Health and safety measures should be at the top of the list when ensuring your child’s emotional and physical well being.  Your child’s curiosity may be able to outsmart even the most clever safety devices.  A clear understanding of potential dangers and what can be done to evade them is the first step to securing safety for your family.

Smoke from your cigarette can be harmful to the health of your child.  Children exposed to tobacco smoke at home or elsewhere are prone to respiratory ailments.  If your child follows your example, as most children do, you will very likely have a smoker on your hand.

Your child needs a check up on a regular basis to confirm that she is maintaining good health.  With your doctor you can discuss your child’s care and diet, growth and development patterns, and ask for recommendations for handling health problems.   It is also good to follow the vaccination schedule. 

When it comes to nutrition the best first food is breast milk for it is perfectly suited to nourish infants and protect them from illness. 

Knowledge about sexual self protection is needed form the time children play with parental supervision, to the time when they need to make personal decisions about sex in adolescence or early adulthood.  Teach your children to protect themselves, never talk to strangers, learn to say “No” if someone touches them and to be alert and scream if someone grabs them.  Make them understand what is bad touch and good touch. 

Teach them a few basic rules about proper road crossing, stopping at traffic signals and walking on footpaths.   Do not allow them to sit in the front seat of a vehicle; they may get thrown outside at the time of accident.  Make sure they wear seat belts. 

When the child is too young, make sure she will not be in position to fall into bucket of water.  As she grows, parents should escort them to swimming pools or pool parties and supervise them.  Within minutes of falling into a pool, a child can begin receiving less oxygen to the brain and can suffer irreversible brain damage.  Make sure your children wear the necessary safety gear such as helmets, padding, guards, etc while riding horses or bicycles, roller skating and the like.

Do not smoke in bed or when sleepy such as when watching TV on a couch.  Use candles with caution since they can set curtains, table linen clothing and other objects on fire.  Keep matches and lighters out of reach of children. Teach them at an early age not to play with matches or fire of any kind.

Enjoy your festivals, but make sure that all electrical wiring and cords are in good condition before lighting up your surroundings. 

Awareness of possible hazards can stimulate planning and prevention.  Inculcate good and safe habits in your children to help children live long healthy lives.