Becoming a parent can dramatically shift a person’s perspective on safety and the presence of dangers. Suddenly, the number of risky situations grows exponentially as you look after this vulnerable, small human being. It is easy to become paranoid about so many circumstances since you are responsible for raising a child and keeping them safe.
While the world may feel like a suddenly more dangerous place when you are raising children, that does not mean that you must shut off from the world to protect them from it. There are plenty of steps that you can take to protect your children so that they grow into thriving adults in the future.
Here are some tips to follow that will help protect your children.
A Birth Plan
Before the child even enters the world, you can start protecting them as they develop inside a mother’s uterus. While you should certainly take care of your own body to promote health for the baby, you can also do research and come up with a birth plan when the time comes to bring that baby into the world. A birth plan is simply a list of your preferences for how the process will go. The more knowledge you have about the birthing process, the easier it will be to advocate for yourself in the delivery room. While preparation may be unable to prevent mistakes that cause devastating birth injuries that can lead to lawsuits, it can ensure that your desires are followed by healthcare professionals.
A Clean Home
Houses can contain plenty of germs, bacteria, and even tripping hazards that can make life more difficult for young children. The ongoing needs of children can make it hard to keep up with cleaning. Following the right strategies for cleaning your house can create a safer environment for your kids so that they are less likely to get sick or hurt themselves, though we cannot prevent every bad thing from happening to them. Some cleaning tips include creating a cleaning schedule and sticking to it, having the right equipment, and doing one room at a time.
Teachable Moments
It is impossible to completely prevent danger from befalling your children. They are going to trip and scrape their knee. They are going to get sick after spending time around other kids. They are going to get burns from touching a hot surface when you are not paying attention. The key is to take advantage of those moments to teach them about the various risks they face. Empathize with their pain and do not yell at them for making a mistake. Instead, explain to them what happened and why a certain action was dangerous. Teaching children about safety is often easier when real-world applications have just occurred.
Relating to Strangers
Stranger danger is a very real thing, especially in today’s world. Things can go wrong so quickly, and if your children are not equipped to deal with strangers, then they could be in danger. Many parenting styles disagree about teaching children how to interact with strangers. Some may encourage walking away from strangers immediately and finding a parent while others are more flexible. What you teach your kids is up to you, but the important element is to talk about boundaries. Make sure your children understand the boundaries you have for them when engaging with strangers. Lay out specific scenarios when teaching them or they may learn to make exceptions in the moment.
Lead By Example
Young children do not retain information that is taught to them in a boring way. This is why it takes a while for them to be able to sit still in a classroom and absorb information. They need stimulating activities to learn safety when their energy level is high and harder to control. This is why teaching them about safety should include leading by example. Teach them how to cross the street safely by actually doing it with them. Show them what it looks like when the oven is on and may have hot surfaces. Demonstrate how to use a handrail for stability on stairs rather than just telling them to grab it. When you lead by example, the child is more likely to copy you and retain the information.
Lastly, Don’t Bubble Wrap Them
It’s easy to wish that you could just wrap your children in bubble wrap and never let them out of the house to keep them safe. But they will never learn how to interact with the world safely if you take that strategy to heart. A healthy mix of teaching your children about safety and letting them engage with the rest of the world is the best way to help them apply what they are learning. While there are plenty of dangers in the world, there are also plenty of strategies for overcoming them. Follow the tips listed above and help protect your children as they grow into healthy and functional adults.
