Saving your child from fire and water hazards
- By Team TDO
Who can deny the warmth of fire and the life giving qualities of water? But put the elements in the context of a curious toddler racing about on all fours and suddenly the elements seem very threatening and dangerous, don’t they? A house with children is indeed like a minefield where seemingly innocuous things like wall corners, sharp objects, and electric sockets can pose clear and present danger to the child in the form of accidents and injuries. Here are a few tips to ensure your house is a safe zone for your toddler.
The fire hazards:
Fire hazards don’t just include poking fingers in electrical sockets, they also include protecting your child from inflammable objects like cigarette lighters and match boxes, burning incense sticks and any object which can potentially singe, scald or burn your child. Don’t leave burning mosquito coils or incense sticks within reach of a curious child as those can pique a toddler’s curiosity and can get a nasty burn from trying to grab the burning end or worse still set the whole place on fire. Same goes for low iron stands with the iron still plugged in. Don’t leave any electrical wiring work unfinished or unearthed as the child may actually try and chew on it or touch it accidently. Try and keep the kitchen off-limits for your young one as it is full of fire hazards. Even the baby feed should never be too piping hot as it might scald the tongue. Ensure that all smoke alarms are functioning in case of emergencies.
Water hazards:
Almost all of us have heard of a child drowning in the bath water. These cases happen all the time and yet people are callous enough to leave the bathroom door open and the baby unattended. Even if the bath water is not drown and there is no fear of the child drowning in there, a wet bathroom is full of objects that can seriously injure your child if he curiously steps in and turns on the hot water tap.
The most obvious danger is that a newly-upright child can easily slip off a wet floor. Some people keep aquaria with multicoloured fishes for their child’s delight. Make sure the fish tank is out of reach as the child may try and reach for the fish and topple the fish tank over him thus causing serious injury; similarly for any heavy object which children can reach out to or touch.
Make a checklist of potential threats to your child’s safety and if something needs to be done about them for e.g. if the curtain cords are attracting your child’s attention, see to it that they are always tied up securely.
