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

Bolt all heavy furniture to walls, stair gates, all chemicals out of reach - don't buy washing powder capsules, keep all batteries out of reach and don't buy toys without screw covers for batteries

1. Check smoke alarm at a regular time every week.
2. Pots on the back hob, with the handle turned in.
3. Buy soft rubber edge covers for the sides of kitchen surfaces, especially if you have an island! My DD got used to running below it, until one day...WACK! She grew too tall. Thank god we had a side edge cover, it meant that it was a shock but nothing more dangerous.

Obviously take every safety precaution when you have little ones, eg safety gates, socket covers, keeping things out of reach etc. Even with these in place, never take your eye off toddlers when they become mobile and start exploring the world around them An old fashioned and firm "NO" every time they do anything that may cause them harm.

When we were installing a hand rail on the stairs, we put up two - one at adult height and one at child height. It's actually worked amazingly well, the kids find it much easier to use the lower one and the only person who has fallen down the stairs so far is me. ;) [clumsy]

There have been lots of the usual safety advice in our family - road crossing guidelines, harmful products out of reach etc etc, but the two main ones we still remind our children about (even though some are teenagers) are: how would I escape in the event of a fire? (this is particularly true when staying in hotels), and what do I do in the event of an emergency. This involves knowing address/phone numbers, who to dial, and who locally (ie neighbours) to call upon if necessary. And on the basis that prevention is better than treatment, we also try and explain why some activities are hazardous. The use of news stories that circulate occasionally can be helpful in this respect (for example, the recent tragedy of the person who electrocuted themselves by charging and using their phone whilst having a bath. In some ways, teenagers feel as invincible as toddlers, so a reminder about safety is definitely still needed at this age!

I try not to raise my voice over the little things - that way when I give a very firm NO when it comes to anything dangerous - they know I mean it! I burned my arm badly when I was little so I'm also very aware of anything hot left lying around - candles, hot drinks etc. I think it's good for children to take some risks and learn some lessons the hard way, so long as they know where the boundaries are :)

Explain why instead of just barking no at children. Also make life easier for yourself and move anything you can out of harms way.

We had two house fires when I was a child, so this has always been a huge fear for me.

I made sure that we all know the safest ways (depending where a fire might be) to get out of the house and where to find keys/torches etc. on the way out.

Always have a fire escape route and practice it once a year in case of something terrible happening

Worked out an escape plan in case of Fire.

Always keep anything that could be harmful to children well out of reach. Our bleaches and cleaners are in the top cabinet in our bathroom. Its very unlikely that my DS would go in my kitchen cupboards [where I would normally keep my cleaning things] - but its just not worth the risk!

Growing up in scouting I feel pretty secure that I know what to do. We move every 2 years due to work so the first thing we do is our emergency access routes to get out in the case of emergency. We are all first aid trained too. We keep downstairs secure due to a high crime rate but we all know where the emergency access keys are kept and above all - don' scare the kids too much

My top tip is whenever you are going for a day out together, make sure they know what to do if they get lost and who to approach and not to approach.

Teach your children from a young age what to and what not to touch because safety devices can fail

Talk through what is dangerous from an early age! Keep all dangerous bits out of reach as must as possible

We have always had fire drills. We have practiced from every room in the house and what to do if there is smoke. I also taught my daughter to dial emergency services and made sure she knew our address and my phone number from a very young age xx

Both our front and back door are the type that have the 5 lever lock, so can be shut but easily opened. We always keep the doors locked with a key kept handy even when everyone is in the house - we have had both a dog and a young child exit the house unknown when there have been several people at home because it is so easy for them to sneak out quietly.

Check your windows open properly and that there is a clear drop zone beneath them if you need to escape in a fire. Also practise your escape route blind-folded and crawling on the floor so it's familiar if it ever needs to be put into action.

Always check the smoke alarms regularly! I also always try and turn all appliances off and unplug at night.