National Childhood Injury Prevention Week
National Childhood Injury Prevention week is September 1st – 7th. The purpose of this week is to raise awareness of the preventable injuries that harm and kill millions of children every year. Your can do your part by talking to your children about safe habits and behaviors. You can further your efforts by modeling safe behavior and habits, letting your kids know that actions are more important than words.
Things you can talk to your child about in order to help prevent their injury include:
- Safe walking, biking, and skateboarding habits
- Dangerous household chemicals
- The risk of falls
- Safe places to play
- Steps to take in case of fire or other emergency
- Who to contact when parents aren’t available
Talking to your children about keeping safe – and modeling safe behaviors – can go a long way in helping prevent injury.
You can model safe behavior by:
- Never drinking and driving
- Turning your cellphone off when you get into the car
- Using traffic lights, sidewalks, and bike lanes when not driving
- Wearing protective clothing when cleaning or working with tools
- Engaging with your children to exhibit safe places and ways to play
This National Childhood Injury Prevention week, take some extra time to work with your children and help keep them safe for years to come.