Tag Archives: set example

General Safety Issues, Home Safety Products

CLUING YOUR KIDS UP ON THE DANGERS OF ELECTRICITY (Guest Post)

As we move into a technological world, electricity has become a big part of our lifestyles, from our televisions at homes to our computers in our workplace. It’s more than likely that you’ve probably been shocked by static electricity before, like when you walk across carpet or when you go to touch a car door, but as electricity becomes a vital part of modern life, we forget just how dangerous electricity can be. According the electrical safety council, during 2011/2012, there were 2,899 fires, 223 injuries and 10 deaths from electricity supply such as wiring, cabling and plugs. These figures emphasise just how important it is to treat electricity with respect.

Children are naturally curious and don’t know the dangers of electricity. With your children growing up in the technological generation, it is vital to educate them so that they understand the dangers of electricity. Of course you don’t want to completely frighten your children, but teaching them the basics about the power of electricity can keep them safe.  Here’s a few methods you can use to get your kids more clued up about electrical hazards.

Safety Lessons

Although electricity safety starts in the early years of school, it’s important that you educate them at home as well. Make learning fun by giving your children some fun activities to complete around electrical safety. There are lots of different child friendly YouTube videos on electrical safety as well as interactive games and quizzes available on the internet that they can complete to help them remember important facts.

If your children are slightly older (8 and above) get involved with your children by starting to let them use electrical appliances themselves. Give them the opportunity to show you how they understand the dangers of electricity by letting them, for example, show you how to work a microwave in a safe way. Supervise them and talk them through the steps until they can talk you through the steps themselves. Praise your children to show them how pleased you are that they understand how to be safe around electrical devices and they’ll feel rewarded.

Lead by example

You’re children learn a lot from the way you behave so don’t let your child catch you mistreating electrical objects, as its more than likely that they follow your bad habits. So when you go next go to get your piece of toast out of the toaster with a metal knife, don’t – for your own safety as well as your child’s.

Make sure you don’t leave any electrical appliances unattended or cords draping over surfaces, where small hands and mouths might be able to get hold of.  Keep any appliances out of reach and for smaller electrical appliances, like a hairdryer, make sure you store them away or put them in a place out of reach of your children.

Check your appliances

Take the time to take a look at your appliances to see if they are safe. It is sometimes possible to see when your appliances look unsafe, for example if the cords are looking frayed or if there are any burn marks on the sockets. If any of your electrical cords are looking this way, don’t try and ‘patch’ them up as this is only increase the danger for you and your family.  If you don’t trust your own judgement, it’s always worth getting in an expert with electrical test equipment to double check your devices and replace them.

Make it clear to your children that electricity is dangerous

If you have very young children that are too young to understand detailed explanations about the dangers of electricity, be clear and use strong, consistent language so they learn to understand that they are not to approach electrical devices because they are dangerous.  As they start to get older you can gradually start to begin to give them more detailed explanations as to why electrical appliances are dangerous.

The earlier you start to teach your children about the dangers of electricity, the better educated they will be, reducing the risks of them getting hurt.

 Our thanks to Katharine Ogilvie,  katherine@fountainpartnership.co.uk;

Fountain Partnership Ltd is registered in England and Wales as company number 7551957

 

General Safety Issues

TEN WAYS TO TEACH YOUNG CHILDREN TO BE KIND TO PETS (GUEST POST)

This article is being shared with us by Molly Cunningham, of LiveinNanny.com. 

When kids learn to treat animals with gentleness and respect, they also learn about compassion and caring on a larger scale, which are traits that can later be applied to the relationships that they have with fellow humans. For parents of toddlers and young children, imparting these lessons can be a bit of a challenge; here are 10 ways to help your little one understand the importance of treating animals well.

  1. Set a Good Example – Children learn primarily through mimicry. They watch their parents and other authority figures, and then model their own behavior after their observances; one of the best ways to instill a love of animals is to have that same love yourself and to exhibit it often.
  2. Research Local Programs – Your local Humane Society chapter or other animal activism organization is likely to have a program or two specifically directed at helping small children understand the proper treatment of animals. A cursory glance at a local message board or search engine results could net dozens of options.
  3. Take Advantage of Story Time – Most kids love a bedtime story, and there are tons of books on the market written with this very subject in mind. A colorfully illustrated, well-written book about animals and the humans that love them can do wonders for explaining the concept of animal kindness to kids.
  4. Teach Proper Handling of Small Animals – Helping a child to properly hold and handle a small or newborn animal while emphasizing the importance of being gentle is a great way to teach a hands-on lesson about carefully handling animals and never being too rough.
  5. Visit a Petting Zoo – Spending an afternoon at the petting zoo can be a fun and informative experience for kids of all ages, but especially for little ones who wouldn’t ordinarily have the opportunity to interact with such an interesting array of animals or have access to professionals that are trained to help kids learn about them.
  6. Share Interesting Facts – Learning that baby goats are also called “kids” or that butterflies taste with their feet not only entertain children, but also help them to see that animals have their own unique, interesting qualities.
  7. Help at a Shelter – Taking a trip to your local animal shelter to help walk the dogs, feed the cats or do other fun and interactive chores not only makes a difference in your community, but also in your child. It might be best to stick to a privately run no-kill shelter or to be sure that no animals are scheduled to be euthanized during your visit, however, to avoid a traumatic experience.
  8. Study Local Wildlife – A trip to a local nature preserve or national park not only provides kids with a day of no-television fun, but can also help them understand the very important concept that wild animals are not pets, but should be treated with the same respect.
  9. Watch Kid-Friendly Television Programming – While you might want to skip the program chronicling the antelopes’ encounter with a hungry lion, there are plenty of kid-centric animal documentary shows that can provide strong talking points and valuable information.
  10. Get a Pet – After you’re certain that your child understands the basic treatment of animals, introducing a pet into your home is a great way to keep their education going. Even if you live in a small space or urban environment that isn’t conducive to traditional pets, a small hamster or a goldfish can still help give your child a sense of responsibility.

