Ava's rules, my tips

Ava’s Rules in honor of Ava Florence Beth Rosemeyer

Always lock your car and store your keys out of kids reach.
Verify your children know to NEVER go to the car unsupervised.
Actively seek out sheltered locations to park your car.

http://avarosemeyer.memory-of.com/tributes.aspx
http://www.sheyerosemeyerphotography.com/blog/superprincess/
http://www.avasteaparty.com/


Will’s rules

NEVER assume where your child is, KNOW.
NEVER assume your child is NOT in the car LOOK.
NEVER leave your child ALONE for one second, NEVER.
NEVER assume your child is safe, KNOW
NEVER leave your child alone with a pet, NEVER.
Large Dogs and little kids DON’T mix.
Keep your medicine locked AWAY from your child

I've posted these a number of times but those with kids need to take them to heart.

If you have a child and a PitBull or Rottweiller then get rid of the dogs. They are child killers.
http://www.dadd4ashlynn.com/ Too many children have been killed by these two breeds. All dogs are
dangerous around little kids but these two breeds are exceptionly so. Any dogs bite of any breed to a one year
old child can be fatal. You may love your dog but would you want to lose your child forever.
Small kids and dogs don't mix. If you don't think this is important then check the numbers.
4.7 million bites a year, 70% to children mostly under 12. 400,000 of those severe requiring medical attention.
Children are 900% more likely to receive a dog bite than a US mail carrier.

http://creaturesandkids.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Bite-Prevention-written-information-rv-0501121.pdf

Keep your kids safe.
William

By ladibug:

In light of all the recent abduction-rape-murder cases I'd like to add this from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children website:

Parents can take this opportunity to remind their children about stranger danger:

1. Teach your children to always TAKE A FRIEND with them when walking or biking, and stay with a group while standing at the bus stop. Make sure they know which bus to ride.
2. Walk the route to and from school with your children pointing out landmarks and safe places to go if they're being followed or need help. Teach your children they should NEVER TAKE SHORTCUTS and always stay in well-lit areas.
3. It is not safe for young children to walk to and from school, even in a group. Parents should always provide supervision for young children to help ensure their safe arrival to and from school. If your children wait for a bus, wait with them or make arrangements for supervision at the bus stop.
4. Teach your children that if anyone bothers them, makes them feel scared or uncomfortable to trust their feelings and immediately get away from that person. Teach them it is ok not to be polite and IT IS OK TO SAY NO.
5. Teach your children if anyone tries to take them somewhere they should RESIST by kicking and screaming, try to run away and DRAW ATTENTION by kicking and screaming "This person is trying to take me away" or "This person is not my father/mother."
6. Teach your children NOT TO ACCEPT A RIDE from anyone unless you have said it is ok in that instance. If anyone follows them in a vehicle they should turn around, go in the other direction, and run to a trusted adult who may help them.
7. Teach your children that grownups should NOT ASK CHILDREN FOR DIRECTIONS, they should ask other adults.
8. Teach your children to NEVER ACCEPT MONEY OR GIFTS from anyone unless you have told them it is ok to accept in each instance.
9. Make sure the school has current and accurate emergency contact information on file for your children and confirm names of those authorized.
10. Always know where your children will be. Teach your children to always CHECK FIRST before changing their plans before or after school. Teach your children to never leave school, with anyone unless they CHECK FIRST with you or another trusted adult, even if someone tells them it is an emergency..

More tips:

