Christmas Competition: Child Safety Tips
December 1st 2007 by Megan Bayliss in Child Abuse
December’s competition winner will produce the most achievable and most original
Child Safety Tip.
Prize money equals an Australian dollar for each entry in the Child Safety Tip competition (*), IE: if there are 13 tips posted in all, then the prize money to the winner is A$13.00. If there are 120 tips posted as comments, then the prize money to the winner is A$120.00. Better tell your friends to post a child safety tip (hint, check out the protective play tips in the online store, the ideas in our resource section, the things people talk about in our Safety Talk forum, or any other child safety or child protection related material).
- Leave your child safety tip as a comment below.
- You may enter once only but you can encourage friends/readers to also enter so that the prize pool increases.
- Competition is open to international and Australian participants.
- Spam and non content related tips will be removed and will not count toward the prize pool money.
- Tips will be judged on the morning of December 21st, 2007.
- Tips will be judged by a panel of three child safety professionals (including Megan Bayliss). Judges decision is final.
- Tip becomes the copyright of Imaginif Pty Ltd but credit will always be afforded the winner.
- Winner will be published here, in the Safety Talk forum and will be contacted by email where possible.
- Prize money (in Australian dollars) will be distributed by either PayPal or direct deposit as soon as the winner provides their details to Megan Bayliss from Imaginif Pty Ltd.
* To a limit of $250.00 = 250 child safety tips. If the competition attracts 300 child safety tips for example, the prize pool ceiling remains at A$250.00.
Stumble it!
December 1st, 2007 at 1:10 pm
Happy Birthday for tomorrow Megan. Wherever you are I hope you are surrounded by love, joy and abundance. Thanks for the wishes. Birthdays are great aren’t they. I am glad we share one.
Child protection tip for me would be to never make threats about what you would do if someone hurt your child. It might scare your child from ever telling you if something did happen to them.
December 1st, 2007 at 4:32 pm
I hope its a great birthday sweetie.
Lets see My tip
Have an open relationship with your children answer any and all questions be open with everything that is going on. Then they know that what ever they tell you it isnt judged and they know that they can tell you anything start will stay with them as teens.
December 1st, 2007 at 5:37 pm
Teach your child the tricks for not showing up on a bully’s radar:
* Confident body language - shoulders up, head held high
* Make eye contact, without aggression
* Say ‘No’, if you mean it, confidently and without guilt
* Make comments like, ‘No, I am not going to be bullied today.’
* Smile and walk away
* Use affirmations to raise your self-esteem
* Find the confident children in your group and hang around with them for a while.
December 1st, 2007 at 5:55 pm
If Your Child Goes Missing:
• Search cupboards, garden sheds, under the beds, or anywhere your child might have a ‘den’
• Alert your family and friends and neighbours.
• Look for evidence that your child might have run away:
• Have you recently had an argument?
• Are there any clothes missing?
• Is there a disturbing situaion at home (eg divorce, alcoholism)?
• Has your child’s mood changed uncharateristically?
• Is the child under-performing in school recently
• Has the child spent more time on the computer recently
• Could the child be taking drugs or other illegal substances?
If the answers are mostly ‘no’, then your child is not likely to have run away and you should call the police immediately.
Whilst you are waiting for the police, gather together:
• A recent photo
• A full description of the child’s age, height, weight, birthmarks, what they were last wearing
• DNA evidence ( eg a used toothbrush)
• Where the child was last seen and when
When the police arrive:
• Be honest about recent events at home – it could save vital time
• Take details of who is covering the case, get contact names and phone numbers
Follow through:
• Notify the media – especially local radio, television and newspapers
• Contact your country’s Missing Person’s Department
• Ask friends, relatives and neighbours to start door-to-door enquiries
• Inform the local clergy or your religious organisation
• Post someone at the home phone, keeping the phone line open at all times.
• Share new information with the police at every stage
December 1st, 2007 at 9:08 pm
Keeping children safe starts from birth (and of course during gestation). Our little ones can learn about body parts from infancy during bathing, nappy changing and play.Keeping kids safe from sexual assault is important from a very young age, and continues throughout early and middle childhood develpment. We are fortunate to have good quality books and toys which guide us as parents in making child safety an ordinary part of responsible child rearing and development. Let’s check out what’s available at our local libraries, child health community health centres and talk to our family and friends about it.
Keran
December 2nd, 2007 at 10:41 pm
Useful tips:
Learn your child to say “no” to strangers if they want to touch them. (Children are easy victims of child abuse and we can’t warn them to be careful to strangers)
Talk with your child if you notice changes in their behaviour; this can be a sign that they are abused but scared to talk about.
Warn your child if they make use of Internet sites about the dangers of chatting sites and protect your computer that your child can’t have access to inappropriate sites
Talk with your child if you notice signs of agression or a dramatical change in personality and being nervous when adults are in their environment.
Convince your child that they can talk about every problem with you.
December 3rd, 2007 at 8:57 am
Teach your child about personal safety at an age appropriate level and in a way they understand, all through childhood and teenage years. Lead by example and keep on learning about possible danger areas yourself.
Never assume that they have fully understood and internalized this learning by consistently putting your own safety measures in place to protect them.
Do assume that a teenager may ignore all they have been taught and keep up with sensible safeguards. Giving in to their requests for freedom too early can set a trend that is hard to reverse.
Be true to yourself and do not allow expediency take precedence - e.g. being too busy, giving in because it is easier, using an unknown child minder etc should never be allowed to be more important than your child’s safety.
Do not wrap them in cotton wool because of your fear of danger. Teach them common sense and to think for themselves and gradually allow them age and developmentally appropriate freedom to do things for themselves in an safe way, with supervision where needed.
