Welcome
Abduction Prevention
- Tell children to never accept rides or gifts from someone they and you don’t know well.
- Encourage children to walk and play with friends, not alone. Tell them to avoid places that could be dangerous.
- Make sure your children are taking the safest routes to and from school, stores and friends’ houses.
- Tell your child to stay away from strangers in playgrounds, public restrooms and schools.
- Don’t forget about your older children. Children ages 11 to 17 are equally at risk.
- Teach your children that it is more important to get out of a threatening situation than it is to be polite.
- Teach your children to run away from danger, not towards it. Tell them to yell loudly, and if a vehicle follows them, run in the opposite direction.
Poison Control
- If you need to leave an area while using a product, take it with you or remove any children from the area. Most poisonings occur while the product is in use.
- Store all products in original containers – do not store in food containers.
- Do not call medicine “candy”; children cannot tell the difference.
- Try to not take medicine in front of children. They often like to mimic adults.
- Vitamins can be especially poisonous if they contain iron. Keep them out of the reach of children.
- Be aware of any medicines your visitors may bring into your home. Children like to investigate a visitor’s belongings.
- Keep a bottle of Ipecac Syrup in a medicine cabinet. Do not use it unless instructed to by your Poison Control Center.
- Know the names of the plants in your house and yard, and label them.
- Teach children to not eat mushrooms, leaves or berries that may grow in your yard.
General Child Safety
- Make sure children know their full name, address and phone number with area code.
- Show children how to call 9-1-1 or “0” in emergencies, and how to use a public phone.
- Set a good example with your own habits of locking doors and windows, and checking to see who is at the door before opening it.
- Teach children to settle disputes with words and not fists.
- Ensure that daycare and after-school programs and staff have proper certifications.
- Teach children to go to a store clerk, security guard or police officer for help when they are lost.
- Listen to your children when they talk about their fears or feelings, and tell them to trust their instincts.
Latch-key Children
- Have your children check in with you or a neighbor when they get home.
- Have a posted list of emergency numbers – including where to reach you, neighbors, and all emergency numbers.
- Maker sure they know how to use window and door locks.
- Instruct them to never let someone at the door into the home, and how to not let callers or visitors know that there is no adult in the home.
- Have rules for having friends over and going to other homes when no adult is home.