There are times that you just can’t turn down playdates. The parents of your children’s friends can be persuasive, and you don’t want to look snobbish. So you’ll just let their kids come and visit you to play with your children. However, it might be a lot to take in for you.
Taking care of your children is demanding at times, but taking care of other parents’ children is another story. Playdates are one of those moments that kids can be highly prone to injury. Being liable for the injury of your friend’s child is the last thing you would want to happen.
For inevitable instances like holding playdates in your house, there are ways to reduce the risks of injury. Here are some suggestions you can follow to keep the children out of harm’s way during playdates.
Prepare their food
Children are sometimes not that observant when putting things in their mouths. As a result, poisoning is one of the leading injuries for children. You don’t want that to happen to either your own kids or your friends’ children. It’s a parent’s nightmare to see somebody’s kid suffer from this injury during a playdate. This is why you must prepare their food as much as possible. Don’t designate someone to do this task in preparation for a playdate. It’s also good if the kid’s parents can make their children their own food. This way, you’d worry less about that kid’s safety. Aside from preparing their food, get all your medicines and toxic chemicals out of children’s reach. Preventing the children from eating inedible stuff should be one of your priorities.
Prevent them from slipping
Kids love to run for some reason. They also love to jump, hop, and do all sorts of things that can injure them. They’re not aware that these movements can put them in danger. Children are careless, so you as a parent should provide care for them. Non-slip mats should always be there in areas where floors can get wet. These areas are the kitchen and the bathroom. Waterproof deck coating can also help prevent the floors from getting slippery. This is necessary, especially near the pool and places where rainwater can wet the surface. You already know what injuries slips can cause. You don’t want the children to suffer from these injuries cause they’re crucial.
Be a pool lifeguard
One activity the kids love doing on a playdate is swimming. Playing in the pool is undeniably fun for children. Don’t let this fun moment get ruined because of an emergency. Drowning is prevalent in children, which is why you have to protect them from it. Act as a lifeguard while the children are in the pool. Be vigilant and look out for anything suspicious in the water. This way, you’ll be able to respond in cases of emergency immediately. It’s also better if all the children can swim. But in instances where some of them can’t, your presence in the poolside will be beneficial.
Restrict access to some places
There are parts in the house that are too dangerous for children. These are places where you hide your heavy-duty tools and machines. You can also have some storage where you keep your gardening and cleaning chemicals. These are the places where you should restrict the children from accessing. One creative way to prevent them from entering these places is to put signage. Kids will already know what that means if they saw a “no-entry” sign. But of course, you have to secure these places with locks. That’s the best way to prevent unauthorized entry of children to these places and rooms. Aside from this, you can also tour your guest children inside the house. Tell them which part of the house can be accessed freely and which parts are not. This way, you’ll already set their limits and mobility to keep them safe.
Take part in some activities
Some kids’ activities need tools that require adults’ assistance before using them. Some tasks require things that can also be choking hazards, and your help may be required to perform these tasks. You can do these types of activities with the children to make sure that they’re safe. Letting them use scissors or any sharp objects by themselves is harmful. Thus, minimize the risk of getting the children injured by participating in some of their activities.
Your guests’ safety is as important as your own children’s. Having them in your house means that you’re accepting the obligation of looking out for them. Be a responsible parent to your kids and to your friends’ children, too.
