• Teach them to never talk to strangers.
• Teach them never to ride their bikes alone; always ride with a buddy and always wear their helmet.
• Teach them to never play in the street.
• Teach them to always look both ways and watch for cars before entering or crossing the street.
• Establish neighborhood boundaries in which they may play.
• Teach them to never open the door to a stranger when home alone.
• Teach them that, when answering the telephone, never give out any personal information or let the person who calls know if they are alone.
• Teach them to be sure to let their parents know exactly where they will be and for how long, and to always call and let them know if they decide to go somewhere else.
• If they should see a gun, teach them to stop, don't touch, call an adult.
• Teach them to never get into a car with someone they don't know.
• If they feel threatened, teach them to run away as fast as they can.
• Develop a secret password that must be used if someone unfamiliar is to pick them up from school or play.
• If they come home and something about their house doesn't look right, teach them to go immediately to a neighbor's for help

You have at your fingertips an easy way to prevent one third of all childhood deaths. Accidents are not only preventable in most cases, but its easy and very inexpensive to make sure your child is safe and secure both in and out of the home. Below is a guide to help you do just that. It contains tips for preventing the most common childhood accidents, and how you can react to an emergency situation if necessary. By following these simple guidelines, you'll greatly improve the odds of your youngster enjoying a safe childhood.

The key is to think and practice safety. While you can't prevent every bump, cut or scrape, you can make safety a habit and set a good example. Prepare for emergencies before they happen by becoming First-Aid and CPR-certified. Above all, always keep a close eye on your kids.

• Use of an ANSI or SNELL safety-approved helmet can reduce head injuries by 85%.
• Teach your child to be street smart -- making sure they know traffic signs, as well as the appropriate way to ride in single file. Even better, make sure children under 9 always ride on the sidewalk.
• Never allow your child to carry a passenger on their bike or skateboard.
• Insist that your child stay on the appropriate biking trail or footpath when riding or hiking in the woods.
• Never allow your child to ride or skate at night or with audio headphones.

Apply pressure to cuts with a clean cloth, tissue, or gauze bandage to stop the bleeding. Rinse with cool running water, wash with a mild soap and cover the wound with clean gauze or an adhesive bandage. Seek medical attention if the bleeding does not cease on its own quickly.

Puncture wounds are more likely to become infected than other wounds, so always consult your doctor about the need for a booster.

Seek medical help immediately if the cut or scrape is deep, jagged or gaping, is on the face, is dirty and requires extensive cleaning, or is accompanied by a loss of sensation or inability to move the injured area.

Ice or a commercial cold pack wrapped in a clean towel helps relieve pain and reduces swelling and discoloration.

If your child is stung by a honeybee, remove the stinger by scraping rather than pulling it out with tweezers. This prevents the release of more venom. Wasp, yellow jackets, and other insects don't leave their stinger in the wound.

Seek immediate attention if your child has a personal or family history of sting sensitivity and shows symptoms such as severe pain or swelling, itching or hives, difficulty breathing, nausea or stomach cramps, weakness or fainting.

If your child has an allergy to bee stings, be aware that fire ant bites can lead to the same reactions.

While we hope you never need to use this information, here are some tips to help both you and your child through what can be a highly stressful time.

Keep yourself and your child calm.

Dial 911, give the operator your name, address, and phone number first, then explain what is wrong clearly. Stay on the line until the operator hangs up. Make sure your child knows this procedure as well.

Keep a well-stocked first aid kit in your home that contains some items you may not have thought of. such as a flashlight, instant ice packs, Ipecac syrup, butterfly bandages, and blunt-ended scissors.

Place the number for Poison Control near your phone. Have the poison and the child with you when you call, and follow their advice to the letter. Never give a child anything, even Syrup of Ipecac, to induce vomiting without being advised to do so.

In the cases of wounds needing a few stitches, sprains or breaks, or high fever, you can often take your child to the emergency room yourself. However, if in doubt about the severity of an injury or your child's reaction to it, always call 911 first. Here are some tips for making the trip more pleasant should you decide to go it on your own:

Explain to your child your trip to the emergency room in a simple, comforting, and reassuring way.

Take your child on a tour of the emergency room beforehand, if available, so they'll be familiar with the surroundings should a trip become necessary.

Repeat and explain what the doctor or nurse says, as many time as needed to reassure the little patient.

Keep all cleaning agent out of reach, preferably under lock and key. One of the most overlooked poisons is the residue from automatic dish washing detergents that's left over in the soap trays after the cycle is complete.

The bathroom medicine cabinet is the worst place to store medicines, nail polish removers, makeup, perfumes, and mouthwashes. These should be out of reach, and in a child-proofed cabinet or container.

Know your house plants, their names, and which are poisonous. Better yet, decorate only with hanging plants until children outgrow the teething stage.

Always have an adult supervise children near or in water.

Be sure your child knows how to swim.

Keep children away from the water during thunderstorms, or if they feel tired or chilled.

Pool owners, babysitters and other caregivers should know and update their CPR training. For CPR class information, check your telephone directory.

If you own a pool, make sure it is completely enclosed with a fence that is a minimum of four feet high. Use self-latching locks on the fenced area, and separate locks on doors leading to the water. In addition, remove steps from above ground pools and spas when not in use.

Set your water heater's thermostat no higher than 120 degrees.

Install anti-scald devices in the shower and bathtub that stop water flow when it exceeds 120 degrees.

A child's skin burns more easily than an adult's, so if the water feels lukewarm to you, it's safe and comfortable for your child.

Always unplug an appliance when not in use, keep bathroom appliances away from water.

Cover unused electrical outlets with Dummy plugs or safety covers.

Routinely check electrical cords for fraying or loose plugs.

Never allow appliance cords to dangle over the countertop or table. Hide cords by taping them to the back of tables, desks, sofas, etc.

Always measure a child's temperature with an accurate thermometer if they feel warm. Know what temperature is cause for concern based upon your child's age. Fever in a three-month old is much more worrisome than in a three-year old.

Follow your intuition. You know when your child is sick, even if other signs aren't obvious.

Make sure your child has a current immunization record. This is the best way to prevent serious illness, and is required by law before entering school or daycare settings.

Keep your child's system strong and able to fight infection through a healthy diet, exercise, and common sense

Contents of this page courtesy of safetycentral.com