Summertime is fast approaching, and unfortunately, thousands of children fall out of open windows every year. Some walk away with just a few scratches, while others aren’t so lucky. In order to help keep your children safe, we have created a great formula. Promote window safety through prevention, education, and supervision.
Supervision – The first step to keeping your child from falling out of an open window is supervision. This is especially important when your child is young and doesn’t yet understand the dangers of an open window. Keep toddlers and infants in your line of sight and don’t leave them alone on a couch or table where they can easily role through the screen of an open window. If you can’t keep both eyes on them, close the windows and turn on the air conditioning.
Education – When a child gets to the age where he is both tall enough and strong enough to open a closed window, it is time to educate him. Teach him that, although he has the balance and agility of his favorite superhero, falling out of an open window is a real danger. Help him avoid the danger by teaching him to never push or lean on screens, as they will not hold his weight. If a staircase has a window at the bottom, teach your child not to run down said flight of stairs. If your child understands the dangers, he will be less likely to test the limits.
Prevention – You can do your part to prevent your child from falling out of a window at all stages of his life. When he’s young, make sure to keep his crib and bed away from the windows. When he start walking and crawling, make sure you keep bedroom windows shut and locked and try not to hang anything attractive in the windows, like sun reflectors or charms. When he’s strong enough to open the windows, make sure to lock them; if he figures out how to unlock them, you can always buy additional locking devices from your hardware store.
