Safety

The best way to keep kids safe at home is to use your eyes and ears, and keep close watch of your kids everywhere those little feet take them. While childproofing may seem like an overwhelming chore, take a few minutes to complete these basic tasks.

Inside

• Keep knives and breakable objects up high and out of reach of little hands.
• Put safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs.

• Place plastic covers over electrical outlets and power strips.
• Install a carbon monoxide detector in every sleeping area of the house to protect your family from this poisonous, deadly gas.
• Bolt shelves to the wall and secure TVs to keep them from falling on a child, and keep your child's bed or crib away from windows which can shatter during an earthquake.
• Protect from poisons — store household cleaning products, medication, hand sanitizer, bug spray, lotions, and makeup in locked cabinets or up high.

Outside

• Install a fence that's at least four feet high around your pool or hot tub to prevent drowning, and install a self-latching gate that is higher than a young child's reach.

• Never let your child play near grills, lawnmowers, or power tools.
• Return gardening tools, auto parts, pesticides, fertilizer, and sharp objects like nails and screws to locked storage containers when you're finished using them.
• Empty buckets and small inflatable pools after every use.
• Make sure play equipment in the backyard is sturdy and age-appropriate for your child.

Playing in the great outdoors is a fantastic way for your child to build strength and endurance, and stay active. Reduce the risk of injury with these simple steps:

• Look for age-appropriate equipment at playgrounds, like tot swings, and straight slides for toddlers.
• Check playground equipment for rusted parts and loose splinters that can pinch a child's skin, and metal equipment that can heat up quickly in hot weather.
• Supervise kids closely when they're near water. Never rely on life vests, water wings, floating baby seats, or swimming lessons alone to keep your child safe.
• Apply sunscreen of at least 30 SPF to your child's arms, legs, shoulders, neck, face, and ears 30 minutes before going outside and every 2 hours after.
• Encourage your child to play in the shade between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the sun's rays are the strongest.

Parents bring their kids everywhere these days. Whether you're running errands or visiting friends, keep your child's safety top-of-mind.

• Always buckle your child into a car seat before you start driving. Check to be sure you've got the right car seat for your child's height and weight.
• Never leave your child in a car alone, even for small errands like withdrawing cash from an ATM machine or placing a letter in a mailbox.
• Strap your child in with the safety belt on shopping carts when you're at the store.
• Do a mental childproofing check when you visit the homes of friends and families, and look around for potential dangers, like open electrical outlets, before letting your child play.
• Bring along a hat, sunscreen, and water for your child whenever you leave the house.

Regardless of the amount of safety measures you take, you can't prevent every accident. That's why you need to be prepared for emergencies.

• Program emergency numbers in your home and cell phones, like 911 and the California Poison Control toll-free hotline at 1-800-222-1222.
• Install smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors
  in your home — it is California law.
• Keep some extra supplies of food, water, formula,
  diapers, and baby clothes in a backpack in your
  home and car.
  
• Keep a first-aid kit and fire extinguisher in an easily accessible place in your home, and show babysitters and caregivers where these supplies are located.
• Plan a fire escape route and practice it with your preschooler.
• Practice earthquake drills with your preschooler.