Section 1: Safety Practices and Policies

·      Identify at least five potentially hazardous situations/safety threats common to your age group.

·     For each of the hazardous situations or safety threats:

o    Summarize specific safety policies that apply to these situations/threats.

o    Describe measures that should be taken to prevent and/or deal with these situations/threats.

o    Indicate what families can do to ensure the safety of the child at home.

I would like to write about safety threats towards infants/preschoolers.  It is important that all children are safe and in a good environment. 

Poison control:   

It is extremely dangerous if a child comes in contact with poison. Children like to put objects in their mouth. Children do not know these items are dangerous. These items can be kept in homes, offices and classrooms. Teachers have to make sure all items are away from any child’s reach.  Cleaning supplies could cause skin irritation, burns, rashes, and if swallow it can cause damage to someone body.

Teachers should have cleaning supplies locked in a cabinet. With items locked, there is a less of a problem occurring.  Do not use these items while attending to children.  You can easily be distracted, and the child can get the item and swallow it or play in it.

Parents should also have locks on their cabinets at all time.  If you cannot afford a lock, the parent should then put it in a high reach where the child cannot reach the item.  Parents can also teach their children that lock cabinets are private. 

Electrical Outlets: 

Electrical outlets are dangerous for infants and toddlers.  In a preschool/toddlers atmosphere, all outlets should be covered.  It is not safe for those outlets to be uncovered.  They want to know what the plugs are use for and how something fit into the plug.  Some kids will try to put objects in the outlet or try to stick object into the outlet.

All school should have their outlets covered.  This will help stop children sticking objects into the plug or having themselves harm.  I remember on a show “The Women of Brewster Place”, Ceil daughter stuck a pair of scissors into an outlet and died.  The baby was curious of the plug.  

Parents can purchase the outlet covers.  If a parent cannot purchase them, I would push a table against the wall so it can hide the outlet.  Before I brought the covers, I push the table or boxes in front of the outlets.  My kids had no idea what was behind the table or boxes.  I taught my kids not to remove those covers and if removed what may happen to them

Leaving an infant unattended:   

If a child is left unattended in a car or bed and become hurt it is called neglect in Mississippi.  In a daycare or home, all infants should be watched over.  Leaving a child unattended is a safe hazardous that can result in a child becoming hurt.  Infants should not be placed in high beds or left on a table.

Teachers should assign someone to be with infants and toddlers at all time.  They should not be left alone at any time.  If they have to put infants/toddlers in a big bed or sit them on the table, they are not to leave that child side.  I know individuals that have left their child unattended, and it has caused them harm.

I would suggest parents put blankets on the floor for the child to lie on and take a nap.  Do not leave your child unattended in a big high bed or on the table. I use to take naps with my kids; therefore, I was in bed with them.  I would put blankets on the floor and make sure it was soft and comfortable for my child if I did not go to sleep.

Choking/Strangling: 

A child can easily get choked on any item.  All objects should be picked up off the floor throughout the day. Caregivers should make sure the floor is clean morning, noon and night. They should avoid objects that are small where an infant can swallow the object.

Schools should make sure all object are off the floor.  When they are in my care, they belong to me, and I want them to be safe.  I would recommend that all teachers and assistants take a CPR class in case of an emergency.  I will not feed my kids any small food; such as grapes, peanuts or hotdogs. Those items are not safe for an infant.

Families should make sure everything is off the floor.  Do not feed your child anything they can choke off.  I would explain to parents how important it is to keep their home safe at all times.  A little accident can turn into a bad experience.  I think teachers and parents should take classes for CPR and First Aid.

Rough Playing/Fighting:  

Some children play rough with other children. Believe it or not but infants like to pinch and hit other kids. I learned that children watch wrestling and like to try those moves on other kids.  They do not know that those actions are dangerous. Children think it is all fun. A couple of years ago, a twelve year old practice wrestling, moves on a 5 year old, and she died from the trauma. He did not think it would hurt his friend, but it did more than hurt her, he killed her.

Schools have to be careful and watch their students carefully.  My co-worker daughter was pinching another child, and the teacher did not know why the little girl was crying.  She is one years old and fighting.  The teacher explained to the child that it is a no, and she cannot hurt anyone else.

Families have to tell their kids that it is not okay to hit other kids.  I think parents should not let their kids watch wrestling or movies with fighting.  We do not think kids pay attention to those films, but their learning every move.  When we get a call from their preschool, daycare or head start concerning their behavior we then begin to realize that it is not safe for my child to watch those shows.  Be careful and advise what your child watches.

References:

Robertson (2013-02-01). Safety, Nutrition and Health in Early Education. Wadsworth Publishing.

http://nrckids.org/