Adults can understand all this and restrict their movements. But it is very hard for children to understand why they cannot step out of their home or why they need to stay away from the isolated family member. Parents need to be very careful to keep children safe from Coronavirus. They must also ensure kids are happy and relaxed and not getting terrified by the situation.

If you are a parent worried about your children, here are some important things you need to understand:

Are Coronavirus symptoms different in children?

It will be a relief for you to know that Coronavirus symptoms in children are usually milder than adults. Of course, in some cases, the children can become critically ill too from COVID-19. But the percentage of such cases is less compared to adults. Also, infants might have more severe symptoms than toddlers and older children. This is because infants’ immunity isn’t as developed as that of the older kids.

One study in China has revealed the following about children affected by COVID-19:

• Infants: 11% have severe symptoms.
• 1 to 5 years old: 7% have severe symptoms
• 6 to 10 year old: 4% have severe symptoms
• 11 to 15 year old: 4% have severe symptoms
• 16 years or older: 3% have severe symptoms.

Among the children studied in China, it was also revealed that about 4 percent of them were asymptomatic. That is, they had no symptoms of the illness. 51 percent of the affected children had mild illness. 39 percent of the affected children had moderate illness. And about 6 percent of children developed critical illness. This is much less when compared to 18.5 percent of adults. It must be noted that children with a pre-existing medical condition and special healthcare needs may be more at risk of developing severe symptoms.

As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), coronavirus symptoms in children and adults are similar. But children might also develop vomiting and diarrhea.

How to keep your children safe from Coronavirus?

While children are less likely to develop serious symptoms from COVID-19, you must still try to keep them safe from it. This is especially important if someone in your home has the infection.

• Don’t let your children go to crowded areas like public parks. Try to keep them engaged at home.
• If you develop symptoms of COVID-19, isolate yourself. Teach your children why you need to stay away from them.
• If you develop symptoms of COVID-19, wash the toys you might have touched recently before letting children play with them.
• Keep the high-traffic areas clean and sanitized. These include door handles and other surfaces children often touch.
• Designate a caregiver among friends, family, neighbors to take care of your children if you need to isolate yourself and have nobody else in the home to look after kids.

How to talk to your children about Coronavirus?

We may think children don’t know what is happening in the world. But if you are listening to the news all day and discussing the coronavirus pandemic at home, your kids have heard and seen enough to make them scared. They might not reveal their fears to you. So, it is up to you to talk to children and remove their anxiety. This is especially important if anyone at home is in self-isolation or quarantine.

• Talk to your children in age-appropriate language and educate them about the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Use the example of other viruses like influenza to explain Coronavirus effects.
• Explain how social distancing and staying inside the home will keep them safe.
• If a family member is under self-isolation or quarantine, explain to the children why they need to stay away from such people.
• Being confined within homes can be hard for children. Keep them engaged in interesting activities.
• Teach your children the importance of washing their hands with soap and water carefully and frequently.
• Assure your children this is a temporary problem and all will be well soon. Answer their questions patiently and try to alleviate their fears.

Conclusion:

Keeping children safe and happy is a top priority for all parents. Not an easy task even at the best of times. COVID-19 has made it even harder now. But with proper care and precautions, your children can stay safe from the Coronavirus as well as anxiety and boredom it might cause them.

The post How to keep children safe from Coronavirus? Here are 3 things you need to know. appeared first on WellnessHub Nourishing Your Mind, Body, and Soul.

While it is impossible to predict and prevent every accident, there are many things you can do to reduce the most common dangers. Given below are some of the most important precautions you need to take to keep your children safe.

How to keep your children safe at home?

1. Little things:

Babies and toddlers may not like eating food, but they all enjoy putting random things in their mouth. They will pick up things from the floor and swallow them. This puts them in danger of infections. Worse, it puts them in danger of choking. Things like buttons, coin batteries, small magnets, beads, etc can be a serious health hazard for little kids. Ingesting of magnets and batteries can prove fatal if the child swallows them. When a coin battery is broken down by the acids in the stomach, it can cause alkaline poisoning. And if the child ingests several magnets, they can stick together in the stomach and cause perforation.

• Keep your floor clean of litter.
• Keep anything that can be swallowed out of the reach of children.
• If any toy uses coin battery, seal it off with thick tape.
• Remove all magnets from your child’s room and toys.
• Don’t put fridge magnets where your child can reach them. Do the same with other tiny things that your child might swallow.

2. Toys:

Be very careful while buying toys for your children. Toys with many little parts can be a hazard. Children can pull those parts out and swallow. Some toys might have sharp edges that might cause cuts. Some might have magnets and coin batteries. An older child’s toy can prove harmful to the younger sibling. Even soft toys can prove dangerous.

