Window Treatment for Home Safety (Guest Post)

Window Treatment Safety and Control Options

Parents often try to protect their children from the dangers of the world lurking outside their windows, but tragically sometimes the most devastating threats can be hanging right inside. The U.S Product Safety Commission issued a report this past December announcing that since 1990 more than 200 infants and young children have died from accidentally getting caught and strangling themselves with window blind and shade cords. A nationwide recall of about 50 million units was ordered and the Window Covering Safety Council is urging parents with small children to “go cordless” with their window treatments. Luckily, there are a number of control options offered by the window treatment industry that do not bring home the risk of these long and dangerous cords.

The first option is to go electric. Most window blind and shades can be motorized now, entirely eliminating the need of cords. You can either use a wall mounted switch or remote to control the motorized system. You can also choose whether to have the treatment plugged into a wall or battery-powered. For child safety purposes, it may be best to go with a battery mounted in the head-rail since a cord plugged into the wall may draw your child’s attention to the power outlet. The electric option is, however, the most expensive and may be out of your budget’s range.

A more economical alternative to motorizing is using a pole instead of a cord to open and close your window treatments. With this option, there is a hook on the end of the pole that fits into a small hole on the handle used to push the treatment up and down. You will more than likely still need to pay a little bit extra to have this option added, but not nearly as much as the cost of motorization. Almost all styles of custom ordered shades and blinds are able to have this option added.

If you’re looking for an option that will cost you the absolute least amount of money, you can always just go with window treatments that do not require cords. This may limit your options as far as style goes, but it will give you peace of mind about your child’s safety and not cost you an arm and a leg in the process. A regular curtain or drape will work for this as they can simply be opened and closed by hand. There are also some cordless blinds and shades available; you just have to do some searching. The essential thing is if you have small children in your house, it is imperative that you be aware and make sure that your window coverings are cordless.

Camilo Gallardo
Horizon Window Treatments
www.horizonyc.com

Reference Links

• U.S Product Safety Commission
• Window Covering Saftey Council

Internal Links

• Home Alone
• Child Safety Perth Tips to Baby Proof Your House
• Good Practice in Child Safety
• Child Safety Questions
• Child Safety Gate Product Review
• Child Safety in the Bath

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Road Safety

Road safety is preventing me from allowing my children to run off to the park next to the local primary school  themselves. It's not that far - being only a 5 minute walk from the house. My wife has let them run there themselves a couple of days ago. Yesterday however I decided to walk with them and ascertain their road safety awareness. Will8 was on his scooter and Beth5 was on her bike.

Of they went, and I managed a quick trot to keep up. Wills was way ahead, looking left and right appropriately, and crossing safety. Beth was also looking left and right, and was crossing more or less appropriately. But she lacked confidence, and when there was an approaching car, she didn't know exactly where to go - sometimes her indecision forced her to come back to the same side of the road but at a different point to where she started.

This would be more or less fine if it weren't for curbs and intersections - these are areas of concern despite my suburb being a leafy and ripe for pedestrian traffic. Unfortunately, her lack of road safety confidence makes me believe that she's not yet ready to go to the park with her brother - especially if he's not guiding her every step of the way.

Links

• Road Safety for Parents
• Road Safety for Children
• Car Safety Seats
• Traffic Safety for Children Taking Public Transport
• Child Car Safety
• Child Car Safety Around the Car
• Playground Safety

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Stranger Danger Taught Correctly

The term stranger danger has been used like a fashion accessory. There are of course dangers your child is exposed to when alone and approached by a person he doesn't know. The stranger danger label however makes any stranger a potential kidnapper, abductor, or rapist. Venture into the world at your own risk kids, but get approached by a stranger, and that's the end of your life as you know it.

Stranger Danger has got to be taught correctly. Your child's confidence has to be based on a certain amount of security. We shouldn't have to take away the building blocks of his confidence at such a young age by representing strangers as potential killers. Open communication by parents should encourage the idea that most people whom you may come into contact with in a day-to-day setting are fine and children are absolutely secure in such above board transactions. In fact, we are very lucky in Perth to be living in a very safe environment. Therefore children should really proceed with confidence, and to participate actively and converse freely when you're at the shops, the bank, or at restaurants. They should know there 'good' strangers out there - like policemen, teachers, shop keepers, even politicians(!), etc. 

However, children should also be equipped with the knowledge that there are potentially dangerous situations. Really - no one, not even adults, wants to be abducted or victimised. But this is a fact of life, and we need to understand that there are bad people in the world. What we can do is to focus on the choices that we make as individuals and as a family in order to reduce such risks and to continue to lead our lives to its fullest potential. Meaning we're not going to let our fears ruin our lives; we will not be taken hostage by faceless unknown assailants. 

There is of course the need to communicate to your child the threat that comes from 'bad' strangers. You should teach your child to trust their instinct. Are you scared? Does something feel wrong? Do you have butterflies in your stomach? This is a good indication that the person you're talking with is doing something not right and you may be in danger. Don't ignore that nagging feeling - a person who makes you feel uncomfortable is a person who you should get away from. All of the rules they have been taught about being polite, helping out a person in distress, or keeping a secret - all of them must be ignored and the child should seek to escape as soon as possible.

Some tips to help with child safety:

• Always know your mum's name and contact number in case of emergency
• Don't go alone, always go in pairs anywhere
• Trust your instincts - run if you need to
• If you feel uncomfortable, you never need to speak to any stranger

For more information check out Self Defence for Children.

If a stranger tries to grab you and tries to drag you away (see 10 Tips to Improve Child Safety), the child should be taught to drop down to the floor and 'become heavy.' Don't let any stranger drag you away. Kick with your legs and wrap your body around anything solid - if there are no benches around or bushes, wrap yourself around the stranger's legs and scream loudly. 

