A parent's primer on child safety procedures and precautions

Our modern society certainly has its advantages, with technological and medical advances people wouldn't have dreamed of just a hundred years ago. Unfortunately, on the reverse side of the coin, our children are no longer as safe as they were a century ago, particularly outside of the home. Every parent today is concerned with child safety issues. It's absolutely necessary to take steps to ensure we've done all we can do to keep kids safe.

At home, there are standard procedures that are relatively easy. We keep medicines out of reach or locked up, ditto on power tools and kitchen knives and other sharp edged objects. We install stair guards, electrical outlet covers and child safe cabinet openers and have home fire extinguishers handy. These child safety measures, along with ample supervision, all help prevent accidents.

We can program our phones with an instant access phone contact list, so older kids can contact Mom or Dad as necessary.

Every family should assemble a binder which contains emergency procedures and keep it in a designated place. There should be a section on first aid, which covers both minor and major medical emergencies, from minor cuts that won't stop bleeding, right through to choking and heart attacks. (You can print such procedures right off the net check with the Red Cross site.) You should also have a section which describes what to do in the case of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, fire and flooding. At the front or back of your binder, have a phone list of contacts with police, fire department, relatives and trusted neighbors. Go over the contents of this binder in a family meeting, so everyone's clear on what to do in an emergency. Agree on a place for everyone to meet if the family is separated in the event of a natural disaster. Add anything else that might be relevant to your particular situation.

This addresses most common child safety issues in the home. However, away from home, it becomes a different story. Today, we've got to think about child safety issues in a way parents did not, several decades ago. Child predators are a major concern. Here are some ways you can protect your kids when they're away from home.

While child predators are a reality, you want to be able to communicate with your kids on this child safety issue in a way that doesn't frighten them, yet is effective in getting your message across. If you're not sure how to begin such conversations, ask your pediatrician for advice.

Consider enrolling your kids in martial arts classes. Kids find these classes very cool, so you won't need to do much convincing. There are classes for kids as young as five or six years old, with kids grouped by age. In addition to learning how to defend themselves, kids learn self discipline and get a head start on developing coordination and agility. Instructors are also trained in conveying some of the elements of child safety in subtle, but effective ways. These instructors can be an excellent additional resource of child safety measures you might want to put in place.

Teach your kids to practice the buddy system, so kids are always in pairs or a group.

Never allow kids to go to another child's home after school unless you've met the parents of that child and know where they live. Be sure you have a phone number where you can reach them and that your child carries a cell phone in their backpack, should they want to reach you.

Give kids a 'secret code' question that someone must answer if they show up at school saying you've authorized them to pick them up. Alert the school to let them know that only (name) is allowed to pick them up and that they must be able to answer the question. Make it clear that this question and answer should never be divulged to anyone else.

Another child safety issue concerns cyber predators. Monitor your child's web history and require that they gain your approval of chat rooms, a favored venue for cyber predators. Teach them never to give out their email address or any personal information, such as your address, what school they attend or even your town or city location.

While it's a sad commentary on the modern world, it's necessary to address all of these child safety issues in a proactive way.