10 Safety Rules For Kids At Home That You Need To Implement
Implementing the proper safety rules for kids at home can save your kiddos from a variety of dangerous situations. Which is why I wanted to dedicate an entire post to this topic and cover ten rules that I think are specifically important.
Starting with…
1. Never Open The Door For Strangers
“Stranger danger” is applicable even if you’re not in public, and you need to teach your children this fact. So be sure to remind them that they should never open the door for strangers! Additionally, you’ll probably need to give them some sort of protocol to go by in case of this situation. Such as… be quiet, stay away from the doors and windows, and go get (or call) a parent.
2. Don’t Play Or Climb On Furniture
It’s fairly obvious to adults why climbing up bookshelves or other large pieces of furniture is dangerous, but children don’t inherently know this. And thus, you need to make it crystal clear to them that they shouldn’t do so.
But I also highly suggest that you latch all heavy furniture to the wall if you can, and avoid placing objects that your child uses regularly too high up. As this will inevitably tempt them to climb up to get it.
In comparison to climbing up furniture, jumping on things like couches and beds may seem fairly harmless… But many accidents can still occur during these activities, such as your child falling and hitting their head on the floor or another object. So never let your children jump on furniture!
3. Know What To Do In Case Of A Fire
Safety rules for kids at home don’t just mean telling your child what not to do. In fact, many of these rules should involve teaching your children what to do in case of certain emergencies; and one of these emergencies is fire!
Your kids should know what the fire alarm sounds like, what the family escape plan is in case of a fire, how to call for help, and precautions to take around fire. Such as crawling under the smoke if you can, and checking the temperature of the door and doorknob before opening it.
4. Always Ask For Permission Before Leaving The House
No matter how old your child is, it’s important that they know to check in with you before they leave the home. And even before they go outside to play! So that you know where they are, exactly how long they’ve been at that place, and where you should check in on them.
This even goes for teenagers, regardless of whether or not you’re home. Let’s say, for instance, that your teens get home from school a few hours before you… and they want to go to a friend’s house. It needs to be a rule that they have to inform you of their plans before they leave (through a call, text, etc).
5. Be Careful Around Electricity
Electricity is a necessity in many homes nowadays, but it can be quite dangerous for kids. Especially when they don’t know the proper protocol!
So be sure to explain to your kids how electricity works, even if it involves purchasing a book or finding an informative video to watch. Furthermore, explain how dangerous it is and provide them with ways they can protect themselves from it…
- Don’t touch light switches with wet hands
- Don’t put things in plug sockets
- Etc
6. Don’t Hand Out Personal Information
With the rise of the internet, this rule has become even more necessary to implement… and it is to ensure your children realize what information they should never give out to strangers.
Online, this obviously means not sharing your full name or address. But you should also explain to your children that they shouldn’t give this information to random strangers they meet in real life either. And additionally, when they’re home alone, they should never share that info! Online, over the phone, or even if there’s a delivery at the door.
7. Stay Away From Certain Objects
As I’m sure we all know, there are lots of objects that shouldn’t be handled by young kids. And it’s important that your children know which objects they’re allowed to touch and which ones they aren’t!
The medicine cabinet, for example, should probably be considered an out of bounds area. Sharp objects like knives should be avoided by small kids altogether, and even by older kids unless a parent is closely supervising. And one last quick example of objects your children should know not to touch would be matches and lighters.
8. Avoid Enclosed Spaces
Likewise, just as your children should be avoiding certain objects, they should be avoiding certain spaces within the home as well! Namely, enclosed ones like cupboards, washers and dryers, and chests. Because sadly, getting locked in by accident and suffocating is a very real risk.
9. Don’t Eat Everything You See
This specific rule is most applicable when you have very young children, but kids need to be taught that not everything is food!
Sponges aren’t cakes, household cleaners aren’t fun drinks, strange plants you find in the yard aren’t edible, etc… Children need to learn very early on that they should come to you to ask whether they can eat something, always!
And this rule could also help keep your kids safe if they have any allergies. My daughter was offered multiple snacks by well-meaning family members throughout her life, that could’ve been deadly due to her peanut allergy. But thankfully, her and my oldest daughter knew to check first and this saved her life on several occasions!
10. When In Doubt, Ask A Parent
The previous rule leads perfectly into our last one, which is to teach your children that they should always refer to you when in doubt.
They hear a weird noise outside? Tell a parent! They felt uncomfortable in the presence of someone? Tell a parent! They want to reach their favorite cereal but they aren’t tall enough with climbing? Tell a parent!
When your kids know that they should come to you whenever they’re feeling uncertain, it will help keep them safe in all situations.
Final Thoughts About Safety Rules For Kids At Home
I hope you found this list helpful, but remember that teaching your children these rules isn’t the only thing you can do to keep them safe! In fact, this article by the Red Cross contains many suggestions for measures that you can take as a parent to further ensure their safety!
And if you enjoyed this post and want to learn more about parenting, running a home, or managing finances… please check out some of my other content like this post on meltdowns vs tantrums and why you should know the difference.
