for parents than kids! Stay tuned for announcements about our fall workshops to learn more about child safety.

Wishing you and your family a great rest of your summer,

Best,

Victoria

Posted on: Thursday September 1st, 2016

Posted by: Victoria Sopik