Child Safety First - Toddlers (2-3 years of age)

Because your child is moving around more, he will come across more dangers as well. Dangerous situations can happen quickly, so keep a close eye on your child. Here are a few tips to help keep your growing toddler safe:

• Do NOT leave your toddler near or around water (for example, bathtubs, pools, ponds, lakes, whirlpools, or the ocean) without someone watching her. Fence off backyard pools. Drowning is the leading cause of injury and death among this age group.

• Encourage your toddler to sit when eating and to chew his food thoroughly to prevent choking.

• Check toys often for loose or broken parts.

• Encourage your toddler not to put pencils or crayons in her mouth when coloring or drawing.

• Do NOT hold hot drinks while your child is sitting on your lap. Sudden movements can cause a spill and might result in your child’s being burned.

• Make sure that your child sits in the back seat and is buckled up properly in a car seat with a harness.

Child Safety First - Toddlers (1-2 years of age)

Because your child is moving around more, he will come across more dangers as well. Dangerous situations can happen quickly, so keep a close eye on your child. Here are a few tips to help keep your growing toddler safe:

• Do NOT leave your toddler near or around water (for example, bathtubs, pools, ponds, lakes, whirlpools, or the ocean) without someone watching her. Fence off backyard pools. Drowning is the leading cause of injury and death among this age group.

• Block off stairs with a small gate or fence. Lock doors to dangerous places such as the garage or basement.

• Ensure that your home is toddler proof by placing plug covers on all unused electrical outlets.

• Keep kitchen appliances, irons, and heaters out of reach of your toddler. Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove.

• Keep sharp objects such as scissors, knives, and pens in a safe place.

• Lock up medicines, household cleaners, and poisons.

• Do NOT leave your toddler alone in any vehicle (that means a car, truck, or van) even for a few moments.

• Store any guns in a safe place out of his reach.

• Keep your child’s car seat rear-facing as long as possible. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration it’s the best way to keep her safe. Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by the car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, she is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness.

Child Safety First - Infants (0-1 year of age)

When a baby becomes part of your family, it is time to make sure that your home is a safe place. Look around your home for things that could be dangerous to your baby. As a parent, it is your job to ensure that you create a safe home for your baby. It also is important that you take the necessary steps to make sure that you are mentally and emotionally ready for your new baby. Here are a few tips to keep your baby safe:

• Do not shake your baby―ever! Babies have very weak neck muscles that are not yet able to support their heads. If you shake your baby, you can damage his brain or even cause his death.

• Make sure you always put your baby to sleep on her back to prevent sudden infant death syndrome (commonly known as SIDS). Read more about new recommendations for safe sleep for infants here.

• Protect your baby and family from secondhand smoke. Do not allow anyone to smoke in your home.

• Place your baby in a rear-facing car seat in the back seat while he is riding in a car. This is recommended by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration pdf icon[1.15 MB / 1 page]external icon.

• Prevent your baby from choking by cutting her food into small bites. Also, don’t let her play with small toys and other things that might be easy for her to swallow.

• Don’t allow your baby to play with anything that might cover her face.

• Never carry hot liquids or foods near your baby or while holding him.

• Vaccines (shots) are important to protect your child’s health and safety. Because children can get serious diseases, it is important that your child get the right shots at the right time. Talk with your child’s doctor to make sure that your child is up-to-date on her vaccinations.

Developmental Milestones - Teenagers (15-17 years of age)

This is a time of changes for how teenagers think, feel, and interact with others, and how their bodies grow. Most girls will be physically mature by now, and most will have completed puberty. Boys might still be maturing physically during this time. Your teen might have concerns about her body size, shape, or weight. Eating disorders also can be common, especially among girls. During this time, your teen is developing his unique personality and opinions. Relationships with friends are still important, yet your teen will have other interests as he develops a more clear sense of who he is. This is also an important time to prepare for more independence and responsibility; many teenagers start working, and many will be leaving home soon after high school.

Here is some information on how teens develop:

Emotional/Social Changes

Children in this age group might:

• Have more interest in romantic relationships and sexuality.

• Go through less conflict with parents.

• Show more independence from parents.

• Have a deeper capacity for caring and sharing and for developing more intimate relationships.

• Spend less time with parents and more time with friends.

• Feel a lot of sadness or depression, which can lead to poor grades at school, alcohol or drug use, unsafe sex, and other problems.

Thinking and Learning

Children in this age group might:

• Learn more defined work habits.

• Show more concern about future school and work plans.

• Be better able to give reasons for their own choices, including about what is right or wrong.

Developmental Milestones - Young Teens (12-14 years of age)

This is a time of many physical, mental, emotional, and social changes. Hormones change as puberty begins. Most boys grow facial and pubic hair and their voices deepen. Most girls grow pubic hair and breasts, and start their period. They might be worried about these changes and how they are looked at by others. This also will be a time when your teen might face peer pressure to use alcohol, tobacco products, and drugs, and to have sex. Other challenges can be eating disorders, depression, and family problems. At this age, teens make more of their own choices about friends, sports, studying, and school. They become more independent, with their own personality and interests, although parents are still very important.

Here is some information on how young teens develop:

Emotional/Social Changes

Children in this age group might:

• Show more concern about body image, looks, and clothes.

• Focus on themselves; going back and forth between high expectations and lack of confidence.

• Experience more moodiness.

• Show more interest in and influence by peer group.

• Express less affection toward parents; sometimes might seem rude or short-tempered.

• Feel stress from more challenging school work.

• Develop eating problems.

• Feel a lot of sadness or depression, which can lead to poor grades at school, alcohol or drug use, unsafe sex, and other problems.

Thinking and Learning

Children in this age group might:

• Have more ability for complex thought.

• Be better able to express feelings through talking.

• Develop a stronger sense of right and wrong.