This Holiday Season it is our wish for children and youth in our community to feel safe, love and nurtured. Each of us can be a safe adult for children by creating spaces that are healthy and supportive.
“Every child needs adults in their life they can talk to if they have been hurt or are concerned about their safety. They need adults they can trust to help keep them safe. And their Safe Adults need to know how to help if a child ever comes to them to report they have been harmed.” ~ Monique Burr Foundation
Below are ways we can create those safe spaces this Holiday Season and every day of the year:
Support a child
- Be a positive role model in a child’s life. Listen, talk, and make healthy choices for yourself and for them.
- Nurture children and create positive childhood experiences that will help them build resiliency.
Model healthy boundaries
- Children learn from experiences and from watching adults. Model healthy boundaries in your home.
Have tough conversations
- Talk to children about private parts, safe adults, secrets, healthy sexual development, and when age-appropriate – sex and consent.
- Talk early and often. Begin talking to kids when they are toddlers and keep talking as they get older, all the way through teen years.
- Let them know they can come to you if they have questions.
Learn the red flags of abuse
- Learn the red flags and indicators of abuse so you know the signs.
- Note that the presence of warning signs doesn’t necessarily mean that a child is being abused.
- To learn the red flags, visit: https://ocfs.ny.gov/programs/cps/signs.php
Speak out
- If you suspect a child is being abused, call the hotline: 1-800-342-3720.
Believe a child
- Your first response when a child discloses abuse is one of the most important. It is often hard for a child to come forward and tell someone abuse is happening. Here is a blog post devoted to disclosures and how to respond: http://cacofniagara.org/when-a-child-makes-a-disclosure/
Create the safe space
- You can create a safe space for the children in your life modeling boundaries, respecting a child’s boundaries, listening to and believing what they tell you, acting on suspicions of abuse, and providing a nurturing, loving environment for them where they can truly feel safe and at peace.
A Few Additional Ways to Stay Safe this Holiday Season
We can’t talk about safety without going over a few winter reminders because if it’s the Holiday Season it means winter is here. In addition to creating safe spaces, we have included a few ways to stay safe even when the weather feels unreliable.
Car Seat Safety
- Cold months require heavier coats, but too much bulk can create extra room in the harness causing a loose fit and putting the child at risk for injury in the event of a crash.
- Choose lightweight fleece layers instead of puffy materials to ensure a snug-fitting harness. For added warmth, cover your child with a blanket, or put a coat on backwards over the properly fitted harness.
Infant Safe Sleep
- Practice Infant Safe Sleep even in the colder months. Use an infant sleep sack instead of blankets in a crib.
- Beware of baby overheating when using space heaters in bedrooms.
- Always keep a check on the room temperature – if you’re hot, they are hot. Avoid head coverings in infants while sleeping.
Check Batteries in Alarms
- Make sure you have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Protect your family from fires and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Recalled Items
- If you are purchasing items online or purchasing secondhand items, make sure to check for product recalls on infant and children’s items. Visit: Recalls and Product Safety
Additional Resources on Winter:
For more information on winter car seat safety, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The Buffalo Car Seat Club also has a great Winter Car Seat Guide.
For Infant Safe Sleep, visit: http://cacofniagara.org/infant-safe-sleep-resources/
For more tips on carbon monoxide poisoning risks in winter, visit: https://www.cpsc.gov/…/Winter-is-Coming-Keep-Your…