• Examine a toy carefully before buying it for your children.
• Tell your older kids to keep their toys away from the younger siblings.
• Make sure your older kids are not using their toys in a dangerous way. For example, flinging a heavy toy high and trying to catch it can cause serious injury.
• When you put a toy in your baby’s crib, make sure there’s no danger of the baby suffocating on it.
• Children can use their toys in many dangerous ways. So be very careful of the toy you give them, and how they play with it.
• Children can also make toys for themselves. A cardboard box, a wrapping paper, a kitchen bowl — kids can use anything to play. Make sure nothing dangerous comes within their reach.

3. Water:

Drowning is one of the biggest risks for children. A child can drown even in a bucket of water. So, you need to be very careful about keeping your children safe from drowning.

• Never leave your children unattended near water.
• If you have a swimming pool, make sure your children can’t enter it unattended.
• Don’t let pool toys remain scattered near or in the pool when you are not nearby. Attracted by these toys, your child can fall into the pool.
• Keep your bathroom door closed.
• If you have a toddler or a baby old enough to crawl, never keep a bucket full of water anywhere in your home.
• Keep your toilet seat covers down.
• Never leave a child unattended in a bathtub. Never put the child in a bathtub without first testing the water temperature.
• Remember that your bathroom can be the most dangerous place for your young children. You need to be very careful.

4. Windows:

Windows attract little children a lot. And this can be very dangerous. Unsafe window blinds with dangling cords can prove hazardous. Children love playing with ropes. But it’s best to keep these out of their reach.

• Try to install safer window treatments like cordless or motorized window blinds.
• Children can also climb on the windowsill to look out. These can prove fatal. Try to secure your windows with safety grates. Make sure there’s no climbable furniture near the window.

5. Chemical substances in the house:

You may not realize it, but your home is full of chemicals. Medicines, cosmetics, cleaners can be commonly found in homes. Insecticides, pesticides, paints, and polishes are often present too. A young child can ingest any of them out of curiosity. And the results can be grievous.

• Keep all such chemicals away from the children. Better to lock them in secure cabinets.
• Keep the child safety caps on medicines engaged.
• Never leave pills within the reach of the child, even if you are stepping away for just a minute.
• Keep your cosmetics, perfumes, deodorants out of a young child’s sight too.

6. Falls:

All children fall now and then. It is a normal part of growing up for kids. But some falls can be life-threatening. And it is upon you to look out for them and prevent them from happening. The danger is not just in children falling from a height. Many serious accidents occur when things fall over them. For example, a child trying to open a tall cabinet can make it topple over him or her.

While it is impossible to foresee all such accidents, there are many precautions you can take.

• Secure the stairs by installing safety gates at their top and bottom.
• Secure the windows with safety grates.
• Keep the floor free of litter to reduce the risk of tripping.
• Don’t let children climb on the furniture.
• Keep the height of cribs set to lowest.
• Make sure all heavy furniture like dressers, bookcases, tall stools, television sets, etc. are wall-mounted or secured to stop them from toppling.

7. Electricity:

Look around and notice how many electrical appliances you have in your home. How many electrical outlets and cords. Each of them can put your child in danger. You can’t remove these from your home. But with a little precaution, you can minimize their danger.

• Never leave a child unattended near an electric appliance.
• Switch off and unplug the electric appliance when it is not in use.
• Secure all electric outlets with well-fitting safety caps.
• As much as possible, keep electric wires and cords out of the reach of children below ten years of age. If that is not possible, check them regularly to make sure they are not frayed or have any other fault. Replace the wire immediately if you notice any such thing.

8. Weapons:

Even a sharp pencil can be dangerous for a little child. Can you imagine how hazardous an unattended weapon can be? If you have a gun or any such weapon at home, your child might get curious about it and pick it up for play.

Every year, many children get injured from the weapons kept at home. You might be able to keep these away from little kids. But if a ten-year-old decides to play with your gun, he or she will devise a way to reach it. It is up to you to make sure your weapon does not harm your child.

• Keep your weapons under lock.
• Teach your kids how dangerous the weapons can be and why they should never touch them.
• Never handle or show off your weapons in a way that tempts your children to play with them too.

9. Sharp objects, and other such dangerous things.

• You also need to be careful about things like a kitchen knife, screwdrivers, electric drills, nails, etc. Keep all such hazardous things away from children. These can cause serious injuries and even death.

Conclusion:

For a little child, anything can prove dangerous. You, as a parent, need to be watchful and alert. As much as possible, remove all hazardous things or lock them up. Try never to leave your young children unattended. With care and precautions, you can make your home safer for your children.

The post Keep your children safe from these 9 dangers lurking at home appeared first on WellnessHub Nourishing Your Mind, Body, and Soul.