Prepare

"It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret."

Jackie Joyner-Kersee

I'm quite sure she wasn't thinking about children's safety when she said this, but how applicable!! Take a few moments now to prepare yourself and your home and spare many moments of regret later....

Fireplace and Wood Stove Safety

Like it or not, Fall is coming!! We've been doing little fires in the backyard at night, and folks with fireplaces and wood burning stoves are starting to fire them up as well. I imagine that this heating season especially, as the cost of oil and gas is so high, lots of homes will be heated with wood fires. I found this article about fireplace and wood burning stove safety that I wanted to share with you....

More than one-third of Americans use fireplaces, wood stoves and other fuel-fired appliances as primary heat sources in their homes. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the fire risks when heating with wood and solid fuels.

Heating fires account for 36% of residential home fires in rural areas every year. Often these fires are due to creosote buildup in chimneys and stovepipes. All home heating systems require regular maintenance to function safely and efficiently.

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) encourages you to practice the following fire safety steps to keep those home fires safely burning. Remember, fire safety is your personal responsibility ...Fire Stops With You!

Keep Fireplaces and Wood Stoves Clean

• Have your chimney or wood stove inspected and cleaned annually by a certified chimney specialist.
• Clear the area around the hearth of debris, decorations and flammable materials.
• Always use a metal mesh screen with fireplaces. Leave glass doors open while burning a fire.
• Install stovepipe thermometers to help monitor flue temperatures.
• Keep air inlets on wood stoves open, and never restrict air supply to fireplaces. Otherwise you may cause creosote buildup that could lead to a chimney fire.
• Use fire-resistant materials on walls around wood stoves.

Safely Burn Fuels

• Never use flammable liquids to start a fire.
• Use only seasoned hardwood. Soft, moist wood accelerates creosote buildup.
• Build small fires that burn completely and produce less smoke.
• Never burn cardboard boxes, trash or debris in your fireplace or wood stove.
• When building a fire, place logs at the rear of the fireplace on an adequate supporting grate.
• Never leave a fire in the fireplace unattended. Extinguish the fire before going to bed or leaving the house.
• Soak hot ashes in water and place them in a metal container outside your home.

Protect the Outside of Your Home

• Stack firewood outdoors at least 30 feet away from your home.
• Keep the roof clear of leaves, pine needles and other debris.
• Cover the chimney with a mesh screen spark arrester.
• Remove branches hanging above the chimney, flues or vents.

Protect the Inside of Your Home

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home. Test them monthly and change the batteries at least once a year. Consider installing the new long life smoke alarms.
• Provide proper venting systems for all heating equipment.
• Extend all vent pipes at least three feet above the roof.

Poison Ivy Tips

I wish I had this great chart at the beginning of the summer, but hopefully it will still be useful now. Hope you never need it :)!

Infant and Child CPR

I used to routinely take CPR classes for my jobs, both in service coordination and residential care, and also in child care. I am sad to admit that it's been a few years since I've refreshed. I truly think that it is crucial for anyone who has a child or cares for a child to have this training. I found some great information about it on the Red Cross's website:

Whether you're a professional childcare provider, teacher or parent, you invest daily in a child's future. Trust the American Red Cross to help you make sure they reach their future safely. Backed by over 90 years of lifesaving experience, the American Red Cross offers the most comprehensive, current and high quality infant and child CPR programs available. Our infant and child CPR training is based on the latest scientific findings. Your American Red Cross representative will work with you to meet your specific training needs.

Save Time, Save Lives:

With the American Red Cross, you can meet all your training needs in one convenient day. Have your training on-site or at your local Red Cross chapter. Or prepare selected employees to train the rest of your staff. Have the satisfaction of knowing your infants and children are safe because their caregivers' emergency and safety skills came from the very best in safety training.

Choose the Program that's Right for You:

• CPR � Child and Infant (4-1/4 hours) - applies to infants and children age 12 and under.
• CPR � Infant (3-3/4 hours) - applies to infants under the age of 1.
• CPR � Child (3-3/4 hours) - applies to children between the ages of 1 and 12.

What You Will Learn:

• Recognizing an Emergency. What are some unusual sights appearances or behaviors in infants or children that can help you recognize an emergency situation?
• Protecting Yourself. What precautions can you take to minimize the risk of disease transmission when giving care?
• Check-Call-Care. Once you recognize an emergency, remain calm and follow the emergency action steps: Check-Call-Care.
• How to care for a child or infant who is choking.
• Prioritizing care. In an emergency with more than one victim, how would you determine which victim needs care first?
• Recognize and care for a child or infant who is not breathing.
• Care for cardiac emergencies.

Take-home tip sheets help keep kids safe:

• Check it Out -- a Safety checklist.
• Child Passenger Safety Tips
• Choking Prevention for Infants and Children
• Fire Safety Tips
• Playground Safety
• Poison Prevention
• Sun Exposure
• Water Safety Tips

Plus, skill cards that include pictures and steps for all the skills you learn. Purchase extra copies for your car, boat or first aid kit. Give them to friends, family, babysitters and others who care for children.

