Share your top safety tips for your family – carbon monoxide alarms and £300 voucher to be won NOW CLOSED

[JustineBMumsnet]

Whether you’re preparing for a new arrival or you’re just trying to keep up with your family’s needs, it may seem as though you’re constantly making lists of the things you’ll need to buy to keep your family safe – from the latest car or booster seats to bath thermometers or drawer locks. Co-Be Alarmed! would like to hear about the top safety tips you have for your home and family - whether they’re things you’ve bought or things that you do.

Here’s what they have to say: “Research from the national CO-Be Alarmed! campaign showed that while UK parents spend an average of £222 on safety features for their kids, a third of mums and dads do not have a carbon monoxide alarm in their home. Those with children under twelve months were found to be the least likely to have one.

Carbon monoxide is also known as ‘the silent killer’ because you can’t see, taste or smell it, which is why the only way to protect yourself and your family is to buy a CO alarm. Make sure you add one to your list: it’s one less thing to worry about and it could save your family’s life.”

So, share your top safety tips for your home and family to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher for the store of their choice.

Additionally, if you also add your details here, you’ll be entered into a prize draw for one of 100 carbon monoxide alarms from Co-Be Alarmed!

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Ever since that poor family lost their two children I have kept a portable carbon monoxide detector to take away with us. I keep it with the luggage and make sure it's ready to go.

We also have a fire plan for the dc - escape routes, who is responsible for who and I check all exits and possible hiding places on holiday.

1. Teach little children how to go up and down stairs safely as soon as you possibly can. Don't rely on stair gates.

2. If you have blinds with hanging cords either shorten them so they're well out of reach or get a hook high up on the wall to wind them round.

3. Get your boiler serviced every year - ideally just before you put the central heating back on. We use a local company and it doesn't cost much.

Talk through your fire escape plan with your other half (and child of they are old enough to be ok with it and understand) - likely escape routes for fires in different parts of house, when you'd rescue the children etc. Then if a real fire happened you'd be less likely to panic as you've already rehearsed it in your head

Mine are teenagers now but from an early age they were told our fire evacuation plan and how to call for help if an emergency.

DD did her fire safety badge at Brownies so we discussed an escape route and her running to neighbours for help and safety.

We also have wired in smoke/heat detectors so don't gave to worry about batteries.

be aware is the biggest tip. I have 5 DC and they have all been very different and pulled/touched/investigated different things. I think you have to teach them what they're allowed/not allowed to touch and why and move/cover things as necessary, but most importantly just be aware and vigilant, which is sometimes much easier to say than do.

My biggest tip is to believe your carbon monoxide alarm when it goes off. I could have died in a caravan last year when my alarm get going off and I was convinced it was faulty and ignored it.

Keep all cleaning products and medicines either high up or locked away. When using these things around small children, try to do it whilst child is in a safe space away from you or being supervised by another adult. It's an obvious one but it really is easy to get complacent about.

Cut cords off blinds/curtains or buy the special safety ones if you can afford to. Also always watch out for stray items that are long and ropey around the house, which could easily choke when wrapped around. Things such as Dressing Gown belts, tape measures, fairy lights, ribbon, etc

Keep plastic bags in storage that's out of reach.

In the kitchen, remember to push back all dangerous objects that are currently in use (e.g. Knives, cutlery, scissors) away from the edge, as small children may reach up and try to grab and they maybe taller than you think! Same goes with pots, pans, mugs, glasses and anything hot of course. Try to use the back two rings on top of oven, if you can't then place child somewhere safe or with another adult whilst cooking. (I have a safety gate at the kitchen door so I can watch dd play whilst cooking.)

Use door guards (we just used the cheap foam ones, very effective) to prevent little children slamming doors onto their fingers around the house.

Put locks on bathroom doors high up if possible. Ours already had the handle locks meaning dd could easily lock herself in there. My plan if that were to ever happen is to use a knife on the other side to twist the lock back out. Check your locks and have a safety plan of what you'd do in this scenario.

Keep your jewellery box out of reach, it's full of chokeable or even sharp things but also very valuable things!

Also keep things like shaving razors locked away unless they are in current use, ie take it in the shower/bath with you then take it straight back and out of reach.

If you're at a busy place like a festival or theme park, write your phone number on your child's arm with a sharpie and tell them who to look for if they get lost so you can be contacted.

Leave the key in or next to the door when you lock it at night so you're not scrambling around looking for it in an emergency.

Fire and carbon monoxide alarms - children told what to do in the event of either going off. Cupboard locks for cupboards with cleaning materials in. Stair gates but children also taught how to go up and down safely. Back burners used on hob. Never left alone in a room with an accessible hot iron (unplug and put out of reach if phone rings or someone comes to the door). Taught rules re road safety - always stop at the kerb and cross well away from anything which obstruct, your view and adults always kept to this when with the children.

All cleaning products and dangerous items such as matches and knives are high up and out of reach. We also read kids books about fires spreading due to lit matches (brilliant one given out for free by our local fire service) which helps teach them the dangers.

We taught them fire safety from a really young age, including repeated reading of a particular group I'm story from Shock Headed Peter on the girl who plays with matches.

Throw a tea towel, or an old t shirt over the top of a door, at the hinge side to stop it slamming on tiny fingers. Buy some removable window decals (Poundland sell them) and put them at at about 3 feet on a patio door so any kids running towards them can see they are closed.
To stop a child falling out of bed, slip a pool noodle under the fitted sheet . This is also a handy tip whilst travelling.

I think educating children about household dangers is as important as safety devices. If those devices fail or my daughter is somewhere without those devices i want to feel confident she will remain safe

Don't overload your electric sockets & never ever run an extension lead off an extension lead

Am really vigilant as we know a family who tragically lost their Mum and child due to CM poisoning.
Many tips are common sense - keeping poisons, including medication out of reach, fire guards, cooking on rear rings etc, but children need to know WHY as well as being protected.

Always use crossings when you can and before you cross with the green man check that traffic has actually stopped.

safet us fist in our house, and we have allthe smkoe alarms in every room, fire escape plan, carbon monoxide alarm, we get our boiler serviced once a year without fail. windows have safety catches.

We never put locks on cupboard doors because we found the best way to teach our children not to touch the things inside was to satisfy their inquisitive minds by showing them what was in there and how boring it was. Just be sure to have all the tops securely on the bottles of bleach etc. Mine knew what was there and never bothered going in them again

Teach them and set examples of always switching off appliances after using them and tidying the away

Teach by example and do fun 'tests' on their knowledge and understanding. We even did a real life fire drill once!

Carbon monoxide alarm in the house xx

We have a plan sorted out in case there is a fire then we all know how to get out quickly.

We have always talked about how to get out of the house if there were a fire.
With steep stairs in the house my son has learned to come down backwards.
We have smoke alarms fitted and cleaning materials are locked away.

I always take my portable carbon monoxide alarm away with us when we go away and check where our nearest escape route incase of fire