Safe Kids Louisiana

• Secure kids when seated by keeping babies and young kids strapped in when using high chairs, infant carriers, swings, and strollers.
• Help babies learn to stand and walk safely.
• Play on soft surfaces at playgrounds by choosing parks with shock-absorbing surfaces.
• Show older kids how to be responsibly by talking to your kids about appropriate play behaviors.

• Warm-up and stretch.
• Drink water.
• Wear appropriate gear.
• Be aware of the signs and symptoms of concussions.
• Rest and recover.

• Watch kids are water. Keep young children within arm’s reach of an adult.
• Enroll children in survival swim lessons and learn CPR.
  • Learn more about Children's Hospital's CPR classes.
• Install 4-sided fences around home pools.
• Teach children that swimming in open water is different from swimming in a pool.
• Teach children to wear life jackets.

• Always wear your gear including a DOT-compliant helmet, goggles, long sleeves, long pants, over-the ankle boots, and gloves.
• ATVS are designed to be operated off-highway and should not be operated on public or paved roads.
• Never carry a passenger on a single rider ATV.
• Ride on ATV that’s right for your age.
• Supervise riders younger than 16.
• ATV riders should take a hands on safety training course.

• Remind your child to wear a properly fitted helmet when biking, skateboarding, riding a scooter or inline/roller skating.
• Check equipment. Make sure your child’s bike is the appropriate size and works properly.
• Teach your kids the rules of the road. Make sure they know proper hand signals, understand traffic signs and signals.
• Avoid carrying or holding a child while cooking on the stove and turns pot handles away from the edge.
• Be sure your kids are seen while riding. Wearing bright colors, using lights, and wearing reflectors will help them be seen.
• Teach kids to ride on the sidewalk when they can. If not, ride in the same direction as traffic as far on the right-hand side as possible.

• Choose the right car seat for your child’s weight, height, and age.
• Keep children in rear-facing seats as long as possible until the child has outgrown the seat by height or weight and is at least 2 years old.
• Teach your kids from a young age to buckle up every ride, every car, and every time.
• Use and install your car seat according to the directions.
• A properly installed car seat should not move more than 1 inch when the base is tugged at the belt path.

• Teach kids how to walk safely by looking left, right, and left again before crossing the street, by walking on sidewalks or paths, by making eye contact with drivers and being visible, and by being supervised when under 10 years old.
• Take action against distraction by teaching kids to put phones, headphones, and devices down when crossing the street.
• Let your actions speak louder than your words by being a good role model and setting a good example when driving and crossing a street.

• Place babies on their backs for naps and at at night until they are 1 year old.
• Make sure babies sleep on a firm, flat surface in their own crib, basinet, or play yard.
• Choose a firm mattress and fitted sheet for baby's crib.
• Remove toys, blankets, pillows, bumper pads, and other accessories
• Dress baby in wearable blanket or onesie. A loose blanket could cover baby's airway or make their body temperature too high while they sleep.
• Share your room, not your bed. Place baby's crib, bassinet or play yard in your bedroom in stead of leting baby sleep in the same bed with you.

• Anchor unstable furniture to the wall. Use anti-tip brackets or wall straps to secure top heavy furniture to the wall
• Watch children around balconies and windows. Install window guards and safety gates on stairs to prevent falls
• Help your kids watch out for stairs by using approved safety gates at the tops and bottoms of stairs and attach them to the wall, if possible, and actively supervising toddlers on stairs by holdings their hands when walking up and down.
• Prevent slips at home by conferring anti-slip rugs and mats on the floors and in the bathroom, keeping hallways and stars well-lit and free of clutter, and by not letting kids play on high porches, decks, stairs or balconies.
• Rest and recover.

• Install latches or locks to keep curious kids out of cabinets and away from cleaning supplies.
• Keep laundry products in their original containers and store safely.
• Keep all cleaning products, medicine and vitamins, small objects, cleaning prodcuts, small toys and game pieces, and window cord blinds up and away where your child can't reach.

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and near sleeping areas.
• Test alarms every month. Create a home fire escape plan with two ways out of every room.
• Teach your children to stay a safe distance from hot stoves and appliances.
• Avoid carrying or holding a child while cooking on the stove and turn pot handles away from the edge
• Teach your kids how to cook safety.
• Install carbon monoxide (CO2) alarms and test alarms every month In a CO2 emergency, leave your home immediately.

Wheeled Sports Safety tips:

• Always wear safety gear, including a properly fitted helmet.
• Ride in safe area; a sidewalk, dirt road, or away from roadway.
• Supervise riders.

Child passenger safety tips:

• Choose the right car seat for your child’s weight, height, and age.
• Use and install your car seat according to the directions.
• Teach your kids to buckle up every ride, every car, and every time

Pedestrian safety tips:

• Teach kids to walk safety - look left, right, and left again to cross the street.
• Limit distractions - cellphones, headphones, and devices.
• Know the rules of the road - traffic signs and signals.