32 The Queens Courier • kids & education • APRIL 24, 2014 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com kids & education Safety checklist: a new and expecting mom’s best friend From a very young age, you’ve integrated s safety into your daily life. You learned to look both ways before crossing the street or to buckle up in a car. These things become second nature. If you welcome a precious little bundle of joy into the world, you naturally want to pass on those same safety measures to your children. There are important things you need to do before your baby arrives that you might not have considered. In time for Baby Safety Month, Kimberlee Mitchell, child safety expert and spokesperson for the American Cleaning Institute’s KEY Pledge laundry safety campaign, offers important safety tips that will help you provide a healthy home for your baby. Use these tips as a checklist as you prepare for your new baby: Tip 1: Secure your furniture You probably considered aesthetics when designing and laying out your living room, bedroom and other rooms in your house. However, you may not have considered safety. In case your baby gets the idea to climb on furniture, make sure to move it away from windows to prevent a potential fall. If any of your pieces, such as an entertainment center, bookshelf or large TV, can be pulled away from the wall, make sure they’re mounted securely. Lastly, if your furniture has rough or sharp edges, add cushioned corner guards in case of a fall. Tip 2: Safe storage is key All household cleaning products such as bleach and soap, should be stored up, away and out of reach of children. This includes laundry products. Since single-load liquid laundry packets hit store shelves, more parents and caregivers have been using them as part of their laundry routine. However, this laundry innovation contains highly concentrated detergent and should be treated like any other household cleaning product. If not safely stored, the laundry packets can pose potential hazards, attracting dangerous interest from young children and possible injury from ingestion or exposure to the eyes. Whether you do your laundry in your kitchen, your basement, a laundry room, laundromat or elsewhere, it’s imperative to keep all household cleaners, including single-load liquid laundry packets, up high, out of reach and sight, preferably behind lock and key. Install latches on all cabinets where home cleaning products are stored. Tip 3: Be aware of product hazards Prior to using any cleaning or household product, including single-load liquid laundry packets, familiarize yourself with product labels, safety information and icons on the packaging to prevent accidents. It’s important to teach young children that products, such as detergent, and their containers are not toys. Tip 4: Look at your house through your baby’s eyes A great way to make sure your home is ready for a new baby is by looking at all the rooms in your house as a baby might see it. What will he be attracted to? What looks fun to play with? Move all potentially harmful products to shelves that are up high and out of reach. The same goes for any small item that could be pulled off and become a choking hazard. Unplug all of your appliances and keep the cord wrapped up so it doesn’t dangle and fall into the hands of your baby. As you get ready to be a new mom, make sure you’re incorporating safety into your preparation. Your baby will thank you for it. For additional laundry safety information visit KeyPledge.com. Courtesy BPT JOB 9-014C2 8.75 X 5.6875 QUEENS COURIER CENTER FOR GIFTED YOUTH SUMMER 2014 PROGRAM June 30 - July 25, 2014 • CELEBRATING 32 YEARS Are You the Parent of a Gifted Child? 19 day Summer Program Open to gifted children entering grades 2-8 in September 2014 Expands students’ knowledge and develops creative and critical thinking skills Offers children the opportunity to learn in an innovative and exciting environment New technology infusion For information, call (516) 299-2160 or email post-gifted@liu.edu Dr. Lynne Manouvrier, Director • Mr. Henry Mazer, Headmaster FIND OUT. College of Education, Information and Technology Inquire about Transportation Visit our website for program criteria: liu.edu/post/giftedyouth
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