[i]This is a draft of ideas put together from reading and thinking about this topic. I feel it would help to have people with skills such as neurolinguistic programming comment on it. Also if anyone has any ideas of how to improve it or anything that is wrong and shouldn’t be in there please can you share it. I’d like to get it ‘right’ before sending it out to our children.[/i]
Watch out!
Cars are not toys. Cars can kill Tots and parents and pets.
[ul]Expiring with heatstroke or hyperthermia in the car (Whoof!)
Getting run over by the family car backing out (Squelch!)
Getting run over in the street out the front (Splat!)
Getting into disaster playing with car parts in the car (Eek!)
Getting hurt in an accident in the car (Scrunch!)
Jamming fingers in the car door (Ouch!)
Suffocating in the car boot (Uurgh!)[/ul]
Watch out! Car about!
FIND OUT…how cars can be dangerous!
FIND OUT…how to behave around cars!
FIND OUT…how to travel safely in cars!
Car danger points
[ul]Inside car – steering wheel handbrake gears key cigarette lighterbonnet release boot release petrol cap release door handles door locks …
Inside car – hot zone child left alone in the car (parent ‘just ducking in to get something’ in direct sun child getting forgotten & left )
Car doors – anywhere little fingers get jammed
Boot
Outside car – BEHIND any car (own driveway elsewhere)
Driveway of home
Between cars
Parking areas (markets childcare…)
Quiet road outside own home with occasional traffic
Roads
Driveways across the pavement
Being driven – dangerous traffic situations
Being driven – long trips
Warm to hot days
[/ul]
DON’T run the Tot over (or have anyone else do it)
Driveways are NO GO zones for the Tot!
[ul]NO GO near parked cars
NO GO behind cars.
TAKE CARE crossing driveways on the footpath. LOOK.
NO GO on the drive. (STAY on the lawn / path)
NO GO near the car unless Mum or Dad takes you
NO GO between parked cars
NEVER RUN near the drive
NEVER play or stay on driveways. STAY AWAY from driveways
STAY AWAY from the drive and cars
STAY WELL AWAY from the cars when Mum / Dad is driving off
Driver: WALK AROUND the car to check for the Tot before getting in
BUY & INSTAL A FENCE along between the driveway & the lawn
Parents: ALWAYS see where the Tot is when you are near cars in carparks
Parents: ALWAYS see where the Tot is when you are getting in to drive[/ul]
Roads are NO GO zones for the Tot!
[ul]NEVER play on the road
NEVER run out on the road
DON’T RUN near roads. STAY NEAR Mum / Dad
NO GO on the road unless HOLDING Mum or Dad’s hand
STAY INSIDE THE FRONT GATE (lawn and path area NOT driveway)
NO GO outside the front gate
STOP at the kerb always
STAY NEAR Mum / Dad when you are out near roads (Stay near me!)
Parents: ALWAYS keep hold of the Tot when crossing a road
Parents: MODEL & TALK about good pedestrian behaviour crossing roads (Stop. Look (Left Right Left). Listen. Cross straight across smartly)
Parents: MODEL being careful crossing driveways when walking on footpath
[/ul]
Out the front is a NO GO zone without Mum / Dad
[ul]NO GO out the front door unless Mum / Dad says to come with them
Come out with me.
or
Stay inside while I get stuff from the car. Stay inside where we know you are safe. Stay inside where we know where you are. Stay away from the driveway. Stay away from cars. Stay away from the road.
NO GO out the garage gates.
Stay in the back yard! NO GO on the driveway
[/ul]
Play “Spot the Tot” – “Spot Mum / Dad”
[ul]Parents: ALWAYS check location of the Tot before starting the car
Where is the Tot?
Can she see you looking at her?
Wave and smile at her to show her you see her.
Parents: PRACTICE facial and hand signs with the Tot to show you SEE her
Smile wave “I see you!”
The Tot: ALWAYS know where Mum / Dad is
Can you SEE Mum / Dad?
The Tot: ALWAYS make sure Mum / Dad can see you
Can Mum / Dad SEE you?
[/ul]
Lock it!
[ul]LOCK the car door always when everyone is out. CHECK the Tot is out too!
LOCK the car boot always
SHOP for good CHILDPROOF LOCKS
LOCK the front door of the house with a high CHILDPROOF LOCK
LOCK the garage gates with a high CHILDPROOF LOCK
SHOP for strong SELF-CLOSING HINGES
HIRE a LOCKSMITH!
INSTAL SELF-CLOSING HINGES on the garage gates
INSTAL SELF-CLOSING HINGES on the front security door
CONTINUOUSLY WATCH the Tot while the front door is unlocked
CONTINUOUSLY WATCH the Tot while the garage gates are unlocked
BUY a CHILD HARNESS / LEASH for busy places
[/ul]
You need MARGIN
[ul]ENOUGH TIME to pay attention to safety without pressure & rush
A LIMIT on how much you are doing so safety always gets watched
RECOGNITION that keeping the Tot safe is a big exhausting task
RECOGNITION that you are responsible for the Tot’s safety
RECOGNITION of how much the Tot’s safety matters to life & wellbeing
ROOM TO ADJUST to the Tot’s rapid development speed of movement changing abilities curiosity and adventurousness
ACKNOWLEDGE it is a big step to get safety right.
