Protecting Children: Putting YOU in the Know

Accidents happen. They are an infallible and unavoidable part of life – especially in the life of a child. The good news is that the majority of the time these mishaps are fixed with nothing more than a comforting word, an embracing hug, and a band-aid or two. The wounds quickly heel – oftentimes without leaving the slightest trace that anything had ever happened. And as that old adage goes, we quickly learn from our mistakes – we learn where the limitations lie.

While playing too rough with the cat, teasing him by waving our arm around and poking him in the chest, we are scratched across the forearm. After mom dries our tears and washes our arm (we don’t need a bandage; it’s just a surface wound) we soon forget the incident and go back to playing. We remember, however, to not play so rough with the cat – lest we want to be scratched, perhaps much worse next time. Good thing there (probably) won’t be a next time.

While at the pool on a hot summer day we notice a bumblebee hovering to and fro near a half-eaten, abandoned snow cone. Curious about his interest in the sweet smelling, orange liquid, we head in for a closer examination. As we begin to move in on our subject of inquiry, the bee becomes weary and starts making hesitant, jerky motions. Mistaking the small insect’s fear for hostility, we begin swatting in all directions. It’s all over in a minute – the bee is dead, but at our expense; we’ve been stung. Tweezers remove the embedded stinger, calamine lotion eases the burning sensation, then a quick hug and an “I love you” from mom mark the end of that scenario. But as the summer progresses we thoughtfully (perhaps, somewhat painfully) remember to keep our distance from those infamous yellow and black-striped fliers.

These two examples are accidents of child’s play and curiosity. The risk inherent in each situation (as it begins to unfold) is minimal at best – the odds of suffering serious bodily injury from a cat scratch or bee sting (save those that are allergic) are quite slim. The lack of news coverage at the reoccurrence of these and other similar accidents generation after generation, along with the close proximity to both bees and housecats with which we choose to live, speaks to and is evidence of the lack of threat/danger we feel with regard to these creatures.

Unfortunately, not ALL accidents are so simple and easily mended. There is another type of accident that children are susceptible to which may have devastating consequences. It is a big world out there and there are many hidden dangers, for children and adolescents especially. While safe for experienced adults, many seemingly ordinary objects and activities (many integral parts of our daily lives) are quite hazardous to these unknowing youngsters. Accidents alluded to here are those that result in serious injury leading to disability or even death.

To some, the list of childhood hazards seems quite apparent. Like water that runs too hot from the bathroom or kitchen faucet, and the community or backyard swimming pool. Most of us have heard the stories or read the headlines:

3yr old hospitalized in critical condition after suffering severe burns from bathtub faucet

Child nearly drowns in swimming pool

In reality, however, the list is long and ever-expanding as our society continues to grow and evolve. According to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign and the CDC Injury Center, accidental injuries are the leading cause of both death and disability for young children and adolescents alike.

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Rather than conjuring fear (that might incite exceedingly overprotective behavior and other unnecessary measures), we want to put people in the ‘know’.

This, then, is the Foundation’s attempt to provide a variety of resources for parents, grandparents, teachers, mentors, tutors, childcare providers, and the countless other individuals whose task it is to care for children at some point throughout their day, and those whose work or business affects the daily life of children (directly or indirectly).

Our hope is that through our insightful blog and linked articles on child safety, that we might assist you not only in making informed decisions regarding the well-being of the children around us, but also by answering many of the questions you might have now or in the future.

With each child protected, our mission succeeds.

-Kasey Richardson-