How can we keep our baby safe around our pets?

Dana | Jan 05, 2010 | 0 | Posted in Recommend It!

Ask The Safety Guy
Karen from Morgan Hill asks:

You are right to worry that your baby and your pets may not always get along. Many pets do extremely well with small children, but even gentle pets can bite or scratch if provoked. The cry of a newborn can be enough to put some dogs on edge, and once your baby is old enough to grab tails and pull whiskers, anything can happen.

For the next few years, the best thing you can do is make sure your child is never alone with a pet. Let them get to know each other gradually under your close supervision. If you have a dog that's at all aggressive, look into putting him through obedience training. Many professional trainers offer specialized classes to teach dogs and even cats how to get along with young children. But if any pet continues to be a threat to your child, it's time to find him (your pet) a new home.

At the risk of alienating some pet owners, certain breeds of dogs should probably just not be allowed around small children at all, as numerous recent news stories will attest.

Having pets presents other, less obvious dangers to children. Your child could choke on pet food, and -- believe it or not -- the water dish is a drowning hazard (not to mention an annoying housekeeping issue). I frequently recommend that dog owners place their pet's food and water in the garage or outside (presuming it is safe for your pet), where their child can't get to it.

If you have an indoor cat or a small dog, a safety gate can be an effective way to separate your child from your pet's food, water, and, in the case of cats, the litter box. Look for a gate with openings wide enough for your pet to get through, yet narrow enough that your child can't become trapped or get through himself. Alternatively, a long hook-and-eye type latch can be used to prop a guest or laundry room door open three or four inches. Doing so will allow you to place a litter box or food and water in a separate area that your pet can readily access but your child cannot.

Finally, don't overlook the pet door, if you have one. A curious crawler could get outside very quickly or even get trapped. Use a safety gate to block your child's access to the pet door, or keep it locked for now.

child, safety, pets, home (all tags)

How do I convince my child's grandparents to babyproof their home

Dana | Mar 02, 2009 | 1 | Posted in Baby Talk

Ask The Safety Guy

Haley from Los Altos asks:

How do I convince my baby’s grandparents to babyproof their home?

I often hear this lament from clients, and it can be a real challenge to overcome. Let’s face it. Our parents raised us without many of the safety precautions that are generally accepted as the norm today. They survived without seatbelts and smoke detectors not to mention advances such as bike helmets and airbags. Although we cannot imagine a life without some of these, it is understandable that our parents may not appreciate the necessity for say a toilet latch. Your challenge is to empathize with your parents’ reluctance, but also to succeed in getting them to make some safety modifications.

Many grandparents have the mindset that their children survived just fine without extensive babyproofing, why should they do anything differently for their grandchildren. To their defense, most grandparents are not aware of how many children didn’t survive in their time. Whether by drowning in unfenced swimming pools, poisoning from unsecured chemicals or medications, strangling in dangling window cords or falling from balconies or windows, news and statistics of such tragedies were not tracked or communicated as efficiently then as they are today.

So, after empathizing with their reservations, how do we move toward making changes? You have several strategies from which to choose including the use of logic, guilt, an ultimatum or just doing it for them.

Logic – Do some research regarding the particular hazard(s) with which you are most concerned and present some statistical evidence. For example, if they are reluctant to fence their pool, let them know that drowning is the leading cause of preschooler accidental deaths in California and 75% of preschoolers that drown were missing for less than five minutes. You can even mention that a toddler recently drowned in a matter of minutes at her grandparent’s home in Woodside in a fountain (ironically while the mother was installing a carseat).

Guilt – That’s right. Your parents are expert at making you feel guilty; this is your opportunity to turn the table on them. Simply making reference to how badly you would feel for them if a tragic accident occurred at their home, especially one that could have readily been prevented.

Ultimatum – If your parents refuse to address critical hazards, frankly, it is your responsibility as a parent to not leave your child there. Many grandparents respond favorably when they realize that the safer their home is, the more time they will get to spend with their grandchildren.

