EMMA HOLLINGWORTH: Child safety week lessons to learn
Hello, my name is Emma Hollingworth.
I work as a media and campaigns officer for the Children and Young People's Directorate at Sheffield City Council. I am a mum of two small children and about to become a mother for the third time later this year. I will be bringing you this column once a week, having taken over from Christina Staniforth, until I go on maternity leave.
Today I want to talk about child safety - in particular in the home. My youngest is almost 21 months old, so still a baby really. But to look at him you wouldn't think so, as he is so tall - at least the height of a two-and-a half-year-old.
Although this will no doubt be a good thing later in life – for example when I want something reaching from the top shelf or need someone manly to walk me home late at night – at the moment it is giving me nightmares.
With his height come long arms, and those long arms can reach all sorts of things – like my kitchen units.
I've seen him wandering into the living room with a piece of fruit he has managed to scrounge from there. I don't mind the fruit, obviously,
but I worry what else he could possibly reach - like the knife block.
A friend of mine told me she discovered her toddler wandering around the house carrying a rather sharp knife, having managed to do exactly this, which really frightened me.
The block was as far back as it could be on the unit, but the units were only shallow, she said.
Now she makes sure the gate is always shut leading to the kitchen, despite her toddler's many protests at being locked out of his favourite room – where all the food is.
Another friend of mine had to spend some time in Sheffield Children's Hospital recently after her one-year-old managed to grab a hot cup of tea, spilling it all over his face and arms. Thankfully there was no lasting damage, although it did take his skin off initially.
And the toddler with the knife has also managed to fall down both sets of my friend's stairs in her three-storey house after she again failed to shut the gates. He was unharmed but the lesson has now well and truly been learned – always shut the safety gates.
This week is National Child Safety Week which aims to raise awareness of the number of accidents that seriously injure or kill children and how to prevent them.
Accidents are one of the biggest childhood killers in the UK with six children and young people dying every week and more than 2,000 children nationally admitted to hospital every week.
But many of these accidents and deaths could have been prevented. Not only should you help instil the Green Cross Code into your children, you should also take a close look around your home. Although it is hard to stay one step ahead of children who are developing fast and have endless energy, there are simple things you can do.
Make safety a habit - for example always push your kettle to the back of your work surface, check your smoke alarm each week, make sure children are strapped in on every car journey – and make sure all safety gates are shut.
For more safety advice from the Child Accident Prevention Trust visit www.childsafetyweek.org.uk For the week's events see www.childsafetyweek.org.uk/child-safety-week/
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Weather for Sheffield
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -6 C to 0 C
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Wind direction: South east
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Sunny spells
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