Safety
Forewarned is forearmed and prevention is better than cure so a primary responsibility of parents and other carers is to protect children from the hazards and dangers, from the social and environmental factors that can harm them and possibly have both long term and short term outcomes on their health and welfare. That means that supervision of children’s activities is crucial.
This doesn’t entail wrapping children in cotton wool of course, nor does it imply that parents and carers must oversee children’s every move. The odd scratches and scrapes, bumps and bruises are part and parcel of normal activities. It does mean, however that parents and carers with their wider experiences of life are able to keep an eye on children’s activities and so anticipate and predict possible outcomes. This anticipatory supervision is different to passive supervision where parents or carers watch what children are doing but do not anticipate where such actions could lead. Teachers learn to use anticipatory supervision as they continually scan the classroom or playground. They are keeping an eye out for behaviour which has the potential to lead to trouble and so are able to nip it in the bud before it goes any further. Older children have not developed the skill of anticipatory supervision. They do not have the experience of life that allows them to use anticipatory supervision; their abilities to look ahead and predict what might happen in a given circumstance are limited.
This ability to anticipate is a learned behaviour. As parents and carers become familiar with children’s day-to-day activities they begin to understand how certain behaviours and activities can lead to others. A child who is playing with a stick for example might fall on it, hit another child with it or poke it in someone’s eye. A child who is teasing a family cat or dog may end up being scratched or bitten. This is obvious to most parents and carers but it is not necessarily obvious to young children who are unable to foresee such outcomes. Advice to “play safely” is lost on young children as they don’t really know what that means. They need to be protected from the results of their own actions. This is the responsibility of a parent and/or carer.
Not all children are the same of course. Some are active, constantly on the go, always running around. The possibilities that these children will engage in actions that may have adverse results are greater than they are for more passive children who are more likely to be involved in quieter, less active pursuits. This does not mean that anticipatory supervision is less important. A child may be quietly engaged in putting a jigsaw puzzle together and at the same time poking a piece of popcorn in his ear!
There is some evidence that due to their behavior and general participation in more rough activities, boys tend to be more injury prone than girls. They run, they climb, they throw, they enjoy rough and tumble play, they investigate dangerous objects. Most parents know this already. Girls on the other hand tend to favour quieter activities. This does not mean that girls require less anticipatory supervision than boys but it does suggest that parents and carers of boys need to be particularly aware of possible outcomes.
Children’s environments need to be structured so accidents are less likely to happen. Small children for example should not be given toys meant for older children. Broken toys should be discarded as they may be potentially harmful. Large outdoor equipment needs to be set up over a soft surface, not over concrete. Keeping the area tidy can also help as children (and adults) can easily trip over toys or other items that are left lying around. Most parents are aware of the necessity to keep cupboards locked if they contain items that can be hazardous to young children.
When children are seen to be engaging in behaviour which looks dangerous, parents and carers need to develop skills of intervention. Sometimes a verbal direction is sufficient particularly if the adult approaches the child and speaks calmly. A quiet message that describes the activity and specifies the parent or carer’s concern is usually more effective than an angry, negative one. So, “When you climb on that chair I worry you might fall” is a better approach than screaming across the room, “Get off that chair! Do you want to break your neck?” At other times, physical redirection is a preferred alternative. Taking a child by the hand and leading him or her away from the source of danger or removing a dangerous object from the area is better than yelling “That stove is hot!” or “Put that stick down.” There is some evidence that girls are more likely to respond to verbal redirection than boys but of course it depends on the child. Mostly a combination of both approaches works best.
Common injuries of young children occur as a result of accidents involving water, burns and scalds, poisoning, cuts, falls, as well as accidents on the roads. This list it not intended to terrify parents and carers but rather to reassure them that accidents are preventable and that anticipatory supervision is one of the most important skills they can use to keep children safe. This website has information on what to do to avoid trouble, along with some information about what to do in an emergency.
Parents need to make sure all power point/electrical outlets are fitted with safety plugs. Also when the power points are not in use, make sure that the switch is in the “off” mode. Check all power cords from electrical products to make sure they are not fray or have exposed wires. If so replace immediately. Electrical tape or duct tape to repair these wires are not good enough to protect the child.
