This morning on the news there was a
story about an 11 year old who was shot in the face. The shooting
was accidental and the gun was legally registered and owned. One
child was at another child's home and they found the gun and played
with it. The expected result occurred. One child pointed the gun at
the other and pulled the trigger.
Asking questions about child safety
before sending your child to a neighbor's to play with your child is
extremely awkward and potentially offensive. However, the safety of
your child should be paramount. Asking safety questions before
entrusting your child to the care of another adult should be routine.
If you screen potential babysitters before hiring them then you
should screen other adults as well.
Gun Safety. Experts indicate that onein three families with children have guns in the house. Not all of
these households take appropriate measures to keep children safe from
guns. It should be routine practice for parents to ask: “Do you
have guns in the house?” If the other parent does have guns,
there should be follow up questions. “Do you have a gun safe?”
“How do you keep the guns safe?” “Is the gun loaded?” Is
the ammunition stored separtely? It is not enough to discuss the
topic with other parents. You need to discuss this with your child.
You need to impress the child with an understanding that toy guns are
different from real guns. Children can't tell the difference so it
is better to tell them that they can't play with guns in someone
else's home unless an adult gives them the toy guns. Children should
be told to assume that a gun is always loaded. They should NEVER
point a gun at a person. They should not even pretend to point a
gun. Children may not understand death but they do understand
getting hurt and having pain. Children should be taught that if
someone points a gun at them they could die, be injured, or suffer
pain.
Dogs and pets. Most people consider
their pet dogs to be friendly and safe to children. However, even
friendly dogs can attack strange children who don't know how to
interact with dogs. Dogs can be protective of household children. A
playful interaction could be misconstrued by a dog as an attack on
the child they protect. Sudden moves by a child can cause a skittish
dog to bite. Some people believe that particular dog breeds are prone to dangerous behavior. Some dogs may need a supervised
introduction to a child before the child is accepted by the dog.
Teach your children how to interact with dogs to avoid injury. Dogs
do not like hugs and kisses. Dogs should not be approached without
permission of the dog's owner. Even if the dog is on a leash, the
dog should not be approached. Never take food or toys away from a
dog. Don't wake a sleeping dog. There are additional methods that
can be taught to children to avoid injuries from dogs.
Other issues: Parents may want to ask
about other concerns. Swimming pools can pose a danger to children.
Some parents are concerned about children being exposed to cigarette
or cigar smoke. You may want to ask if a babysitter will be watching
the children. How old is the babysitter? Does the babysitter carry
a gun? Does the babysitter smoke?
Taking the time to ask appropriate
question to protect your child is not a social issue it is a matter
of child safety. Child safety should take priority over concerns of
offending other parents. Taking steps to avoid injury is better than
a child suffering an injury and then needing the services of an
attorney.
