5 Ways to Protect Your Family

My family members are the most important people in my life. As a mom, I am constantly thinking of ways to keep my kids as safe as possible. I have been known to be a bit of a worrier, but I have come to love that specific character trait that I was born with. I want my kids to learn, grow, and play, but I also want them to be as safe as possible while doing it. Here are a few of the ways I plan for their safety.

I received compensation and a sample subscription to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.

Home Safety- My home is somewhere I want my kids to feel and be safe. I take the standard precautions. Our outlets are covered. Anything hazardous (paint, cleaning supplies, bug spray, etc.) is out of reach or locked up. We have a fire extinguisher and working smoke detectors in our home. Our home does not have gas appliances at all, if it did we would have carbon monoxide detectors as well. We use a security system, I am not particularly worried about intruders as I am about curious toddler escapees. Our system notifies us when a door has been opened, which is a huge stress reliever for my mind.

Safe Play- I encourage safe play. My kids love to ride their bikes but they are not allowed to do so without helmets. The same rule applies to my husband and I as well. If we are going to be out riding bikes, scooters, boards, or skates, than we have to protect ourselves while doing it. I keep an eye on our inside toys, too. Anything that is beginning to break or needs fixing should be repaired or replaced. Any toys with parts that are small enough for choking are only allowed in certain areas or at certain times. For example a marble track would be something we play with during the babies nap time.

Car Safety- Is your child in the right type of carseat? Rules and recommendations for carseats have changed and continue to do so. Do your research and talk to your pediatrician. A safe child is the most important.

Being Smart- I decided a long time ago that “just because” would not be an answer at our house. When I ask my kids to follow a rule and they ask why, I tell them why. If I don’t have a reason than how important is the rule? When I was a school teacher I found that kids follow rules they understand. This understanding helps them think through their actions and make smart decisions on their own. I want my kids to do the same thing. For the longest time my toddler HATED holding my hand in parking lots, but after stopping and explaining that it was for his safety he began saying things to his sister like, “Hold mom’s hand, the cars can’t see you because you are little!” Explaining the why gets old really fast, but it is too important to give up on!

Emergency Preparedness- When it all comes down to it, you can’t prevent everything. No matter how careful or safe you are being, people get hurt, accidents happen, and medical attention is needed. I try to provide the best care for my family by using resources like Footprint ID.

“In emergencies, patients don’t remember details of their current conditions and medical history. And nobody walks around with test results and x-rays. FootprintID® gives emergency responders all of that information on site. It’s simple: the more information a first responder has regarding a patients health history, the better care they can receive in an emergency situation.” ”Dr. Mark A.Merlin

Footprint ID is an affordable, easy to use service that keeps all your most important information in one location. By subscribing to Footprint ID, I can keep my medical history as well as my entire family’s histories on one account. Membership for the first year is $40 for the first member and $30 for each additional member. Yearly renewals are $25 per member. With a quick and easy sign up and use of their form letter you can gather all of your medical information into one secure location. I can keep the ID card with me and easily secure the key ring to my child’s backpack or my husband’s keys. Anytime my information is accessed I am notified, so you always know what is going on.

This resource would be so important if your child was in an accident and you were not with them. Emergency responders would automatically know what prescriptions they were taking, if they had any allergies, or any preexisting condition that might change their treatment plan. This information and the time saved from collecting it could save a life. Footprint ID can be accessed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  You can access everything from their easy to use app that can be downloaded here or here. Wherever your loved ones are, whenever they need it, Footprint ID goes with them.

Peace of mind is worth so much! How do you keep your kids safe?