Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of music star, D’Banj (Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo), who lost his one-year-old son, Daniel, as a result of a domestic accident a few weeks ago.
Daniel died tragically in his father’s Ikoyi home. Reports state that the boy drowned in their indoor swimming pool.
The customized swimming pool has D’banj’s signature DB logo at the bottom. The music star had taken to his Instagram page on April 1st to post a photo of himself standing beside the pool. He also posted another video of him walking by the swimming pool with his (late) little son. This is the same swimming pool where his son’s tragic death occurred. D’banj was reportedly out of the country when the horrible incident occurred.
From personal observations, the pool was built in one of the rooms and it had no gate around it. Perhaps the little boy must have wandered around the pool then fell inside and drowned? No one really knows about the circumstances surrounding his death. But it’s definitely safe to say it was an accidental drowning.
This got me thinking: How can parents prevent such accidents from happening in their homes?
Of course, home is a place where kids learn many things as they grow up surrounded by love, care and comfort. This is the place where your kids would love to touch and feel the things they see around them, which helps their mind and body to develop.
While a home is a safe place in general, for children, it may also have hidden dangers.
Hence it is very important to take safety precautions in the home to protect your children from domestic accidents. Here are a few core measures to take:
Install Child-Safety Gates Around Your Home
A baby gate or child safety gate is a protective barrier designed to prevent babies and toddlers from accessing areas of a home where they might be unsafe, such as stairways and kitchens. Baby gates are typically constructed with metal, plastic and/or wood, and can be expanded to fit in a range of doorway widths. They may be designed for use indoors or out, and may be either hardware or pressure-mounted.
Do Not Leave Your Kids Alone In The Water
Kids love to splash in the water, whether it is a bath tub or a swimming pool. Though this can be fun, chances of accidents like drowning can occur in water tubs or pools. Make sure the water level is not higher than the waist line of your child when you place her in a tub or sink. Never leave your kids unattended, even for a second. Give strict instructions to your kids that there must be no pushing while enjoying a dip in the pool. If your kids are too young to comprehend such instructions, be sure that someone is watching over them at all times if you have to be away from the pool.
Cover all The Electrical Outlets and Wires at Home
Protect your children from electric shock by covering electrical sockets which are not in use, with plastic covers. Throw away electrical gadgets/repair electric cords that are damaged. Insulate the wires or fix them using casing to cover it. Teach kids about the dangers of electric shock and tell them they must not touch any of these with wet hands.
Install a Smoke Alarm At Home
Install a smoke alarm at home and check whether it is working fine every now and then. Teach your kids about the alarm, and have a fire escape plan ready when the alarm goes off. When there is a leakage of carbon monoxide gas which has no odor or color, it can be fatal to your kids. Your water heaters, furnaces, fire places, etc., can trigger this gas. Installing a detector would help alert you if there are any irregularities.
Safety while Playing with a Pets
Pets are very affectionate but some actions of your kids like pulling the tail or the ear of some animals can piss them off, and prompting them to act in a violent way. Teach your kids to be gentle with pets and refrain from playing rough games with the pet. Tell them not to go near the dog when he is having his food or try to take away a treat or bone from his mouth. Teach your child how to stay away from the pet, when it’s showing signs of aggression – describe what these signs are.
Secure Your Perimeters
To avoid any kind of accidental falls or injuries, it is essential to keep your windows and doors locked. Never leave your child on the bed unattended as she might fall down. Do not allow your kids to play with the open windows or patio doors. Also make sure the stairways are blocked when you are not using it, to prevent kids from climbing it. It’s your responsibility to always maintain safety around the home for kids.
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Losing a child because of a domestic accident can be so painful, especially because in some cases, such incidents are avoidable. Taking some of these safety measures could help protect your children from life-altering or potentially fatal outcomes.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
