As a mother, former babysitter, large family member and educator, I have evolved to operate under the basic premise that children are inconvenient, complicated, creative, messy and chaotic but love to learn. A few other observations: There is nothing that will make a child slow down faster than a sense of urgency in an adult, children learn best by doing, they are open to new ideas, they are flexible and adaptable to most anything and finally, give them a direction and they will fly. Give them skills, they will become independant and they will find new and unusual ways to use them. For me, I created Sara Safety as a tool.
Safety is the aquisition and practice of broad and diverse skills. But, the basics continue to be remaining calm, immediate action and use of common sense in an emergency. Post emergency names and phone numbers, have the children look at them, repeat them and show the numbers to everyone. Driving to appointments is a good time to practice the emergency numbers.
Sara Safety asks what is an emergency?
It can be as simple and basic as that person is not moving or I can't wake them up, or they fell. Sara Safety has the kids make their own emergency name and phone number chart to post near the phone.
Explaining calm and immediate to children is a bit different and initially time consuming. To begin, a timer is your best friend along with the promise of who is going to be the 'beeter' (winner). Start introducing a timer at 18 months. Let the child play with the timer and move and set the time (I had three, I always need a backup).
Show the child what you want them to do - For example: You want the child to shut off the water in the bathroom. Put a stool in front of the sink. Turn on the water. Go to where the child is playing with the timer, show the child how to set the timer and ask the child 'can you shut off the water?'. Take the child to the bathroom, put the child on the stool and show them how to shut off the water. Return to the timer, show them how long it took them to shut off the water. Repeat the same task but ask them 'can you beat me?' Have a mini race. When they win, they become the 'beeter'. The 'let me show you' and ' you can be the beeter' become the basis for learning skills and immediacy becomes clear. Of course, safety skills are presented. As children acquire safety skills, they become the 'reminders' (AKA I know something, you know something but your not doing it right) for everyone else. And, they do love being 'reminders'!
As my blog continues, I will first cover home safety. The CDC states that approximately 45% of unintentional injury deaths occurred in and around the home. Falls account for one third of all hospital emergency room visits followed by fire and burns, suffocation, drowning, firearms, choking and poisoning.