Most small children need to be reminded to be gentle more than anything else, as deliberate cruelty is quite rare in children so young. Kids that show signs of harmful behavior might be struggling with a larger issue. If this is the case the child’s pediatrician should be consulted.

General Safety Issues

TEACHING KIDS GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP (Guest Post)

During the Olympics, parents, caregivers and athletic coaches were presented with the perfect opportunity to introduce the concept of sportsmanship to their kids and emphasize its importance. Athletes from around the globe converged  to compete against one another for worldwide recognition, and the vast majority did so with grace by showing strong sportsmanship every step of the way.

Between youth league team sports, school physical activity initiatives, and the variety of athletic lessons and skills that today’s kids participate in, there are tons of opportunities every day for kids to showcase either sportsmanlike qualities or the foibles of a sore loser. Emotions tend to run high, especially in younger children, making it even more difficult for them to display themselves as a good sport. There are several ways that parents and authority figures can help kids to become sportsmanlike competitors; these are a few of the simplest and most effective.

  • Model Sportsmanlike Conduct – Kids learn by emulating the adults that are important to them, so it’s imperative that parents, coaches, and caregivers model good sportsmanship at every opportunity. That means applauding good plays regardless of who made them, keeping negative comments and criticisms to yourself, and never making a child feel bad about himself because of an athletic mistake.
  • Don’t Focus on Wins and Losses – Instead of focusing on the wins and losses of a kids’ sports team, adults should concentrate on acknowledging good plays and offering supportive assistance to build skills that children are less confident in. Emphasizing the importance of playing to the best of your abilities rather than obsessing over a win helps kids feel less absorbed with scoring and allows them to be more in tune with teamwork and dedication.
  • Never Reward Excessive Aggression – A child that delivers a win through overly-aggressive conduct should be congratulated on her success, but also encouraged to do so in a manner that can’t be construed as bullying the other players on the field.
  • Instill a Sense of Pride – When children are praised and taught to feel a sense of pride in their athletic accomplishments, parents and coaches can also help to instill a sense of humility. Kids that learn the difference between confidence and cockiness are also beginning to understand the concept of sportsmanlike conduct versus swaggering conceit.
  • Emphasize the Importance of Having Fun – At a young age, even budding athletic stars are still learning the fundamentals of the game and are beginning to build the foundations of skill. Kids that feel pressured to perform beyond their means or are forced into participation are not only almost certain to grow to resent their sport, but also to become more focused on winning at all costs. Keep kids’ sports focused on having fun, working together and building skills that may be valuable in the future.
  • Don’t Coach From the Bleachers – In addition to embarrassing your child, shouting at his teammates, coaches, and the other team from the sidelines is a great way to teach kids exactly how not to behave. There’s nothing sportsmanlike about railing the other team, berating children for a fumble, or badmouthing a coach your child looks up to. Remember the first rule of teaching kids to be a good sport is to model that behavior yourself, and this includes refraining from taking on the head coach role from the bleachers.
  • Point Out Good – and Bad – Conduct in Professional Athletes – The Olympic Games and other sporting events provide parents and coaches with a great opportunity to point out stellar sportsmanship, but it can also create talking points for discussing bad conduct on the part of a professional athlete or sports figure. When major sports names make the news for either a temper tantrum or an impressive display of grace, talk about it with your kids. Ask them how they feel about the situation, creating a dialogue that allows you to both hear what your child has to say and pass along the wisdom that you’ve learned over the years.

Discouraging kids from looking up to trash-talking, insulting athletes who make a name for themselves by bashing their teammates and opponents is one of the most important steps to helping them learn to be good sports themselves, as children will model their own behavior after that of their heroes. While you can’t control who your kids look up to, you can calmly and gently point out their favorite stars’ attitudes, when they’re someone to look up to, and where they have room for improvement. Remember, though; badmouthing a rude professional athlete to your child isn’t likely to be viewed by him/her as much different from that athlete threatening to pulverize his opponents. Choose your words carefully, and help your kids become the best sports they can be. 

Thanks for this lesson for parents and grandparents.  We know very few of our athletes will grow up to be Olympic stars; however, if they learn good sportsmanship,as well as learning to master their particular sport safely, they will take that lesson with them throughout their entire lifetime.  pb 

Meghan Walker, (http://www.babysitting.net/blog/teaching-kids-good-sportsmanship/)