From the desk of Mrs. Sonya Toet Principal Summerhill Nursery School
Did you know the drawstrings on your child’s jersey can be a choking hazard on slides? I thought it appropriate to discuss the importance of clothing, seeing as we have a winter term ahead of us with its added layers of clothing to navigate.
How can clothing harm children?
The clothes children wear every day can cause injuries.
A child can easily choke, strangle themselves, get burnt, poisoned, fall or even hurt their back. Here are some simple practices to help keep your child safe.
How can I dress my child to protect them from getting strangled?
Take all drawstrings and cords out of your child’s clothes.
Don’t let your child wear a scarf, necklaces or helmet when they play on playground equipment.
Check that belts, ties, and sashes are firmly attached to clothing. Make sure they aren’t long enough to wrap around your child’s neck.
Take the hoods off your child’s clothes, or make sure the hood will come off if it gets caught on something. Hoods attached with Velcro are best.
How can I dress my child to protect them from choking?
Check that buttons and other small parts are firmly attached to clothing and won’t come loose.
Make sure that blankets and sleepers don’t have any loose threads.
How can I protect my child from batteries in their clothing?
If your child is wearing clothing with batteries in it, make sure the batteries are in a secure compartment that your child can’t open.
How can I dress my child to protect them from burns?
Teach your child that fire is dangerous. If their clothes catch fire, teach them to stop, drop, and roll.
Dress your child in pyjamas made of flame-resistant fabrics. These are fabrics such as polyester or nylon that don’t catch fire as easily as some other fabrics. Cotton and cotton blends are not flame resistant.
Dress your child in pyjamas with tight-fitting ankles, waists, and wrists. Tight-fitting pyjamas are less likely to catch fire than loose pyjamas. Day clothes, like t-shirts, are not safe to sleep in.
How can I dress my child to protect them from falling?
Make sure your child wears shoes that fit.
Make sure shoelaces are snug and tied so they don’t come loose.
Consider shoes with Velcro straps until your child can tie shoelaces.
Choose shoes with soles that have good grip (non-skid soles).
Remember that shoes with wheels (such as Heelys) could cause your child to fall. Whenever your child is wearing these shoes, make sure they’re in a safe area (for example, away from stairs and uneven ground).
Gumboots and soccer shoes are not suitable shoes for climbing jungle gyms. Should it be a rainy day, pack a spare pair of trainers in their bags.
