Acknowledgements - gapitc

Health and safety skills
Activities and Strategies
for Development
Is It Safe?
Make it a habit to talk about safety even though your infant does not fully under-
stand. Talk about things being “safe” or “not safe.” Here are a few examples:
• When you see your child climb on a chair that is too big for him, talk about
safety when you tell him “It is not safe to climb on that chair. Chairs are for
sitting. You can climb on the cushions over here.”
• When you take away a broken toy with a sharp edge, tell how sharp edges
are “not safe.”
• When you buckle your baby into her car seat, talk about “keeping you safe”
as you do so. Tell her that you “buckle up for safety” too.
•
When you are out for a walk with your baby, talk about stopping at the corner
to be sure it is safe to cross the street.
Stop for Safety! (for an older infant)
When you see your infant approaching something dangerous, move quickly to
stop her.
Develop a signal, such as clapping at the same time you say “Alia, stop!” Clapping
and saying her name should help get her attention and get her to pause to give
you a moment to reach her.
Pick her up and remove her quickly, but calmly, from the danger. Tell her in
simple terms what the danger was. For example, say,“It will hurt if you close the
cabinet on your finger,” as you move her away.
Be prepared to repeat this every time she faces danger. The purpose of a signal
such as clapping and saying “stop” is to teach the meaning of “stop!” Do not
expect your infant to stop without your help or to avoid the same danger in the
near future. This takes repeated practice and careful supervision on your part.
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