For more information, contact your local American Red Cross.

Furniture straps

These are one of those wow - never would have thought of that but wish I did - things...
Furniture straps - simple pieces of plastic or plastic and cloth that attach your furniture that might tip (think dressers) to the wall. Kids love to climb, and their dressers or shelves are just right there and so accessible... Unfortunately if they tip, think of all that weight on your child. It could be disastrous. Just about any baby supply store or hardware store carries these, under the name of furniture straps, anti-tip straps, or furniture brackets. This is a $10 fix that could literally save a life!!! Take the time to check them out....

Safety Gates

A very important tool in keeping kids safe is the safety gate. For toddlers it's a must have, but even for older children it is helpful, especially when you're talking about stairs and hot things, like fireplaces and woodburning stoves. The tricky thing with gates is that you need to find the right one for each particular application. I came across a website today that offers a baby gate selector that helps you match the right gate for the right use. I'm sure that there is also marketing involved, but still a helpful tool to help you figure out the best way to help keep your child safe with a safety gate.

Sooo, happy gate hunting!!

Car Emergency Kit

I read something the other day that talked about being prepared for emergencies, which is always a good thing, especially when you're responsible for little people, so I thought I'd share a list of car emergency kit items...

• first aid kit (buy prestocked at WalMart for about $10 or stock with at least hydrogen peroxide, band aids, gauze, antibiotic ointment, instant ice pack, ace bandage)
• fully charged cell phone
• properly inflated spare tire
• owner's manual - what's that emergency light mean?
• flashlight
• state map
• moist towelettes, change of kids' clothes, Ziploc bags (in case of needing to vomit)
• feminine protection supplies
• drinking water, nonperishable good
• safety triangle or flare
• blanket(s)

Any other ideas?

Summer safety

A little bit late in the summer for this now, but some info I shared on another blog a few months back... Important stuff to remember even if only for a few more weeks!

Before we moved, I ran a day care out of our home for quite a few years, nine I think - I've blocked it out :). (Just kidding, they were good years!) I was always so glad to see the warm weather come, but also nervous about all of the "dangers" of being outside so much. You can stress everyone out if you think on all of these things constantly, but it's good to do a quick refresher on summer safety right about now...

Here are a few good websites that I found to get your mind "tuned up" and ready to try to be on the safe side with your kiddos.

http://www.redcross.org/services/hss/sumsafety/

http://www.ynhh.org/pediatrics/prevention/summer_safety.html

http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content2/news2/summer.safety.list.t.p.k12.html

http://www.poison.org/prevent/plants.asp

and for your pets...

http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_common

It's also not a bad idea to call up your local Red Cross, YMCA, or Continuing Ed. Dept. to see if they are offering a First Aid and CPR class. It is so much less scary (for both you and your child)when your child does get hurt if you have some training as to what to do!

When reading this, you might think that my kids are in bubbles, and that safety is always on the forefront. Well, you don't know me... My kids are probably the dirtiest and most banged up kids on the block, but they're also probably having the most fun. By doing quick safety checks now, and just being alert of all this good stuff, I can relax and let them enjoy, well, making mudpies, climbing trees, and being kids.

Ticks

Where we live in upstate New York, ticks are a big problem. I'm constantly checking, or forgetting to check, our kids and our dog for ticks. Letting them stay on your skin can end up leading to Lyme diseasem a nasty bacterial infection that can lead to joint, heart, and nervous system problems. I read an article the other day with some "to-do"s about ticks I thought I'd share...

1. Wear long pants and insect repellant when outside in grassy areas.
2. Check your family and pets daily. You have 36 hours to remove an infected tick before it shares the disease.
3. If you find a tick, remove it with tweezers. Save the tick in a plastic bag, in case your doctor wants to examine it. Apply antibiotic ointment to the bite area.

Outlets

Ok, so I think I'm just going to run through some safety helps that I think are "must haves" for any home with young children.

A big danger in homes of children who are toddling around and sticking their fingers anywhere and everywhere is the electrical outlet. Little fingers, or things that they may pick up on the ground, can be quickly stuck right into the live openings, and ouch!!!

There are several kinds of outlet safety covers available, including the safety faceplate above, where you actually remove the traditional plate around the plugs and put this childproof one on. A more common, and less expensive, alternative is the safety outlet plugs that you stick into each outlet. These are handy in that you can bring them with you when you go other places, but a downside is that they can be a choking hazard if left lying around.

With care, either option provides safety in at least one area for your child, but neither is a substitute for your watchful eye.... A help though!

My thoughts

A few years back I ran a day care, licensed by New York State, out of my home. Over the 8 years that I did child care, many many kiddos came through my doors, and thankfully we only had a few accidents that ever required a visit to the doctor. I know that it could have turned out much differently, and am truly thankful!! Children are busy, fast, and unpredictable!! There are so many things to consider under the heading of kid's safety. Soooo, this is a forum to talk safety matters.