Perfecting Parenting: 4 Precautions to Take for Your Kids’ Health

There is no question about it, parenting is not for the faint of heart. They are masters at powering the natural consequences, catching children being good, leading by example and loving unconditionally. Parents have a lot of things to worry about including money, time and long-term goals, but all of that does not matter if they do not protect their kids health. If you are a parent, then here are four ways that you need to protect your children’s health.

Protect Kids from Pests

While many children enjoy seeing insects when they are exploring the great outdoors, it is important that you not allow them in your home. Mosquitos, lice, fleas, cockroaches and bed bugs can all carry deadly diseases into the home including Lyme disease, tick-borne meningoencephalitis and leishmaniases among many others with symptoms like nausea, urinary tract infections, pneumonia and diarrhea. Bed bugs often stop children from being able to get a good night’s sleep interfering with their ability to learn in school. Therefore, parents must practice proactive pest control to protect their family.

Prevent Fires

Approximately 500 children die in a house fire and approximately 117,000 are injured, so it is the parents’ job to make their home as safe from fires as possible. While many children are taught to stop, drop and roll at school if their clothes catch on fire, parents should make sure that children practice what to do at home if there is a fire and be told never to re-enter a burning building. Furthermore, children should be taught never to play with matches, lighters or other objects capable of starting a fire. Parents should make sure that every level of their home has a working smoke alarm. Many fires start in the kitchen, so limit distractions there while making sure that a fire extinguisher is available.

Get Physicals

It is important that every member of the family has a physical on a regular basis. Remember that getting a physical is a great way to spot trouble before it becomes a serious issue. If the doctor prescribes medicine, then it is very important that the parent gives the child the medicine in the correct manner. Approximately 60,000 visits to the emergency room are made each year because children accidentally got ahold of medicine. In addition, many preteens and teens star their drug habits at home by getting in their parent’s medicine cabinet.

Traffic Safety

The number one killer of children is automobile accidents with approximately 1,600 dying annually and another 2.35 million being injured. Conscientious parents make sure that their children are secured in car seats that are right for the child’s age and weight. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, over 72 percent of car seats for children are installed in such a way that it makes it more likely that a child would be injured in an automobile accident. Parents should consider having their car’s child safety equipment checked by local law enforcement. This is to make sure that it is properly installed, and they should also make sure to model good behavior by always buckling up themselves regardless of the length of the trip. Once children get old enough to drive, parents should set firm boundaries.

Parents are responsible for keeping their children safe, but that is not always possible as skin knees, broken bones and other childhood traumas often go with being a kid. Use these ideas, however, to make sure that you are doing the best job that you can in protecting your family. After all, you want your children to grow up healthy.