5 THINGS THAT POSE THREAT ON CHILDREN IN THE HOUSE
Children are beautiful, they are little Angels! One thing about these Angels', they love this world, they love to explore their environment. Their level of inquisitiveness and curiosity, trust me, is unmatchable!
Due to their level of curiosity, they tends to be ''carefree", they believe in the world for their safety, meaning that they count on us for survival and safety as behaviourist and psychologist said, when a child is not taken care of, he tends to live and grow with the sense of insecurity and lacks the trust for the world. So you can see, aside the health hazard of their unsafe environment, their mental state is also questioned.
Like a week ago, popular Nigerian musician; D'banj, lost his son as a result of the unsafe environment the child was put. Trust me it's no man's fault, we would only live with the guilt for the rest of our lives. That WE COULD HAVE SAVED THE SITUATION, that we could have avoided these things, if and only if we knew!
Here are lists of things in the house that could endanger a child(ren) if not properly managed, and adequate precautions are taken.
1. Bathtub, Swimming pool.
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This is the commonest hazard children are prone to. Naturally, children loves water, you cannot take that away from them. Therefore, leaving them alone near such things could endanger their lives. It's no matter how shallow the water is, at least we have heard cases about children who have head-turned into a bucket of water and sofocated. So don't ever be deceived by the shallowness of the water you have around.
If you have a swimming pool, FOR THEIR SAKE, make a rail round it that you are sure they cannot squeeze through. And for children's pool, please always be close by, and of course when you a child of lower age amongst children of older ones, if you can't ban it, then stay close. And for bathtubs, put a caution on that, get keys for the BATHROOMS when you are not around, and the toilet, endeavour to make it safe enough.
2. Electric Sockets and Appliances.
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This is another thing that pose a threat on childrens' lives. Now, it's not like they know what it is, but when they've seen you go near that socket, see the way you plug that pressing iron, operates that electric cooker, or even charge your phone, it's akrwssa sticking to their head. For every thing a child sees, he learn and he put into practice (as that's how it sticks in them).
So, endeavour not to do these things involving electricity in their presence. For parents who always send their 3 4 5 6 years old children to go and do anything plugging into an electric sockets, please desist from it.
3. Sharp Edges and Broken Objects
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Children learn from plays, which means that you can't take that away from them but rather make their play safe or make the environment safe for their plays.
Falling is normal when kids play. However, there are a high rate that they will fall upon the sharp edges of furniture or broken objects in the house.
Therefore, parents should cover these edges with protective pads and also make use of plastics in the house rather than glass cups or plates.
Parents should ban kids from jumping from the bed to the ground. You shouldn't put obstacle nor glass objects in their playing and running areas either. Make it hazard--free environment.
4. Small Objects
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At tender age, children best learn with mouth most especially at the oral stage of development. That is why whatever a child holds, the first thing he want to do is to know what that thing is (learn) by simply assessing it with his mouth. That's why even a child who is still being breast-fed, would sometimes just want to have the mother's nipple in his mouth, not because he wants to eat but to him it's a way he is learning about his mother.
Considering this, you know that whatever these children stumbles on, the first thing they want to do is put it in their mouth. As from the fact that it's unhygienic, it also pose a threat on their health as some of these children will just want to taste and in the process ignorantly swallow them.
So, parents put away small objects like buttons, pins, etc. Besides, small fruits like berry, nuts, etc... can make them choke too. Parents should take care when feeding kids these.
5. Medicine.
__________________________________________________
I don't think we need to lay much emphasis on this. Even on the medic pack, it's always written boldly, KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN.
In children's eyes, drugs (pills) with colours look exactly like sweet candy. They can't distinguish them, and are not aware of their danger either.
If even the drugs are for them, the sweet taste could actually make them want to take more thereby making it overdose.
Therefore, parents should keep drug shelf or boxes beyond the reach of these children.
In conclusion, parents should always have a keen interest in their children's safety. And for the fathers, please note as the yoruba goes, it is four eyes that takes care of a child. So don't leave the safety of your child(ren) only in the hands of their mothers (your wife) alone. It's a collective effort!
And my heart to D'banj and his entire family for their great loss!
