Questions tagged [safety]

Keeping children safe from any kind of danger.

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138 votes
10 answers
48k views

My girlfriend has mentioned disowning her 14 y/o transgender daughter

My girlfriend's 14 year old daughter came out to me as a girl on a bike ride when her mother wasn't there. I fully accept her and gladly refer to her by her chosen name ('Emily' for the purposes of ...
Charlie's user avatar
  • 1,196
95 votes
13 answers
43k views

Seventeen year old daughter wants to take an international trip to meet someone she met online

So, my wife and I are emotionally drained. Our daughter is 17. We live in Ontario Canada. She met a girl online that is 16 and she wanted to fly to California over Christmas holidays to see her. ...
Dave Farrington's user avatar
70 votes
20 answers
29k views

Should a parent delete a teen's social media account if it was handled badly?

My 15 year old daughter has created accounts with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr and Wattpad, all without my knowledge, six months ago or more. After discovering her using a laptop in bed at 4am, ...
BlackadderTheThird's user avatar
56 votes
13 answers
29k views

Should I be concerned about my 1-year-old and her mother moving in with a man I've never met?

About 8 months ago, I and the mother of my 1-year-old child separated. Everything was mutual and amicable and we have a reasonably good relationship now - if a bit awkward. This weekend, when I ...
user avatar
55 votes
6 answers
22k views

Is it safer to install a back seat car seat behind the driver or behind the passenger?

I have a car seat installed for my baby girl. At the behest of my wife, we installed the car seat directly behind the driver, rather than behind the passenger. She claims that this is because the ...
J Jones's user avatar
  • 897
52 votes
10 answers
13k views

Should I be restrictive in my son's interest in electricity?

My 12-year old son has had an interest in electricity for several years now. However, lately his experiments have been becoming more and more extreme. For example, he routinely looks at videos online ...
rando's user avatar
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45 votes
16 answers
5k views

Should I monitor my child's internet usage?

This question was inspired by this one: https://parenting.stackexchange.com/questions/2698/how-do-i-monitor-what-my-kids-do-on-the-computer which was deemed off topic. Hopefully this is more on topic ...
Tom Jefferys's user avatar
45 votes
1 answer
10k views

What is the evidence on the danger of feeding whole blueberries and grapes to infants and toddlers?

Some people cut grapes and blueberries in half to feed to infants and toddlers, to reduce the risk of choking. Others don't bother. I've read anecdotes about choking but was curious if there is ...
the_scheining's user avatar
45 votes
6 answers
250k views

How worried should I be about head bumps as my infant learns to get around?

We have hardwood floors in the house, and have made a little "play area" out of foam interlocking "tiles" for our 9 MO to play on. Of course, he's not content to restrict his explorations to the ...
Tom Auger's user avatar
  • 1,287
42 votes
26 answers
33k views

What age limit is appropriate for using tools (such as screwdrivers, hacksaw, drill, etc.)?

I've told my 15-year-old son off because he's not allowed to use tools because he could cut himself if he touches something dangerous. What's the right age limit for using tools? Please use an age, ...
Alex Davison's user avatar
38 votes
7 answers
7k views

How to explain to a 9-year-old why a relative is not welcome

Very soon my mother's brother will be released from prison. He is a pedophile. He was caught, plead guilty, etc etc...he is not someone I'd want around any child, certainly not my own. My mother, ...
Jax's user avatar
  • 5,275
33 votes
5 answers
7k views

How to explain to a 6 years old why a smart-phone is not good for her?

My 6 year old daughter asks for a smart-phone. I do not want to give her one because she might be harmed in social networks and because she might get addicted to games. Rather than just saying "...
Erel Segal-Halevi's user avatar
32 votes
8 answers
9k views

I just learned my 15 year old daughter has come out to her friends - should I say anything to her...OR to my wife?

This past weekend I learned that my 15-year-old recently came out to two of her friends. I learned this in a couple of ways: The two of us just traveled alone for a weekend, and she let me use her ...
Concerned Dad's user avatar
28 votes
3 answers
446k views

If a pregnant woman's tummy is pressed hard, can the baby in her womb get hurt?

I am 22 weeks in my pregnancy and my baby does kick and stretch at times. Yesterday he poke a limb/head/butt out on my tummy which I could see a firm lump. I showed my friend, and she pressed on the ...
Win.T's user avatar
  • 391
25 votes
10 answers
20k views

18-month-old kicked out of church nursery

Our 18-month old was kicked out of our church's nursery where we send him during worship services & church classes. He's kicked out unless one of us are in there with him, which makes it difficult ...
thecoolmacdude's user avatar
24 votes
10 answers
39k views

How can I stop my toddler from playing with electrical outlets and plugs?

My 2.5-year-old son has this weird fascination with electrical outlets and power bars. I tried telling him that it's dangerous (he understands and can identify dangerous objects and situations, and ...
ashes999's user avatar
  • 672
23 votes
6 answers
41k views

At what age can you leave the child in the bathtub?

