Tips for Keeping Kids Safe While Cleaning

Here are some simple year round tips:

• Don’t leave cleaning buckets unattended. Even those with a small amount of water pose a hazard to ‘top heavy’ toddlers, who could fall in and drown.
• Schedule cleaning during down times such as nap time, or when they are in day-care or school.
• Take out only the amount of cleaning product needed for the job at hand. Store the rest away securely.
• Immediately clean up any spillage.
• Avoid distractions or interruptions when kids are present. If you answer the door or phone, take your child with you.
• Keep all household products in their original packages. These include useful first aid information in the event of accidental ingestion.
• Install child proof locks on all cabinets that house cleaning supplies. Never assume a cabinet is too high for a curious toddler.
• Post the Poison Control Center phone number by all your phones: 800-222-1222

Baby Safety Month

September is Baby Safety Month. The Juvenille Products Manufactures Association (JPMA) has sponsored it yearly for 24 years. The JPMA has created a non-manufacturer specific brochure called ‘Safe & Sound for Baby’ to guide parents and care givers in baby product safety, use and selection. It covers Bassinets/Cradles, Bath Seats, Carriages and Strollers, Carriers/Swings, Car Seats/Boosters, Changing Tables, Cribs, Gates/Enclosures, High Chairs, Infant Seats/Bouncers, Play Yards, Bed Rails, Hook-On Chairs, Activity Centers, Toddler Beds, Walkers, Crib Toys/Pacifiers and a list of Household Dangers. It has a lot of good information about product selection that I wanted to pass along. Click Here to view the online version.