As a parent or guardian it is instinctive, to want to keep your kids as safe as possible. You need to make sure that they are not in the position where they could be harmed mentally or indeed emotionally. Some problems are obvious like cars passing by on the street. When a car passes by on the street, you know the danger. You know that if the ball they’re playing with rolls into the road, you have to be ready to hold them back. You know that living on a cul de sac is safer than living on a road with two entrance and exits. You know this because these dangers are right there, clear for everyone to see. But what about some of the dangers that aren’t? Let’s look at some of these and make sure you know the hidden dangers that could hurt your kids.
Cute And Fluffy But Not Always
When we see dogs, we often view them as the ones in this lovely Instagram post.
This is particularly true if you have pets of your own. In reality, of course, they can be more like the picture below.
You also can’t assume that a rottweiler is dangerous any more than a lab is harmless, but people do. As a dog expert will tell you, any dog can be safe with the right owner/trainer and, any dog can be dangerous with the wrong one. So, if you see a rottweiler on the street with the owner, you might instinctively lead your child away whereas a lab you might let it lick your child or you could let your child pet it. Particularly, if you are encouraged to do so by the owner. However, dogs are animals and their behavior isn’t always predictable. You never know what might set a dog off which is why all dogs can be dangerous unless you can one hundred percent guarantee they are well trained.
How dangerous, you ask? Well, you only have to research online to find the horror stories but if you have questions it’s best to speak to an injury lawyer. The deal with literally hundreds of cases of dog bites every year and some have certainly seen children as the victims. It’s a horrifying idea but it’s important to know that a dog that is cute and fluffy can still be very dangerous indeed.
Invisible Strangers
Twenty or thirty years ago, the advice we gave to children was to never trust strangers. The classic example would be to not go with strangers offering sweets in vans. However, this is like suggesting that a robber will be holding a bag with a giant dollar sign on. It just doesn’t happen that way and instead the chances are that if your child does meet a stranger, they’ll meet them online. That’s a problem because an individual online can become a friend or a trusted figure. That means that they are no longer a stranger and as such, your child might just feel that they can trust them.
You might think if your children are young enough they won’t be talking to people online. But you have to be careful with that assumption because the age that children head onto social networks gets younger every year and while chat rooms aren’t as problematic anymore online games can be. With online games your children can interact with strangers, make online friends and form connections, perhaps with dangerous people. That’s why, despite being an invasion of their privacy, it is worth thinking about keeping track of their activity online. These days you can do that by getting a monthly report from your internet provider about what your child has been up to. It is the only way to make sure that they are actually safe.
In The Walls, In The Water
You might think that there’s one place you can guarantee that your kids are safe and that’s at home. But don’t be so sure because there are plenty of dangers that you might need to be aware of here and let’s start by thinking about water. Water can contain incredibly high levels of fluoride. The chemical, used for cleaning water and found in toothpaste, has been linked to everything from low IQ to brain tumours. It is one of the main reasons why we spit out toothpaste instead of swallowing it. This is why a number of parents no longer give their kids water to drink out the tap. Instead, they choose to get bottled water. Of course, the chemicals on the plastic can also lead to issues and that’s why the best option is actually to get a filter. That way, you can get most of the harmful chemicals out before it’s drunk.
It’s not the only danger that could be lurking in your home, completely unseen either. You may also want to think about the issue of asbestos, particularly if you own an older home. Older homes were built using asbestos as an insulator. Left undisturbed, the substance is completely harmless and people often fail to notice it’s actually there until completing work like an extension. It’s at this point that the substance can be an issues and unfortunately the cost of removing it is very expensive. It can range in the thousands!
A slightly less problematic danger of the home is mold. You might not even realize you have mold in your home because it can just like dirt around the sides of the windows. However, if you do have black around the windows, it’s best to use mildew spray to remove it. Though not deadly, it can have an impact on the lungs of children and lead to respiratory troubles.
As you can see then, there are a number of unexpected and invisible dangers that parents must be aware of and it’s not just younger children. As they get older some dangers become even more of a threat to your kids. We hope you have found this advice useful and take extra caution as a parent from now on.
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