Sue
(Stay at home/work from home mum with 3 grown and sensible children who have kept safe and a 17yr old step daughter whose safety and behavior concerns me - she was given unsupervised freedom too early.)
December 6th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
Keeping children safe, begins in the home and from the moment they are born.
Listen to your children attentively, with an open mind and heart and without judgment. Talk to them daily so a gap does not widen in the lines of communication. When the gap widens and communication is lacking, you may miss signs of distress from external sources, in your child. This often happens in the teen years when some begin experimenting with drugs, alcohol or sex. This is also the time parents are often busy and feel their teen doesn’t need them as much any more. Teens need parents as much as young children! It’s vital to stay involved. Teens should have an appropriate amount of freedom, but this does not mean the parent’s role in their life should be dismissed.
When family communication and close bonds break down, a teen may feel an emptiness and turn to other venues to fill this void. Some run away from home. Some get involved with anyone who comes along that gives them the attention they need. All of this can lead to dire consequences from STD’s, unplanned pregnancy, abortion, drug or alcohol addiction or ending up on a milk carton as a “missing teen” - sometimes never to be found.
Good communication isn’t an absolute guarantee a child or teen won’t go down a destructive path, but it certainly decreases the odds. Be involved. Stay involved in your child’s life. Have a firm belief system that the entire family follows and molds to. Never give them reason to feel they aren’t loved or they cannot come to you. Be a parent that “teaches”, nurtures, encourages and loves. BE their safe haven so they feel comfortable turning to you when anyone or anything deters them away from safety. Be the role model they will proudly want to follow.
December 6th, 2007 at 8:35 pm
I just came here right after I posted
this helpful entry
Synchronicity, gotta love it.
December 7th, 2007 at 11:54 am
My tip is essentially related to when you see a parent/adult or even another child/teen losing control and hurting (emotionally or physically) a child while in a public place. Often people stand back and ignore it - for fear of getting involved or that we might cop some abuse… you might but an adult can handle it and you are far less likely to be hit than the child.
If you see it happening in the supermarket for example tap the person on the shoulder , ’smile’ at them and ask them anything - the time, if they have seen xyz product or anything at all … then smile, wink and talk to the child - something as simple as I like your shirt or did you see the ‘Christmas decorations’ …. .Listen for a moment if the child wants to speak.
Anything that can divert attention away from the abuse that is happening.
If you feel the situation is calm enough ask if there is anything you can do.Maybe mention something about your own children(grandchildren or siblings -whatever) didn’t like shopping/ wanted lollies etc - say you understand what it is like. In a way so they know they are not alone and perhaps not being judged.
They may not want to talk and but maybe that brief interlude - your interruption will allow the person to collect themselves,calm down and save the child from further harm -emotional or physical.
Carrying a unique toy, balloon or small noisy trinket in your bag and playing with it can distract a child you see is winding up and a parent getting ready to blow their top.
It takes a community to help raise a child and a struggling parent can often appreciate a smile when the going gets rough.
December 12th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
This is a reminder to myself - there are also some child safety tips over on the book giveaway competition at All for Women. These tips are to be counted in the final monetary winning amount and are to be included in our tip judging.
Edit by megan 20.12.07 - All for Women tips to be included for judging now below.
Posted by: Rachel - December 12th, 2007
What a great prize!
My tip is to encourage older, unsupervised children wanting their independence in the bath/shower to sing so that you can hear that they are OK and haven’t slipped over or anything in the bath or shower without you hearing them..
Posted by: Tanya - December 12th, 2007
When using the stove, remember to keep all pot and pan handles turned toward the back of the stove.
Posted by: Kaz - December 12th, 2007
After filling the bath, turn the cold tap on full for a second or two. This will cool down the faucet so the children won’t get burnt if they touch it.
Posted by: Tiffany - December 12th, 2007
Never leave any of the children unsupervised in the pool area. Also, when swimming is finished, we always make sure we take the ladder off (so little ones can’t climb in) and secure the gate properly.
Posted by: Laura - December 12th, 2007
Never let children ride their bikes around the streets, if they do want to go around the block or to the corner store, jump on your bike and go for a ride with them. oh and never ever is it acceptable that children use their bikes, skateboards or scooters without a proper fitted helmet.
Posted by: Lightening - December 12th, 2007
We live in a country area and it’s easy to get a little too lax about how safe it can be for our children. We don’t assume anything AND make sure that we provide written notification to our bus driver about any changes to their usual routine. Once they got left at school based on a mis-communication. We also communicate diligently with the school so that they know exactly what is happening at all times. I would rather give them more information than they need than not enough. Hopefully then, anything suspicious or out of the ordinary would cause alarm bells to ring rather than the wrong assumption being made that everything is alright. It’s sad but you just can’t be too careful when it comes to the safety and wellbeing of children and teens.
Posted by: Kimba - December 13th, 2007
When making up the cot for your baby always short sheet the bed i.e make the bed down the end of the cot with the blankets and sheets shorter.This will help to ensure your baby does not wriggle down under the covers and potentially suffocate.
December 14th, 2007 at 10:36 am
Begin to key-lock your doors from when your children are babies. You’ll be surprised how quickly and totally unexpectedly they courageously walk out the front door - alone!
December 20th, 2007 at 12:18 pm
There’s only 17 draws in the comp. That means the prize pool at the moment is only A$17.00. Is there anyone who hasn’t yet tipped that would like to leave their child safety or child protection hint before this is judged tomorrow morning?
December 21st, 2007 at 8:40 am
CONGRATULATIONS to JOH from Joh blogs. You are the winner Joh.
Thanks so much for entering everyone.
Any ideas for a competition for January????
Do you all like the cash prizes or should we have a different prize?
December 22nd, 2007 at 7:33 am
I like cash prizes