Accidents, Kids & Avoiding them

We worry about our kids … constantly. Are they getting enough sleep? Was that a sniffle? Is the headache they are complaining of something serious? But the truth is, childhood illness is usually a minor nuisance. Of course, when it is serious, it is every parent’s worst nightmare, however, it is important to remember that the number one cause of death in children and teens is accidents. Sorry to give you one more thing to worry about, but unlike pediatric cancer, accidents are often foreseeable and preventable. Take it from someone whose toddler fell out the window last year, life can change in an instant. Don’t make yourself crazy, but protect your child. You can not turn back the hands of time, and accidents do happen.

1. NEVER text while you are driving … NEVER text when your kids are in the car.

2. If you own a pool, take every precaution available. “They can swim” is not a safety plan.

3. Check out the surroundings, especially when you are with small children. Many accidents happen at grandparents’ homes. It is amazing we all survived. Last time I was at my grandmother’s house with my boys, one got into an open bottle of bleach which was sitting on the kitchen floor at the exact same time the other picked up a steak knife doubling as a letter opener off the coffee table. Because it will come back to haunt me, I am not telling you who I saved first.

4. Many kids and teens are killed or seriously harmed each year by accidental poisoning. Keep cleaning supplies and hazardous materials out of reach. Don’t call medicine candy, this is confusing and can lead even an older kid to take a bottle of chewable Tylenol. Know your poison control number (in the U.S. 1-800-222-1222, and if you suspect your child has taken something poisonous, call BEFORE doing anything else. Inducing vomiting or following it with a drink can cause more harm than good. Have the suspected product in your hand and try to guesstimate how much was ingested.

5. Educate your children. You can explain dangers to them in a way which won’t give them nightmares, or not. A nightmare, as opposed to the alternative, isn’t the end of the world. Many accidental poisonings are actually drug overdoses. Start talking to your kids early about the dangers of drugs, even the “safe, prescription” kind.

If you are a catastrophic thinker — and I know who you are — I apologize for what this article may have done to your day.