When the weather is nice or the children are rambunctious, you may spend some of your daytime babysitting outdoors. Outdoor play equipment—swings, seesaws, and slides—can be fun, but can be dangerous too. You'll need to keep a watchful eye on the little ones in your care. Here are some tips on keeping outdoor play areas safe for children.
Children often do the unexpected on playground equipment. They are naturally curious and adventurous. Common hazardous behaviors include:
Hanging "rings" are particularly dangerous to small children. Their heads may be small enough to go through the ring, turning it into a hanging "noose."
All children should be supervised when playing on this kind of equipment. Here are some tips:
You can also enlist the help of the children. Talk to older children about certain safety rules and why they are important. Ask them to assist you in watching the younger ones. It will help them to understand these rules better. Let children know that any bad behavior (eg, stunts, misuse of equipment) is unacceptable.
Daytime babysitting can also include time in or around a swimming pool, wading pool, or spa. Children are naturally attracted to water. Therefore, you must take precautions at all times to prevent accidents.
Nationwide, drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death of children and adolescents. Many children are treated each year in hospital emergency rooms as a result of near-drowning . Drowning is a silent killer. When a child drowns, a babysitter won't hear a cry or even a splash. It can happen very quickly.
Seconds count. In seconds, a child can leave the house and walk to the edge of the pool. In seconds, a child can drown in only a few inches of water. A child can drown in the few seconds taken to answer a telephone in the house.
To help prevent drowning, do the following:
As a babysitter, you can teach children that safe play can still be fun play!
RESOURCES:
American Heart Association
http://www.americanheart.org/
American Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org/
National Safe Kids Campaign
http://www.safekids.org/
United States Consumer Product Safety Commission
http://www.cpsc.gov/
CANADIAN RESOURCES:
About Kids Health
http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/
Canada Safety Council
http://www.safety-council.org/index.html/
References:
National Safe Kids Campaign website. Available at: http://www.safekids.org.
Safety and first aid. American Academy of Pediatrics website. Available at: http://www.aap.org/. Accessed June 3, 2008.
United States Consumer Product Safety Commission website. Available at: http://www.cpsc.gov.
5/28/2010 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance: Committee on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention. Policy statement—prevention of drowning. Pediatrics. 2010 May 24. [Epub ahead of print]
Last reviewed May 2010 by Brian Randall, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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