Safety tips for children in cars:
• Always use a car seat according to your state’s laws and make sure it is properly installed.
• Do not take the child out of the car seat while the vehicle is moving.  Always stop the vehicle to change diapers, change seats, nurse or hold your child.
• Do not leave your children in the car while you run in the store to pay for gas, pick up prescriptions or drop something off.
• Always check your car before exiting to be sure you haven’t forgotten that the kids are riding with you.
• Always take the time to walk behind your vehicle before backing up to make sure there are no small children behind you.
• Never put a child carrier on top of your car while unloading or loading.
• Always check to make sure seatbelts are on at all times.

 
Safety tips when shopping with kids:
• If you are going to be rushed or distracted, do not shop with your children. Make plans to have someone watch the kids when you go shopping or choose a time when you know you will not be stressed from the experience.
• When shopping with kids, keep them with you at all times.  Teach them that if they can’t see you, you can’t see them. 
• Do not put children in charge of watching children.
• Do not allow children to play in a toy or video area of the store while you are in another area.
• Do not ask strangers to watch your children while you pay for something or try something on.
• Do not allow your children to go in a public restroom alone. Always go with them and stay with them.

Safety tips at a playground or park: 
• Do not take small children to large tunnel and maze- like playgrounds unless you can closely supervise them.
• If you go in a group, do not expect others to be watching your children. Keep them within eyesight at all times.
• Do not allow children to go to the public restroom unattended. Walk with them into the restroom, check for cleanliness and stay with them. If you have other children with you, they must all go with you. “Go in a group to pee and poop!”
• Do not ask even the nicest strangers to watch your kid for even a minute.
• Check the safety of the playground equipment. Look for wires or obstacles placed across slides. Make sure the equipment hasn’t been tampered with or vandalized.
• Teach your children not to pick up anything sharp, especially needles.
• Report suspicious people or incidents to police or parks employees.

 
Safety tips at a pool, beach, lake or anywhere near water:
• Be familiar with pool depths, rescue devices and potential risks.
• Never leave children unsupervised. If they’re in the water, get in the water with them.
• Swimming lessons, floatation devices, pool alarms, fences and a “shallow pool” are NOT substitutes for adult supervision.
• Keep a phone nearby for emergency callouts; not for distracted conversations.
• Never assume someone else is watching the kids.
• Learn CPR.
• Unchecked “horseplay” can lead to underwater injuries. Tired or cramped persons should stay out of the pool.
• At the beach or lake, be familiar with water/surf conditions and changes in the weather.
• Swim in supervised areas.
• Remember, even a couple of inches of water can drown a small child or toddler.

 
Safety tips on vacation:
• When staying at hotels & resorts, check balcony railings, locks and under the bed for foreign objects. Be familiar with pool depths.
• Do not allow unsupervised kids to wander the halls or check out other areas of the hotel. Go as a family.
• When staying with friends or family, be certain that medicines and other dangers are out of the reach of all children.
• At theme parks, make a family plan beforehand should one or more members get separated. Teach kids to find a park employee if they are lost. Supervise at all times.
• Don’t send children off to rides alone.
• Pace yourselves as a family.

 
Safety tips at home:
• Keep cleaning fluids, medicines and other potential dangers out of the reach of children.
• Post poison control numbers in more than one room of the house.
• Invest in reputable safety devices for knobs, locks and electrical outlets but NOT as a substitution for supervision.
• Teach older children NOT to open the door to strangers. Caregivers and parents should be notified.
• Teach kids about 911 and post other important emergency numbers near phones.