Links

• Stranger Danger
• Child Safety in the Face of an Aggressor
• Child Safety Means Self Defence Training
• No One Wants to be a Victim

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Keep Your Child Safe Online

Keep Your Child Safety Online presents three ways in which parents can help guide their children as they begin surfing the internet. The tips are supervision, communicating boundaries, and ensuring direction. This is a joint posting event coordinated with the post Basic Internet Safety for Pre-schoolers.

Links

• Internet Safety for Children with MoDiscipline's Acceptable Use Policy
• Free Software for Your Child's Internet Safety
• Internet Safety for Children
• Online Safety Means Internet Filters and Software

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Road Safety for Parents

In Road Safety for Children, we see a video of a bunch of school children running across the road at a turning circle without looking to see if any cars were approaching.

Parents need to spend time talking to their children about the need for road safety. Discuss safety rules with your child and practise them always. Talk to them of how they need to be aware of the environment around them - that sometimes it's not their fault that accidents happen. People get tired, make poor decisions, are intoxicate, are not concentrating, or are just plain dumb.

How many parents have I seen walking in the carpark without looking to see if cars were reversing. There's no way that anyone can see children as they back out. Parents and children walking behind cars need to look for the reverse lights and should give way to reversing vehicles - not the other way around.

Then there are those children who happily dash toward the pedestrian crossing. This gives the signal to children that they might run in certain areas of the carpark. This is totally unacceptable. Children need to walk slowly and be aware of the dangers around them.

Crossing the carpark or the road should be done as a team - with good communication. Children need to pay attention and not distract you or other children as they walk amongst cars.

Stay safe.

Colin

Links

• Traffic Safety for Children taking Buses or Public Transportation
• Child Car Safety - Around the Car
• Booster Seats and Car Safety
• Road Safety

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Home Alone

Home Alone Safety Tips for Parents and Children

Many parents juggling school drop offs, music lessons, grocery shopping, etc., share the anxiety, frustration and even fear involved in leaving children on their own - home alone - when school lets out. Child care arrangements with neighbours and relatives break down, or there simply are no other alternatives.

The decision to allow a child to stay home alone should be made on an individual basis irrespective of laws (or the lack of laws) defining when a child is old enough to be left home alone. This decision should be based on the child's readiness and confidence to be left home alone. Generally, no child under the age of seven should be left home alone for any period of time.

Can your children be trusted to stay home alone? Are they able to use telephones, locks and kitchen appliances appropriately? Can they follow rules and instructions? Can they handle unexpected situations without panicking? Can they stay home alone without fear?

For more information on how you can teach your children to stay safe, see the follow up article 10 Tips to Improve Your Child's Safety.


Home Alone Safety Tips for Children

• Post a list of emergency telephone numbers including family members, trusted friends and neighbours, and emergency personnel.
• Make sure your child knows his/her telephone number and address. Write these along with the list of emergency numbers. If stressed, your child should be able to read them back (along with directions to your house) to an operator in case of emergency.
• If your child is coming back alone, they should check in with a neighbour or by calling you as soon as they arrive.
• They should carry their house key with them - do not leave keys under the mat or in your post box.
• To not go into the house if things do not appear right - a broken window, a door ajar. 
• Keep all doors and windows locked after entering the house, and if they are home alone. 
• To never accept gifts or rides from people they don't know well.
• To never let anyone into the house without your permission.
• To never let a caller at the door or on the phone know they are home alone. 
• Keep a first aid kit in your house. Teach your child basic first aid. 
• Teach your child what to do in case of fire and discuss safety tips. 
• Limit the kind of cooking that can be done without adult supervision. 
• Call and check on your child.
• Always tell your child if you are going to be home late.

Some safety products that might help ensure better safety for children staying home alone:

• Two relay digital keypad door entry set with 600lbs magnetic lock
• Wireless video doorphone intercom system 4.2" screen monitor and night vision camera
• Safe eyes parental control suite
• 2.4GHz wireless color screw hidden surveillance camera
• Hidden or concealed camera

Related Articles

• Child Safety and the Poisons Information Centre
• Free Software to Ensure Internet Safety for Children
• Child Safety in the Bath
• Child Pool Safety at Home

Home Alone Articles

• Home Alone and Stranger Danger Safety Tips
• Home Alone Safety Tips
• Home Alone Girl Pulled from Fire

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List of All Child Safety Perth Articles to Date

List of All Child Safety Perth Articles to Date

MUST BUY Child Safety Products
Inexpensive Child Safety Products and Discount Bin
Child Safety Products for Teenagers
Child Safety Products for Infants
Child Safety Products for Toddlers
Child Safety Products for Children and Young Children

Child safety Perth Popular Articles
Booster Seats and Child Safety
Internet Safety for Children with MoDiscipline's Acceptable Use Policy
Child Safety Perth Tips to Baby Proof Your House
CPR for Child Casualty in Your Child Safety Bag of Tricks
Book Review 'Good Practice in Child Safety'
Child Safety Questions
Child Safety and the Poisons Information Centre
Traffic Safety for Children taking Buses or Public Transportation in Perth
Child Safety Articles from WAtoday.com.au
Child Safety Seat - Changes to Car Restraint Legislation
Child Safety Gate Product Review
Self Defence for Children
Road Safety for Children
Child Safety in the Bath
Internet Filters for Child Safety Online
Child Pool Safety Alarm Review
Child Safety on Escalators
Child Safety Seat Problems
Child Car Safety Around the Car
Child Safety Gate
Child Pool Safety at Home
Child Safety at Night
Internet Safety for Children
Child Safety Articles from the Mother Ship

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