Today when my daughter took a bath I wanted to go check on a thing, but of course couldn't since I was watching her. Of course it depends on the child, but in general at what age do you think you can ...
Lennart Regebro's user avatar
22 votes
9 answers
10k views

How do I teach my baby to not touch my computer?

I have a 10 months old boy who really, really wants to play with my computer. It is not like he is mildly curious - as would be the case with power sockets, glass stuff and other objects which deserve ...
brandizzi's user avatar
  • 423
20 votes
6 answers
1k views

Is it harmful to a child's social development to tell them "don't talk to strangers"?

Conventional parenting wisdom tells us to drive the fear of talking to strangers into our kids. Is this at all harmful though? Is there any adverse impact to a child's social development by doing this?...
J.J.'s user avatar
  • 8,551
20 votes
3 answers
5k views

Toy safety 3 years old - what are the reasons?

What motivates the 3 year old limit for toy safety? To make it clear, I am not referring to the choking hazard itself. It is obvious that small parts present a danger and accidents can occur when ...
iulia's user avatar
  • 1,752
19 votes
4 answers
5k views

Can/should I ask a sitter to take first aid classes?

I live in a relatively rural area which limits certain options for me. Where I live has no professional sitter services at all, you just have to find someone you personally trust. I have recently ...
threetimes's user avatar
  • 7,330
18 votes
12 answers
217k views

How can I safely keep a pacifier in a 2-month-old's mouth?

Sometimes the only thing that will keep a 2-month-old baby happy is a pacifier, but at that age, baby is too young to retrieve the pacifier after it falls out. It helps to tuck the pacifier under ...
David LeBauer's user avatar
18 votes
5 answers
10k views

How can I baby-proof my 75" TV?

I have a 10 month old son. He's able to stand on his own and crawl, and his favorite place to be is at the TV stand. I have a 75" TV in a place he can unfortunately reach. There is no possible ...
Sean's user avatar
  • 197
18 votes
2 answers
47k views

What can we do about our 9-month-old putting fingers down his throat?

For the past 6 weeks or so, our 9-month-old son has been in the habit of sticking a finger far into his mouth; to the point where he coughs; and sometimes throws up as a result. If we are next to him ...
GendoIkari's user avatar
18 votes
8 answers
30k views

How do we teach our 1-year-old that "no" isn't a game?

We have an almost 13-month-old daughter. She's found that when she touches a power cord or near an electrical outlet and we say "no" that it's a bit of a game. She gets a funny smirk on her face until ...
ShawnCBerg's user avatar
17 votes
6 answers
2k views

Separated parents. As a dad, how do I exercise tough love without being the bad guy?

I am a father to a nine year old boy, I am separated from his mother and have been since before his birth. We don't really get on but we are civil for his sake and communicate maturely as and when it ...
user avatar
17 votes
5 answers
11k views

If and how to childproof USB outlet for a 2-year-old?

I bought and installed an electrical outlet with USB chargers. Then, I childproof the power outlet and wondered if the USB ports needed to be childproof too? What if my two-year-old toddler put a flat ...
NawaMan's user avatar
  • 273
17 votes
6 answers
2k views

At what age or developmental milestones is it safe to leave children unattended?

I'm curious what kind of criteria others are using to decide when a child can be left at home unattended for a period of time. I realize that the answer is going to depend on a few factors: The child'...
afrazier's user avatar
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17 votes
2 answers
5k views

Help - taken legal guardianship of 16 yr old sister who is moving in but already staying over with boys etc

She's getting in very deep very quickly with a boy who has been in social care a fair bit over his life and has anger management issues, she's not even fully part of our household yet. Please help (...
user avatar
16 votes
9 answers
27k views

Can taking my 1-week-old on a 6-7 hours journey in the car lead to medical complications?

Our child is 7 days old. My parents live in another city which is a 6-7 hours travel away from us. As I'm working, no one is here to take care of my wife and kid. So we have to go to our parents' ...
Raja Gopal's user avatar
16 votes
8 answers
23k views

What can I do to baby-proof my home entertainment system?

My home entertainment system is a mess - there are cables, remote controls, various units, multiple plugs, DVDs, Blu-Ray disks, corners, glass bits and other various components which make for a fun ...
blueberryfields's user avatar
15 votes
4 answers
7k views

Is it safe to store and use a desktop computer for long hours next to baby's crib?

I'm a software developer by profession. And I like working in my bedroom. And my 2-month-old son's baby bed is in there as well. I'm curious about the radiation and the thermal effect on my growing ...
Asaprab's user avatar
  • 425
15 votes
4 answers
2k views

Does safe bed-sharing increase the risk of SIDS?