Due to their level of curiosity, they tends to be ''carefree", they believe in the world for their safety, meaning that they count on us for survival and safety as behaviourist and psychologist said, when a child is not taken care of, he tends to live and grow with the sense of insecurity and lacks the trust for the world. So you can see, aside the health hazard of their unsafe environment, their mental state is also questioned.
Like a week ago, popular Nigerian musician; D'banj, lost his son as a result of the unsafe environment the child was put. Trust me it's no man's fault, we would only live with the guilt for the rest of our lives. That WE COULD HAVE SAVED THE SITUATION, that we could have avoided these things, if and only if we knew!
Here are lists of things in the house that could endanger a child(ren) if not properly managed, and adequate precautions are taken.
1. Bathtub, Swimming pool.
__________________________________________________
This is the commonest hazard children are prone to. Naturally, children loves water, you cannot take that away from them. Therefore, leaving them alone near such things could endanger their lives. It's no matter how shallow the water is, at least we have heard cases about children who have head-turned into a bucket of water and sofocated. So don't ever be deceived by the shallowness of the water you have around.
 |
| Child playing by the pool |
If you have a swimming pool, FOR THEIR SAKE, make a rail round it that you are sure they cannot squeeze through. And for children's pool, please always be close by, and of course when you a child of lower age amongst children of older ones, if you can't ban it, then stay close. And for bathtubs, put a caution on that, get keys for the BATHROOMS when you are not around, and the toilet, endeavour to make it safe enough.
2. Electric Sockets and Appliances.
___________________________________________________
This is another thing that pose a threat on childrens' lives. Now, it's not like they know what it is, but when they've seen you go near that socket, see the way you plug that pressing iron, operates that electric cooker, or even charge your phone, it's akrwssa sticking to their head. For every thing a child sees, he learn and he put into practice (as that's how it sticks in them).
 |
| Child switching an electrical button |
So, endeavour not to do these things involving electricity in their presence. For parents who always send their 3 4 5 6 years old children to go and do anything plugging into an electric sockets, please desist from it.
 |
| Child plugging on the socket |
3. Sharp Edges and Broken Objects
____________________________________________________
Children learn from plays, which means that you can't take that away from them but rather make their play safe or make the environment safe for their plays.
 |
| A padded table edge |
Falling is normal when kids play. However, there are a high rate that they will fall upon the sharp edges of furniture or broken objects in the house.
Therefore, parents should cover these edges with protective pads and also make use of plastics in the house rather than glass cups or plates.
 |
| Broken wine cup |
Parents should ban kids from jumping from the bed to the ground. You shouldn't put obstacle nor glass objects in their playing and running areas either. Make it hazard--free environment.
4. Small Objects
___________________________________________________
At tender age, children best learn with mouth most especially at the oral stage of development. That is why whatever a child holds, the first thing he want to do is to know what that thing is (learn) by simply assessing it with his mouth. That's why even a child who is still being breast-fed, would sometimes just want to have the mother's nipple in his mouth, not because he wants to eat but to him it's a way he is learning about his mother.
 |
| Child swallowing object |
Considering this, you know that whatever these children stumbles on, the first thing they want to do is put it in their mouth. As from the fact that it's unhygienic, it also pose a threat on their health as some of these children will just want to taste and in the process ignorantly swallow them.
 |
| Household objects harmful to children |
So, parents put away small objects like buttons, pins, etc. Besides, small fruits like berry, nuts, etc... can make them choke too. Parents should take care when feeding kids these.
5. Medicine.
__________________________________________________
I don't think we need to lay much emphasis on this. Even on the medic pack, it's always written boldly, KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN.
 |
| Child taking pills |
In children's eyes, drugs (pills) with colours look exactly like sweet candy. They can't distinguish them, and are not aware of their danger either.
If even the drugs are for them, the sweet taste could actually make them want to take more thereby making it overdose.
Therefore, parents should keep drug shelf or boxes beyond the reach of these children.
 |
| Child reaching for scissors on the table |
In conclusion, parents should always have a keen interest in their children's safety. And for the fathers, please note as the yoruba goes, it is four eyes that takes care of a child. So don't leave the safety of your child(ren) only in the hands of their mothers (your wife) alone. It's a collective effort!
 |
| D'banj and late son-Didi |
Remember, their safety is in our hands!!!
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