Homes
can be dangerous places, especially for kids. The family
that you are sitting for may be safety conscious and
have stair gates and plug socket covers - or they may
not. The fact remains that while you are caring for
the kids, they are your responsibility and being safety
conscious can save a lot of problems.
No one is expecting you to do a full safety check
of the home - that would be impractical and inappropriate.
The easiest way to keep the kids safe is to supervise
them at all times. That way, if you see a safety
hazard arising, you are there to step in and avoid
it.
Some aspects of safety are fairly obvious. For example,
don't let the kids play with anything sharp or put
small things in their mouths, ears or nose; this
goes double for babies!
If you have prepared food for the kids, make sure
that saucepans are well back on the stove with handles
turned in to the wall so that they can't be pulled
down.
Keep kettles well back on the worktop out of reach.
If you make yourself a hot drink, keep it well out
of reach. A high proportion of nasty burning accidents
are caused by children pulling cups of tea or coffee
over themselves.
Don't leave matches, lighters or medication lying
around. Prevention is better than cure.
Most of safety awareness involves prevention. You
are aiming to stop that accident or incident before
it happens. The chances are that the kids will already
be over-excited and playing or acting boisterously.
Try and keep them as calm as you can and be firm.
Don't allow them to push, shove or hit each other
or jump off (or up and down on) beds and sofas. Sliding
down stairs or banisters or on loose floor rugs (or
shiny floors) is also
a no-no.
Don't let them taunt the dog or cat. Even the most
docile of pets can get fed up and retaliate!
Watch them closely if they are eating or drinking.
Kids - especially over excited ones - can bolt their
food, or try and talk or run about while they're
chewing. If they start to
choke, you will need to know how to dislodge the
food or object stuck in their windpipe. Get acquainted
with the Heimlich maneuver before you become a sitter.
It's quick and
simple but can save a life.
If you don't know,learn!
Taking a course like the 'Super Babysitting' DVD
will give you much more confidence to handle a health
or safety situation. It can teach you how to prevent
injuries and how to be prepared if an emergency arises.
It will also make you appear professional and competent
which is what parents want. It will also look great
on your resume and will impress future employers!
If you wish to use this article on your own web site, please ensure the following credit appears, including the links ...
Avoid the bedtime battles - Super Babysitting makes it quick and easy to get babysitting advice and tips. To get your free babysitters handbook and first aid book visit the Super Babysitting web site right now!
|