NOTICE if you are under stress and cross something off your To Do list
KNOW you will need to ASK FOR HELP some times.
KNOW you will need SAFE HAVENS some times. SEEK ahead of time.
KNOW & ACCEPT that getting the Tot into and out of the car takes time.
KNOW & ACCEPT that you can’t do everything but safety always matters[/ul]
DON’T kill the tot by heat stroke and dehydration in the car
Warn yourself of the facts
[ul]NEVER LEAVE A CHILD UNATTENDED IN A CAR even a few minutes
HYPERTHERMIA and HEATSTROKE kill infants
CHILDREN are very vulnerable to hyperthermia and heatstroke
TEMPERATURE in cars can rise 20º in minutes even with windows down
BUY and instal a thermometer to have in the car
CHILDREN dehydrate quickly. They need to DRINK FREQUENTLY.
TAKE FRESH WATER for regular drinks (every 20 minutes or so) when you are our with the Tot in the car.
CARRY A LOT OF FRESH WATER on longer trips in case of a breakdown
GIVE A DRINK to the Tot BEFORE leaving
PLAN long trips – know where you are going where to stop for regular DRINK stops
WATCH OUT FOR THE SUN shining in on the Tot through the window.
[/ul]
Brainstorm your movements
[ul]WHERE are the places you stop and ‘duck out’?
WHEN are the times you are likely to be wanting to stop?
WHAT sorts of things do you want to stop to get?
WHO can help and share the load of being in charge of the Tot?
HOW LONG realistically will the stop take? Measure it.
HOW LONG are the periods you are driving around with the Tot in the car?
HOW MANY MINUTES will you be driving for?
[/ul]
Brainstorm your options for the Tot when you stop
[ul]TAKE HER OUT OF THE CAR WITH YOU into where you stop
LEAVE HER AT HOME IN SOMEONE’S CARE while you duck out
RESCHEDULE getting what you need until a time when someone can help
IF SOMEONE is with you in the car [ul]
ASK them to LOOK AFTER the Tot while you duck out.
BE CLEAR how long you will be gone.
PLAN to be gone NO MORE THAN 2-3 minutes.
WARN THEM children get HOT & DEHYDRATED very QUICKLY. (Adults get hot too.)
ASK them to GET the Tot out of the car if it is getting HOT.
ASK them to OPEN the windows while they are waiting.
GET them to give the Tot a DRINK of WATER while they are waiting.
RETURN QUICKLY.
REMEMBER they are having to deal with HEAT and protect the Tot.[/ul]
PLAN to have times FOR YOURSELF when you are NOT IN CHARGE of the Tot and can duck around and get what you want done.
MAKE A ROSTER of who is IN CHARGE of the Tot.
USE the times when the Tot is in childcare to do most of your ‘ducking out’
[/ul]
Avoid forgetting the Tot in the car
[ul]CHECK that all occupants are out of the car including the Tot
PLACE a nappy on the passenger seat when the Tot is in the back
PLACE a ‘MUST TAKE’ item (house keys handbag) in the back with the Tot[/ul]
DON’T kill or injure the Tot in a car crash
Ensure the car is well-maintained
[ul]TYRES in safe condition
BRAKES in safe condition (brake fluid brake pads)
PETROL sufficient so you don’t get stranded on the way
WINDOWS cleaned
HEADLIGHTS & BRAKE & TAILLIGHTS working
FIRST AID KIT – buy one for the car as well as home
FRESH WATER for drinking in car
ALWAYS look for a SHADY spot to park so the car isn’t such an oven to come back to.[/ul]
Get the restraining seats right
[ul]READ THE MANUAL before you instal the seat. Statistics show lots of people get it unsafely installed.
DO THE SEATBELTS UP – a bit obvious!
[/ul]
Avoid distractions
[ul]FOCUS ON DRIVING only
FOCUS ON DRIVING. Leave phone calls for elsewhere[/ul]
Prepare to be calm & focused
[ul]PLAN to have time and not be in a rush
BE AWARE of how tired you are.
BE PREPARED to stop and settle if necessary
HAVE A DRINK OF WATER before you set out[/ul]
Drive to arrive safely
[ul]FOCUS on what you can do to create safety
RECOGNISE that other drivers are unpredictable & can be dangerous
LEARN TO RECOGNISE & AVOID dangerous driving situations
LEARN SKILLS to drive among other drivers who are just adequate at best
AVOID big trucks. MOVE into another lane if they are behind you
LEAVE HEAPS OF ROOM between your car and the car in front.
DON’T GET UPSET by other drivers. GET AWAY from them.
BE COURTEOUS to other drivers. Your reward will be safety.
IF YOU ARE RUNNING LATE SLOW DOWN! Better late than never[/ul]