Preschooler safety: what to expect

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Your child is getting older and more confident, but it’s still important to keep a close eye on your child. The good news is that you can teach preschoolers more about safety than you can with younger children.

You can reinforce existing safety messages and teach your child about new areas such as road safety and what to do in an emergency.

Safety around the house

• Encourage your child to sit while eating. At a table or on the floor is fine. Children are more likely to choke if they eat while they are running around or playing.
• Nuts can choke a child. It is usually not safe for children to eat nuts until they are five. They shouldn’t eat them at all if they have an allergy.
• To prevent poisoning, keep everything that could hurt or poison your child out of reach. Lock up or get rid of any household items that could poison your child.
• To prevent cuts, keep everything sharp out of reach. Put sharp objects at the back of benches, or in drawers with child-resistant locks.
• To prevent burns and scalds, keep guards around fires and heaters. Use the backburners on the stove. Turn pan handles towards the back of the stove. Keep kettles, teapots and cords for electric kettles and pans up on the bench, out of reach. Also keep reminding your child what is not safe to touch.
• To prevent falls, wipe up spills on floors, and keep play areas clear of furniture or rugs that might cause tripping. Remind your child about where it’s safe to run and climb, whether inside or outside.
• Avoid bunk beds until your child is nine or so. Make sure that younger children do not climb up and fall.

Safety in and around water

Your preschooler just loves water – playing in it, rolling in it and scooping it. You can help your child have safe fun with water, and protect her from drowning – the greatest risk at this age:

• A grown-up should always be with your child when your child is near water, whether it’s at the beach or at a swimming pool (including a friend’s or relative’s pool).
• Teach your child the basics of swimming and rules for swimming safely. For example, say to your child, ‘Never go into the pool without telling me’.
• Make sure you know about swimming pool safety.
• Make sure your child knows what to do if he gets into trouble.

Safety out and about

Playing outdoors is an important part of your preschooler's development.

• Look for playgrounds that give your child lots of challenging and safe new activities.
• Stay close to your child as she tests her physical limits.
• Look for spaces that give your child room to run and cartwheel and jump and climb.

Your child at this age will also be keen on riding things with wheels. This means you can expect a few more falls, bumps and scrapes. Your job is to help your child use his new skills in a way that is safe:

• Find a safe area such as your backyard or a park so that your child can learn how to ride bikes, scooters and other wheeled toys.
• Make sure your child has the right safety helmets and protective wear such as elbow and kneepads.

Safety in and around cars

Now is the time to start building a lifetime of safe car habits:

• Teach your child about road safety and what to do in an emergency.
• Constantly tell your child about pedestrian safety. If you can, set up a safe play area in the backyard, fenced off from the driveway.
• Use appropriate car restraints to keep your child safe in the car. As of November 9, 2009, the law requires all children to use an age-appropriate child restraint until the age of seven. Children six months and under must sit in a rear-facing baby seat or capsule; children between six months and under four years may use either a rearward-facing or forward-facing child seat; and children aged four to under seven may use a forward-facing seat or a booster seat. 
• Be aware of other guidelines for keeping children safe in cars. For example, always take your child out of the car with you, even if you’re popping into a shop only for a moment. Leaving her in a car, even on an overcast day, is like leaving her in an oven - and it's against the law.

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