We were told just prior to checking out of the hospital that sleeping with the infant, along with side-sleeping and front-sleeping, increases the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). I was ...
user avatar
15 votes
5 answers
3k views

Is it ok to play with a 10 months old baby in nature?

I have a very curious 10 month old daughter who and touches and examines everything. I'd like to take her to a small national park and show her trees, bark, and pieces of wood and rocks on the beach....
dad's user avatar
  • 513
15 votes
5 answers
773 views

Threat of internet predators -- how significant is it?

There is a lot of talk about securing your children's access to electronic devices, the web, etc. There are lots of scary stories about terrible things happening, no doubt many terrible things have ...
Fraser Orr's user avatar
15 votes
3 answers
10k views

Toddler putting small stones in her mouth thinking it's funny

My 1.5-year-old has recently started putting small stones (the size of hazelnuts) in her mouth when we are outdoors, which of course can be very dangerous. I have tried everything I could think of ...
iulia's user avatar
  • 1,752
14 votes
3 answers
7k views

Does toddler keep hands around private parts?

My son is turning 3 years old and lately I been noticing he is playing/holding his penis, which I am really concerned about. His hand just wonders off to his willy, I have asked him what's wrong but ...
localhost's user avatar
  • 2,033
14 votes
8 answers
6k views

How to react when a child is in a dangerous situation which requires immediate reaction?

As with all children my son (16 months old) frequently gets himself in dangerous situations There is no problem with somewhat "static" situations, like trying to climb on a chair or slowly reaching ...
Daniel Rikowski's user avatar
14 votes
4 answers
78k views

How can I help my kids to sleep comfortably (and safely) on an overnight drive?

Asking this one anonymously, I don't want the police coming round to arrest me! In a few weeks, we've got a long drive to go on vacation. Because our youngest is pretty unbearable on long car ...
Anonymouse's user avatar
14 votes
2 answers
2k views

When you don't think (grand)children are getting the care they need

My neigbor is now a grandmother of two little girls about whom she is very concerned. Relevant backstory: The grandmother/neighbor was an adict to multiple things while she raised the mother of the ...
balanced mama's user avatar
14 votes
3 answers
169k views

Why is it important to support a newborn's neck?

Newborns have such floppy necks that they need support while being held. The question I have about this is, what are we trying to protect in supporting the head/neck ? My wife and I have a few ...
lmjohns3's user avatar
  • 377
14 votes
2 answers
111k views

How much noise does it take to negatively impact an infant's hearing?

In our apartment complex we have fire alarms that are outrageously loud. Last night, we woke at 4:30 am to the alarm going off all through the building. We got out as quickly as possible, but I'm ...
Christine's user avatar
  • 1,563
14 votes
2 answers
17k views

At what development stage is an infant ready for a ride in a bike trailer?

Our infant was born in October and is approaching 8 months old. We recently purchased a bike trailer for the purpose of taking family bike rides (we also have a 3 year old). We live in a part of the ...
Nicole's user avatar
  • 282
13 votes
5 answers
13k views

Healthy 10 month old baby bouncing himself while standing - will this injure his hips?

Someone told me that my 10 month old grandson was injuring his hips by continually bouncing himself when he stands while holding onto a couch or table. He seems very healthy and strong. Is there a ...
Janet G's user avatar
  • 131
13 votes
4 answers
4k views

How accurate are the "Suggested Age Ranges" of toys?

Most toys manufactured today include a suggested age range, supposedly identifying the ages of children who will (safely) appreciate the toy. How accurate are these ranges? How do the manufacturers ...
user avatar
13 votes
3 answers
594 views

What are some good safety rules to have when you own a pool?

What are some fundamental rules that you should have when you own a house with a pool and have young children?
J.J.'s user avatar
  • 8,551
12 votes
3 answers
6k views

Precautions against sleepwalking danger

Having read on internet that 15–30% of kids sleepwalk at least once, I recommended my daughter to close the staircase fence when my (now 3-year-old) granddaughter sleeps; her bedroom is on the first ...
NL_Derek's user avatar
  • 255
12 votes
4 answers
4k views

Is it okay to leave a 3 year old alone to nap for 1 hour and 45 minutes if she isn't napping?

My wife and I disagree about this. I think it's a bit selfish and neglectful to leave her alone, especially when for the first 20 minutes she just cried and screamed. After that she was pretending her ...
user6193's user avatar
  • 121
12 votes
5 answers
6k views

Baby proofing the space between fridge and wall

I'm not sure if this belong here or in home improvement SE, but neither sites have a baby proofing tag. How does one go about baby proofing the gap between the back of the fridge and the wall? There ...
learner101's user avatar
  • 3,431
12 votes
4 answers
28k views

When/how is it safe to go running with baby?

My partner is an avid trail runner and before I was pregnant I didn't mind getting out too. At the very least I hope to do some brisk trail walking with baby. I'd assumed to run with a baby you had ...
Williams's user avatar
  • 688

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