Just Do It – Take the initiative and get it done. Do it yourself at your expense. Your parents may not buy-in to the need, but they will often allow it to be done if they don’t have to do it themselves. Alternatively, you can hire a professional to do it for them. Doing so has the additional benefit of bringing an objective and expert perspective to the table and a guarantee that the work will be done in a professional and expeditious manner.

Submit your questions to pros@homesafety.net. Martin Simenc, The Safety Guy, is the President of Home Safety Services, Inc., the Bay Area’s largest and highest rated baby proofing company.
They can be reached at 1-888-388-3811.

child safety, childproofing, grandparents, home (all tags)

Keeping kids safe at home - Ask the Safety Guy

Dana | Jan 13, 2009 | 0 | Posted in Recommend It!

Ask The Safety Guy

Paula from Santa Clara asks:

Should I allow my child to play on a trampoline?
Sadly, my advice is to not allow children to play on trampolines. I say “sadly” because jumping is one of the great joys of child, and trampolines can be both great fun and good exercise. Unfortunately, the risks of potentially serious injury outweigh the benefits from my perspective as a parent and that as of The Safety Guy.

Injuries from mild to paralysis occur when children fall off the trampoline or by landing on their head when attempting to do a flip. Injuries more frequently occur when two or more are jumping, and the smaller child is five times more likely to be injured. Not surprisingly, the rate of injuries is highest for children under the age of six.

Analysis has also found that supervision is not sufficient to prevent injuries. Safety devices, such as nets, also fail to do the trick. A recent study in Austria (Schalaman - 2008) found that nets were present in 56% of the cases when injuries occurred.

Although they recommend against the use of home trampolines, if one is to be used, the American Academy of Pediatrics has the following safety recommendations.

Location of the trampoline and safety features:
•    Clear the surrounding area and set it away from trees, fences, and playground equipment.
•    Set the trampoline where it is surrounded by an energy-absorbing surface (e.g. mulch).
•    Buy and use a frame pad that covers the entire area of the spring system.
•    Consider lowering the height to ground level by putting the trampoline in a pit.

Before using the trampoline:
•    Set rules for trampoline use and discuss them often with your children.
•    Tell your children about the risks of not using the tramp properly.
•    Have your children remove any necklaces.

Using the trampoline:
•    Have someone properly train your child how to do flips and other complex stunts.
•    Never allow more than one person to use the trampoline at the same time.
•    Do not allow bouncing followed by jumping off of the trampoline.
•    Have an adequate number of spotters around the edges of the trampoline.

A recent study in Austria summarizes my point when it concluded that “at present, trampolines cannot be made safe for recreational activities and are of an unacceptable risk even under supervision.”

Submit your questions to pros@homesafety.net. Martin Simenc, The Safety Guy, is the President of Home Safety Services, Inc., the Bay Area’s largest and highest rated safetyfitting company.
They can be reached at 1-888-388-3811 or at www.homesafety.net.
The Safety Guy is a registered trademark of Home Safety Services, Inc. Copyright 2009.

child, safety, home, childproofing (all tags)

Safetyfiting Your Home - AKA Childproofing

Dana | Dec 04, 2008 | 0 | Posted in Recommend It!

As we all know, children learn by exploring their environment. Home Safety Services is committed to creating a safer home environment for your child in order to support their natural curiosity and development, prevent injuries, and provide you with peace of mind.

Our professional service includes both comprehensive in-home assessment and installation of child-safety products by our field service technicians who are licensed and bonded general contractors. We are safetyfitting experts, serving the entire Bay Area and we can help you identify and prioritize the safety issues in your home or offer guidance over the phone for those “do-it-yourselfers”. Check us out on the web at www.homesafety.net or call us at 650.571.7774 to schedule your appointment today.

child, safety, home, childproofing (all tags)