safety Archives - 3 Kids and Us

Important Things Moms Should Have in Their Car

February 8, 2018 by admin

As a mom, you are expected to get everything in order. Whether you’re going grocery shopping, taking or picking up your kids from school, going on a road trip with your entire family, you need to be prepared for anything.

If you spend a lot of time driving around every day, your vehicle becomes, by default, your second home. So, it’s always a good idea to bring some essential items that you and your children may need while you’re on the road.

For those moms who want to have their bases covered, our friends from Alpha Car Finance have put together a list of important things that you shouldn’t leave home without.

Water

In case your kids or anyone gets thirsty, it’s handy to keep a couple of bottles in your car. You may find yourself staying in the car or at the park longer than expected. So, even if the water’s not cold, it should be enough to quench your children’s thirst until you get home.

Snacks

It may be the source of those annoying crumbs that you need to clean up later, but it’s either that or not having anything to feed your hungry kids.

First aid kit

For those scrapes and other boo-boos your kids might get along the way, you need to keep an all-purpose first aid kit in your car. Have some bandages, medicine, antiseptic, and some cotton, ready in case of an emergency.

Wet wipes

This is not just essential for kids but also for grown-ups, too. Messy incidents can happen anytime, anywhere. So, be sure to have a supply of wet wipes ready.

Hand sanitiser

Speaking of messy incidents, you can quickly protect yourself and your kids from harmful germs and bacteria. With just a few sprays, you can disinfect your kids’ hands from whatever unsanitary surfaces or things they may have touched.

Umbrella

In case you missed the latest weather report, you can always protect yourself and your kids from getting drenched in a sudden, heavy downpour or take cover from the blazing sun.

A spare phone charger

Nothing sucks more than having your mobile’s battery holding on for dear life just when you need to send an urgent call or text message. So, in case you forget to top up your phone, have an extra charger or a power bank handy in your vehicle.

Flashlight and fresh batteries

This will come in useful when you need to look for something at night or in dimly-lit areas.

Garbage bags

You can put all your rubbish conveniently in one place and easily drop it off at the nearest trash can.

Keep a list

In case you forget to bring your mobile or its battery eventually dies, keep a written list of emergency phone numbers in your glove compartment.

Items for entertainment

If you’re going to be driving for a long time, you need to keep your little rug rats entertained so they won’t get bored. Have some activity or sticker books, small toys, and some crayons stashed away in your car to keep them occupied until you arrive at your destination.

Extra clothes

When you have little kids, expect to have some unintentional spills to happen along the way. So, keep a change of clothes at hand. Put them in a handy tote bag and store them in your trunk.

For pets

In case you also need to bring your furry, four-legged family members, be sure to have some extra items for your pets like a food and water bowl, a leash, pooper scooper, and waste bags.

Are there other essential items you keep in your car? We’d love to know. Please share your thoughts by leaving a comment.

Developing a Happy, Healthy Home Life for Parents with Kids

January 26, 2018 by admin

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Creating a happy, healthy environment for your children to grow up in matters enormously for their emotional, mental, and personal development. Kids need to feel secure in their environment and have a greater degree of predictability because most things are new to them. This is why when going on a trip, kids need to know when they’ll arrive and make plans after their arrival to return a sense of control when out of their limited comfort zone.

Here are a few ways to create a home environment that’s conducive to a happy life for children.

Children Need Their Own Autonomy

While they depend very much on their parents for help, support, and advice, they also must learn to think for themselves, solve problems and not require parental assistance at every turn. Just like with using stabilizers on a bicycle, it’s good to help them avoid injury, but sometimes they have to take a few knocks to learn important life lessons you cannot get from reading a book.

It’s always better to learn from the mistakes of others, but that’s not always useful with practical challenges. Parents will do well to note the different types of things that their kids will need to learn and when practical lessons override book smarts.

Rewards for Participation Isn’t Setting Them Up for Long-term Success

One of the issues currently evident with the millennial generation is a lack of desire to win. It’s been found that millennials as children were given awards just for participating in an event or a challenge, regardless of whether they won or not. Doing so creates several new problems long-term.

Firstly, it makes it clear that winning is not necessary; just doing the minimum is good enough, which is a lousy ethic to bring into a competitive workplace environment later.

Secondly, not striving for continual improvement because average performance is rewarded makes it difficult for young adults to keep up with a rapidly-changing marketplace that we’re currently all facing.

For the next generation, it’s important to expect higher performance as children get older. Whilst parents should recognize that each child has their own innate abilities and limitations, doing the best that they can do is the mark to attain. Teaching children to finish what they start and to be heavily goal-oriented are both vital disciplines that lead to better performance throughout life.

