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Blog: National Burn Awareness Week, February 5 – 11, 2012Posted by: Candice Ahwah-Gonzalez at Feb 06, 2012 12:00 AM CST Keywords: Education, Parents, Safety Tips
As a parent, I always considered myself to be very cautious when it came to preventing burns, especially when my daughter was younger. I made sure I always tested her food and drink temperatures before I gave them to her, and carefully tested her bath water to make sure it was not too hot. Now that she is 6, my little one wants to do a lot more things for herself, or to help me, especially in the kitchen and during bath time. I have had to start looking at my home in a different way – from the viewpoint of a young child. Children have thinner skin and therefore get severe burns at lower temperatures and in less time than an adult, so I have had to take additional precautions. My stove is a “kid-free zone,” a place my daughter knows she’s not allowed to be near. I keep my pot handles turned toward the back of the stove, so they cannot easily be grabbed and pulled down. When I’m finished cooking, I’m careful not to place the hot food close to the edge of the counter and table where she can reach and grab it herself. During bath time, I make sure she knows she is not to turn the faucet on or off or adjust the temperature. We have our water heater set so that it does not go above a temperature of 120˚F. Feb 5-11 is National Burn Awareness Week, and Safe Kids Worldwide encourages parents, caregivers, and educators to talk with their children this week about being safe from fires and burns. Be sure your young children know not to touch things that are hot and that older children understand the dangers of fire and practice burn safety as well. Safe Kids has a great program called Start Safe: Fire that teaches young children and their families about how to be safe from fire and burns in their homes. More About Burn Prevention and Safety
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