Dual and Single parents worry about their kids’ safety constantly. Protect your kids by teaching them about situational awareness and avoiding dangerous situations. From safeguarding your home to equipping your kids with knowledge, you can take steps to keep them safe.

1. Safety Tips for Walking to and from School or the Bus Stop

Kids of single parents often walk to the bus stop or school because their parent is working its always better when a second parent is available who can walk with the child. Unfortunately, there are several dangers for kids who walk to and from school or the bus stop alone. In fact, according to Children’s Health, unintentional pedestrian injuries are the fifth leading cause of injury-related death in the U.S. for kids between the ages of five and 19. If your kids are under the age of 11, arrange for a neighbor or older student to walk with them and hold their hand when they cross the street.

Single parents also should model appropriate pedestrian rules for your kids. Teach them to walk on a sidewalk or the left side of the street when there is no sidewalk. Practice looking left, then, right, then left again and to continue looking for cars while crossing streets and crossing in front of buses only when the driver says to do so. Teach them to make eye contact with drivers before crossing and to rely on crossing guards for help.

2. Stranger Danger and Kidnapping Tips

The walk to and from school also puts your kids at risk of kidnapping. Be sure to teach them about stranger danger and remind them that most kidnappers don’t look scary. Some have puppies or kittens with them, and some have ice cream or candy.

Make sure your kids know that anyone could harm them, even people who seem nice or who look like helpers. Reassure them that kidnappings are rare, but that not all kidnappers look dangerous or scary. Work with them to observe people and be prepared for someone to approach them. Instruct them to scream for help, fight back, and escape by any means possible should someone grab them.

3. Home Safety Tips

Whether your kids are home alone frequently or not, teach them about home safety. Parents understand the importance of baby-proofing when their children are young, and you need to keep safety in mind as your kids age. Keep medications and cleaning supplies in secure areas. Store unloaded guns in a safe and store ammunition in a separate, secure location. Teach older kids how to safely use appliances and knives. Remember, common sense home safety for you may not be so common to your kids if you don’t teach them about it.

It’s also important to teach kids the importance of keeping doors and windows locked at all times. One of the best ways to keep your kids and your home safe is to keep it locked. Check your door and window locks and make sure they are in working order. Purchase window locks that secure them when open.

Also, teach your kids to keep your garage doors down and to lock all entryway doors at all times. Of course, teach kids not to open the door to anyone other than a known family member or friend when you are not home.

4. Online Safety Tips

According to HomeAdvisor, “Today, parents have a lot more to worry about than fire hazards and strangers coming to the front door. Computers and TV can introduce a number of dangerous elements into the home.” Keeping older kids safe online is a priority for single parents, and hiring a computer professional to ensure your computer has advanced safeguards is one way to put your mind at ease.

It’s also imperative for you to talk to your kids about your expectations for their online behavior and to remind them that strangers lurk online more easily than they do in person. Teach them never to share their personal information, photographs of themselves, or other sensitive information with anyone online.

Teaching your kids to avoid dangerous situations is imperative to their safety. Model safe walking rules and stranger danger tips. Teach them about home safety and don’t assume they know common sense rules. Finally, ensure your kids know how to stay safe online.

“According to the American Thyroid Association approximately 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid cancer. It is important to discuss, because 60% of those with a thyroid disease are unaware of their condition. These hormones that are secreted by the thyroid (T3 & T4) into the blood are then carried throughout the body. The Thyroid controls the body’s metabolism, increases heart rate and affects how fast things move through the body such as food, bone loss and sugar. It is thought to be the most important endocrine organ!”.

Saint John’s Cancer Institute

“January is National Thyroid Awareness Month. According to the American Thyroid Association, 1 in 10 people suffer from a thyroid disorder. They also found that at least 1 in 8 women will develop a thyroid disorder during her lifetime.

Did you know, more than half of the people in America that suffer from a thyroid disorder are undiagnosed? Raising awareness about the thyroid is important because it plays a significant role in the human body.”

The Surgical Clinic (thesurgicalclinics.com)

“Some of the common causes of a closed head injury include

• Falls. This is the most common cause in adults age 65 and older.
• Motor vehicle crashes. This is the most common cause in young adults.
• Sports injuries
• Being struck by an object
• Child abuse. This is the most common cause in children under age 4.
• Blast injuries due to explosions”

MedlinePlus

“A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is an injury that affects how the brain works. It may be caused by a:

• Bump, blow, or jolt to the head, or
• Penetrating injury (such as from a gunshot) to the head

TBIs affect the lives of people of all ages.  There were about 61,000 TBI-related deaths in the United States in 2019.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – CDC

“Staying fit and healthy — and helping prevent the need for physical therapy — can come in the form of many activities. Of course, in winter, that often can mean ice skating, hockey, skiing, and more.

Given these activities, January is recognized as National Winter Sports TBI Awareness Month — that’s Traumatic Brain Injury.

BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York offers some safety tips:

• “Wear a properly fitted helmet that is appropriate for the activity. Helmets can go a long way toward preventing or reducing the severity of a TBI.”
• “Set a no hits to the head or other dangerous play rule for hockey and other contact sports.”
• “Take lessons. If you’re going skating, skiing, or snowboarding, basic lessons will help you learn how to fall more safely and less often.”

PIVOT Physical Therapy

“About one in 15 homes in the U.S. has radon levels at or above the the EPA action level, according to the National Cancer Institute. You can’t see or smell radon, and scientists estimate 20,000 lung cancer deaths in the U.S. each year are attributed to it.

Radon is produced from a natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water. It enters homes, offices, schools and other buildings through cracks in floors and walls, construction joints or gaps around service pipes, electrical wires and sump pits.

Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking. It is an invisible, odorless gas that can seep into various types of structures, including but not limited to basements, slabs and crawl spaces. The only way to know if it is present at dangerous levels is to test for it.”

NSC-National Safety Council (nsc.org)

“Radon is radioactive, colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas.  You can’t see, smell or taste radon, but it could be present at a dangerous level in your home. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers in America and claims the lives of about 21,000 Americans each year. In fact, the EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General urge all Americans to protect their health by testing their homes, schools and other buildings for radon. Exposure to radon is a preventable health risk.”

EPA United States Environmental Protection Services

“To diagnose for glaucoma your MD will do a comprehensive exam that includes measuring intraocular pressure (tonometry), testing for optic nerve damage with a dilated eye examination and imaging tests, checking for areas of vision loss (visual field test), measuring corneal thickness (pachymetry),  & inspecting the drainage angle (gonioscopy).  The damage caused by glaucoma can’t be reversed. But treatment and regular checkups can help slow or prevent vision loss, especially if you catch the disease in its early stages.”.

MAYO CLINIC

“January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month, an important time to spread the word about this sight-stealing disease. Currently, more than 3 million people in the United States have glaucoma. The National Eye Institute projects this number will reach 4.2 million by 2030, a 58 percent increase“.

Glaucoma Research Foundation (www.glaucoma.org)

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