Keeping your children safe: holiday safety tips from experts

It is the last stretch of the school holidays and some parents have already returned to work. However children remain at risk and parents need to take extra care to ensure their children are safe. 

Charnel Hattingh, Head of Marketing and Communications at Fidelity Services Group, emphasizes the importance of parental preparedness. She notes that during the holiday period, children may spend extended hours at home, making them vulnerable to various dangers, including potential burglars or strangers approaching home entrances.

“It’s essential that children understand how to respond when faced with a stranger at the door or gate,” she advises.

Essential safety tips for children

Hattingh suggests that parents regularly communicate and reinforce several critical safety tips to their children:

• Children should never open the door or gate for anyone they do not know, even if the visitor insists on the urgency of their situation.
• Long conversations with strangers through windows, doors, or security gates should be avoided at all costs.
• Children must not disclose that they are home alone; instead, they should be instructed to mention that their parents cannot come to the door right now.
• If deliveries are being made, parents should be aware of the risks posed to delivery personnel, as they can be targeted by criminals. A momentary lapse in security while accepting a delivery could lead to unwanted intruders.
• Children must be educated on how to activate and deactivate any alarm systems and understand the proper use of panic buttons.
• It’s vital to show them where to find a list of emergency contacts, including the local emergency number 10111, and explain when and how these numbers should be used.

Besides criminal threats, other home dangers, such as fires or medical emergencies, necessitate constant attentive supervision. Parents are encouraged to consider all possible risks and incorporate proper security measures, including all-day security monitoring. Hattingh also advises that if a domestic worker or au pair is supervising children, they must be informed about security protocols and basic first-aid procedures.

Home security: basics covered

The foundation of a secure household, according to Hattingh, encompasses solutions like remote security monitoring via reputable companies, secure access systems, and effective fire detection measures. Both children and their caregivers must be thoroughly trained in using these security systems and know the correct procedures for emergency situations.

In addition to initial guidance, here are five more essential safety tips Hattingh recommends reinforcing with children:

• Avoid walking in streets or malls with phones out or wearing headphones; staying alert is crucial.
• Going out in groups and establishing secure arrangements for pick-ups and drop-offs is important.
• Discouraging engagement with strangers is vital, particularly regarding prevalent tactics like a stranger seeking assistance with a phone call.
• Security gates should remain locked, and keys removed whenever possible.
• All suspicious vehicles or individuals spotted in the vicinity should be reported to parents, who can follow up with their security company.

Water safety reminders

Another significant concern highlighted by Hattingh is swimming pool safety. Drowning remains a leading cause of accidental death amongst young children. “We must teach young ones that water can be as dangerous as traffic. They should never go near water without adult supervision, much like how they should not cross the street alone,” she stresses. Regular reinforcement of these messages is necessary, akin to teaching other household rules.

As the festive season unfolds, Hattingh urges parents to remember that their children are priceless gifts. While the desire to relax and enjoy the celebrations is strong, it’s equally important not to relax standard safety and security measures.