Healing Emotional Abuse with Foster Kids

For foster parents, the challenges can often be even greater than for biological parents. Many children that go into foster care were poorly treated, previously suffering one or more kinds of abuse. A sense of betrayal and abandonment leads to a lack of trust in authority figures, which if not handled the right way continues through to adult life, leading to potential difficulties in the workplace and elsewhere.

Taking an emotional abuse test is a good way to confirm whether there are any major difficulties in this area, which can then be addressed in a positive way. Rebuilding trust in authority and learning to accept sensible guidance takes time in children who are preschoolers, tweens, or of school age. But it’s a critically important component of a child’s developmental path.

Creating a safe environment for children allows them to focus on their lives, accelerate learning and leave plenty of time to play. In chaotic homes, it’s been shown time and again that this leads to erratic children who grow up to be detrimental members of society. By doing your part as a parent, your children can grow up to be leaders and inspire others.

Tips for Keeping Kids of All Ages Safe Both In and Out of the Home

July 26, 2017 by admin

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could place your child in a plastic bubble that would protect them from every danger or threat until they’re an adult? Unfortunately, keeping your kids safe is not that easy, and when you have multiples of varying ages, it gets even harder. From electrical outlets and exposed staircases to social media use and home invasions, there are a lot of things that are unsafe for your children both inside and outside of the home. Fortunately, there are things you can do to minimize the risks and keep your kids safe at all times.

Keeping Kids Safe in the Home

It’s a common assumption that the home is one of the safest places to be. Though it is safer than most, there are safety aspects that need to be considered.

Babyproofing – For those who have infants, one of the first courses of action to safeguard the home is to babyproof the house. This is the process of going around the entire home and locking, blocking, and securing things that could cause harm to a curious baby on the go. This includes locking medicine and kitchen cabinets, covering outlets, and installing gates at the top of staircases to prevent baby from falling.

Home security – Home security systems are a must to keep your home safe. While most might look at them as nothing more than alarms when burglaries happen, home security systems such as ADT monitoring are ideal for parents of children who spend time at home alone. With smart features like cameras and smartphone access, parents can observe teenagers and any company they might have in the home to ensure they’re safe and sound.

Pool Safety – For families who have a pool in the backyard, certain measures must be taken to ensure the kids have fun while being safe. Teaching pool rules such as no running and diving along with installing security features like a safety gate to ensure kids don’t try to enter the pool without your permission are all ways to make sure they’re safe and sound.

Internet Safety – Technology is not only for adults. Children use the internet all the time unaware of the many dangers that lurk there. Talk with your children about the use of internet. Discuss the importance of not disclosing personal information, not accessing inappropriate sites, and set rules as to when internet usage is allowed. Other measures include setting parental controls on devices and monitoring your child’s usage for any red flags.

Keeping Kids Safe Outside of the Home

The world around us is a lot more dangerous than the home. Here are some ways to keep your kids safe outside the home.

Stranger Danger – It’s extremely important to teach your children about strangers and steering clear of them. Give your children safety rules such as staying with an adult they know, sticking to a buddy system, not accepting gifts or bribes, and to know when and how to call for help.

Peer Pressure – When your child becomes a teenager peer pressure will become a huge part of their lives as they try to fit in with their friends. It is important to have a talk with your teen about being pressured into doing things they know are wrong. Try to encourage them to hang with likeminded friends and also set rules and curfews.

Travel Safety – Traveling with kids can be fun but it can also height security risks. Before a trip talk with your kids about being safe. Discuss things like staying close to mom and dad and where to turn if they get lost. Investing in ID bracelets or cards as well as installing location apps on your older children’s phones will also help in the event of an emergency.

There is a lot in this world to protect your children from. While you may not be able to shield them from everything that happens in their life, you can set the foundation that will minimize their chances of being injured or harmed in any way. Talk with your children frequently about the importance of being safe in an age appropriate way. Set firm rules and consequences as well as put some of the safeguards discussed above into place and you should have a much easier time sleeping at night knowing they’re all safe.

Pool Safety for Kids 2017 – Infographic

May 10, 2017 by admin

A swimming pool instantly transforms the backyard into the go-to hangout for outdoor family fun. But pool owners with young children need to take extra precautions.

Though swimming pools are fun, they present a serious hazard for young children who can accidentally wander in unsupervised. The National Center for Disease Control and Prevention has found drowning to be the leading cause of injury-related death for children ages 1 to 4. Sadly, the majority of these incidents happen in home swimming pools.

Thankfully drowning accidents are preventable with a water safety plan that includes multiple layers of protection. May is National Water Safety Month, and the it’s perfect time to develop your family’s water safety plan. The first step is making sure your pool area is secured with proper fencing. In addition to pool fencing, parents should employ layers of protection such as careful adult supervision and alarms to ensure little ones are kept safe.

As the industry leader in glass pool fencing, Aquaview Fencing merges proven safety with modern style. Check out their infographic below to learn the facts on child drowning and simple tips to keep your family safe this summer.