1. Always check the oven before you turn it on. The first time I read this I thought, "Well, that’s a little paranoid." I read it in a book, and vocalized my comment to my husband. He said, "Well, the farmer might be plowing his fields in the oven." Come to find out, when my husband was a little boy, he thought the racks in the oven looked like the rows of the plowed fields. One day, his toy farmer was melted because he left it in the oven after playing with it, and my husband's mom then preheated the oven.
2. Those playground surfaces are HOT! This one is also based on a real story. Playground surfaces can be quite hot. I know an individual who let a child go to the playground barefoot. The kid set his feet on the slide not realizing how hot it was. Even though this slide was plastic, the toddler still had some burns on the bottom of his feet. Ouch!
3. They are faster than you think, so always watch kids in high places. I am sure you all know not to turn your back on babies, because they are faster than you think. We found out one day just how fast our little guy was, even at 10 months. My husband put him in the middle of the bed, left the room for just a second, and then heard a "thud." Our little guy had rolled off the bed. Luckily, it was just a mattress on the floor, so it was not that high.
4. This toothpaste sure tastes good! I am pretty sure that my child is not the only one that can smell sugar in a different room. I know he enjoys his current toothpaste because it’s the toddler kind that is a bit sweet and smells good. He probably wouldn’t mind the kind I use, either. Honestly, I never thought much of it until a friend of mine told me that her daughter ate a bunch of toothpaste and they had to call poison control. They told her to have her drink a cup of milk, because it will bind to the toothpaste, but it was still a bit of a scare.
5. Hanging strings from the window blinds. We have lived in a couple of houses that had strings from the blinds that hung clear down to the floor. A kid could easily get tangled up in the strings, making this style of blind an easy recipe for disaster.
We all try to protect our children from danger and watch out for things that might hurt them. As a parent, I think it is likely impossible to know all the dangers. I admire parents who come forward and say “this actually happened, and I want you to know about it so it does not happen to you.” I find it especially helpful when parents share their stories even when the outcome is bad. My own experiences have ended well, but you can still benefit from this list of five unexpected kid dangers.

By: Chocolate Mom
http://www.parentsociety.com/parenting/preventing-injury-5-toddler-dangers-you-might-overlook/1/

NATIONAL DOG BITE PREVENTION WEEK Third Week of May

FOCUSES ON CHILDREN AS PRIMARY VICTIMS Following by USPS.

Did you know that half of all children will be bitten by the time they turn twelve? The U.S. Postal Service supports responsible pet ownership and education as a cure for this national epidemic.

The 3 Most Important Things to Teach Your Kids

1. Dogs Don’t Like Hugs and Kisses – Teach your kids not to hug or kiss a dog on the face. Hugging the family dog or face-to-face contact are common causes of bites to the face. Instead, teach kids to circle touch the dog on the side of the neck.
2. Be a Tree if a Strange Dog Approaches – Teach kids to stand still, like a tree. Trees are boring and the dog will eventually go away. Learn to act like a rock if you are already on the ground. This usually works for strange dogs and anytime the family dog gets too frisky or becomes aggressive.
3. Never Tease a Dog – and never disturb a dog that’s sleeping, eating or protecting something.


The 2 Most Important Things Parents Can Do

1. Supervise – Don’t assume your dog is good with kids. If a toddler must interact with your dog, you should have your hands on the dog too. Even if your dog is great with kids and has never bitten – why take a chance?
2. Train the dog – Take your dog to training classes where positive-reinforcement is used. Never pin, shake, choke, hold the dog down or roll the dog over to teach it a lesson. Dogs treated this way are likely to turn their aggression on weaker family members. Involve older children in training the family dog while supervising. Don’t allow children to punish the dog. Condition the dog to enjoy the presence and actions of children using positive experiences.


The 3 Most Important Things Dog Owners Can Do

1. Spay or Neuter Your Dog – Neutered pets are calmer, healthier and less likely to be aggressive. Neutering prevents unwanted dogs that may end up in shelters or in less than ideal conditions where they may grow up to be poorly socialized or aggressive.
2. Condition Your Dog for the World – Give your puppy lots of new positive experiences. Train using positive methods i.e. praise touch and voice, clicker training.
3. Supervise Your Dog – Supervise your dog at all times around children. Do not allow children to hug and kiss the dog. If visiting children are bothering your dog, put the dog away or send the children home.

http://www.thebark.com/content/national-dog-bite-prevention-week
https://www.avma.org/public/Pages/Dog-Bite-Prevention.aspx
https://www.avma.org/News/PressRoom/Pages/Dog-Bite.aspx

These were posted elsewhere but more read in this thread so I wanted to repost here. Keep your young one's safe. William