Tips to Make Safe Happen

I have very active children (mainly my boys). They keep me on my toes and keep the doctors in a job. Try as I might, they find new ways to get hurt.  As much as I would love to keep my children wrapped in bubble wrap, it is kind of impractical. Aside from life in a bubble, there are things we can do as parents to keep our kids safe at home and while out visiting others.

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. 

Doorknob locks. Also a big pain. Especially when you are walking hurriedly into a room and don’t get the knob turned all the way and end up walking into the door. But hey, they kept my little kids from playing in toilets, pulling all the clothes out of my dresser and running into the front yard alone. I call that a win. Again, you won’t need these forever, just until they figure out how they work.

Cupboard locks. Yes, they are a pain. Trying to open a cupboard you’re so used to opening, just to have it get caught by a latch, is cause for eye rolling. It also helps protect your kids from getting into cupboards with dangerous items. One little latch is better than your little one running around with a kitchen knife or cleaners. You won’t need them forever, either. Only until kids are old enough to cook and clean themselves. Okay, maybe you will need them for a long time.

Pool gates and locks. We thankfully don’t have a pool. I couldn’t handle that stress or that bill. My mother in law does though. When she moved in, there was not a fence around it. She had one installed because she has 15 grandkids and counting. When the kids are over there, we have the gate locked and the key out of reach. We also bribe the children with money and candy to tattle on anyone trying to get into the fence. Thankfully the kids have been taught well and nobody tries.

Helmets. When I was a kid, I went to visit my aunt. She made me wear a helmet when I went out riding bikes with my cousins. I moaned and complained about how uncool it was, but ended up putting it on. I’m glad I did because my bike tire hit my cousins bike tire and sent me eating pavement. My head hit so hard I blacked out and the top of the helmet popped off. Yeah, that could have been bad. Plus, they make helmets so much cooler than they used to.

Gates on stairs. I’m so clumsy I can’t have a house with stairs. I would probably be the one to fall down them. But if you do have a house with stairs, or you’re visiting a house with stairs, install gates at the bottom and the top. Little kids love to climb up the stairs, they’re usually not very good at it though. Keep them from accessing them altogether with gates.

If you like these tips and you’re looking for more, or even better tips, there’s an app for that. Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s team of safety experts, in their Center for Injury Research and Policy, has developed an app that’s genius. It gives you room-by-room safety tips depending on the age of children.

Included in the app are safety checklists to make sure your providing as much safety as possible. You can even add products like locks and gates to a shopping list, or buy immediately from Amazon. There is even a calendar to add reminders like, when to check smoke alarm batteries. The #1 cause of childhood deaths is preventable accidents. Help protect what matters most, your kids.

Nationwide was at our state fair this year and had a cool mobile “Make Safe Happen” booth set up. The safety experience was a fun and interactive way to learn how to make our home safer. The kids were given a tablet and walked through their interactive mobile unit. Each section talked to the kids about different ways to be safe in each area.

The experience was led by cartoon Nate the Eagle. They got to interact with the app on the tablet and do things like, clear the toys off the stairs or follow a fire safety exit route. My kids had a great time taking turns on the tablet and learning about different safety precautions.

Nationwide aims to help reduce unintentional injuries, which are the #1 cause of death in children in the United States. The Make Safe Happen program also offers safety tips and solutions on its website. Keep your children safe at home and at other caregiver’s homes. Protect the things that matter the most to you. Let Nationwide help.

What are some things you do to keep your kids safe?