Your kids are in danger every day of their lives and most of these dangers; you won’t be aware of. I bet that just brightened up your day, didn’t it? It’s true, though. Kids are incredibly vulnerable and most of the dangers they face you won’t be aware of because they won’t tell you. This is one of the reasons why it’s so important to have an open relationship with your children. The need to feel like they can come to you with any problem that they face. What type of dangers am I talking about? Well, there are plenty from environmental and physical to emotional. Let’s start off with environmental because these are typically the easiest to understand.
I bet you think your house is pretty safe. Am I right? After all, you keep it clean, and you’re not a hoarder so there aren’t things on the floor to trip up on. It’s quite well maintained, and it’s not like there’s dirt or dust all over the place. Unfortunately, there are plenty of hidden dangers in your home that you won’t be aware of.
One of these dangers is Asbestos. If you live in the UK, there’s a good chance that your home has Asbestos in it somewhere. Particularly, if it was built before the early nineties. The same can be true for American homes as well, but there’s a far more serious issue with their houses. Asbestos isn’t a problem unless it is disturbed, so people say. However, there are many researchers that think of it as a silent killer. Spores could seep out into the air without you even realising it. If they do, they can damage the lungs of children and cause mesothelioma to develop. Due to the extensive use of asbestos, it could be anywhere in your home. It was primarily used for insulation, and the only way to know is to get your home tested. Tests can cost hundreds and getting it removed can be thousands. Most parents aren’t willing to pay these bills, but you should be. Don’t risk putting your kids lives in danger by not getting your home checked.
Another issue that you may not be aware of is water. I bet you don’t know that letting your kids drink water straight from the tap can be dangerous. Researchers believe that it can due to the high levels of fluoride present in water. The chemical used in toothpaste has been linked to low IQ scores and developments of certain forms of cancer. It may not seem like a large risk, but I would suggest you get a water filter. You can get cheap ones from superstores that will make your tap water far safer to drink.
It’s believed that around twenty percent of older homes in the USA still have lead paint on the walls. Lead paint can be toxic to young children. It’s a frightening situation when you realise that if you’re living in an older home, you could be surrounded by lead paint. You’ll face another problem as well. You won’t be able to sell the house so you’re only option is to get the lead paint removed by a professional.
These are just some of the environmental hazards; your kids could be facing every day. Now let’s think about dangers that tend to affect older children.
Active Online
These days everyone is online, I know that, and I’m sure you do too. You can’t stop your kids going online because eventually, they’ll get homework that requires research. Even if you could keep your kids offline for as long as possible, I wouldn’t recommend it. As they grow older, technology and working online becomes more important. As well as this, the main social activities now occur online, and that’s where the issue is. I know that most parents think their children would never get up to dangerous activities online, but you’d be surprised.
Head on over to Omegle and if you’re brave enough check out the video chat section. You’ll be amazed at how many children are using this which would be fine. Except that adults use it too and there’s no real way to stop one from interacting with the other. Stranger danger has evolved in the modern tech-based world, and you must be aware. Even online games and social areas online for children can be accessed by adults. It’s so easy for a child to be manipulated, groomed or taken advantage of online. I know it sounds like the danger is the actual activity, but it’s not.
The danger again is the fact your kid might not tell you it’s happened. If they don’t tell you, it can go on without the child having any understanding of it. Again, this is why I stress you need to have an open relationship with your children. You need them to tell you what they have downloaded on their phones. You need them to tell you freely who they talk to. You can’t force them to do this because trust me, kids are better at keeping secrets that you realise.
Of course, dangerous adults aren’t the only issue that your children might face when they are online. Bullying has also adapted for the new tech age. If your child is bullied, it most likely will happen again, online. You must be aware of this possibility because these days bullying can occur under the radar. An example might be a social profile page set up purely to hurt someone. Or messages sent across instant messaging or on Facebook. Again, an open relationship is crucial here. They have to feel like they can come to you with problems like this.
Don’t be one of the parents that thinks bullying is just something that everyone goes through. It isn’t, and it can lead to fatal consequences. Suicide due to bullying is not as rare as most parents would like to believe.
Physical Activities
Look, I’m not saying kids should be wrapped up in cotton wool. I would love to let my children climb trees and have fun outdoors. I know some of them like extreme sports like BMXing and Skateboarding. If you are okay with your kids participating in these types of activities, that’s great. However, you should be aware of the consequences.
Skateboarding is dangerous. You’d be amazed by the type of injuries that kids can come home with after a day at a skatepark. You’ll see cuts so deep you can see the bone. Obviously getting your kids to wear safety items is going to help here. I think young children should be supervised during physical activities like this as well. You have to find that happy medium between protecting and coddling. We want our children to live their lives but not at the expense of their health. Particularly, when that expense could be more literal than most parents realise. A serious injury could result in expensive medical bills.
Of course, you can claim on these injuries. You might find yourself asking what can a personal injury claim lawyer help me with. But that won’t take away the emotional stress of seeing your child in pain or in the hospital. Don’t forget that injury in youth can have long term effects.
Emotional And Physical
Be aware that if a child is suffering from an emotional issue, it can present itself with a physical issue. Did you know that twenty-five percent of children will self-harm at some point during their adolescence? To put that in perspective that means statistically, two out of my eleven children could be a victim of self-abusive thoughts at some point. I’m sure none of my kids have ever self-harmed, but then again, I’m sure all parents think the same. For some of us, it can’t be true, and that’s worrying sign.
There’s a horrible joke about self-harm that you might stumble onto researching it online. If the cuts on your arms, you’re doing it for attention. If the cuts are on the legs, you don’t want people to know. However, children who cut their arms are not simply doing it for attention. They may just have assumed that no one will notice. You need to talk regularly to your children and make sure they’re not dealing with any emotional issues. There are lots of things that can affect a child and cause them to exhibit this type of behaviour.
It can be as serious as abuse or as seemingly small as a home move. However, there will always be an underlying cause, and danger like this can not be ignored. If your child self-harms, they do need help.
You can say this is an issue that your family will never have to deal with. Unfortunately, cases of self-harm have risen by 110 percent in the last two years. Cases of other emotional issues such as eating disorders are also on the rise. If parents can just understand that these issues could affect their children, this would be half the battle. You can stop your child becoming another statistic.
I hope I haven’t depressed you too much with this post. I am of course not suggesting that your children face these dangers themselves. These are just the type issues that could affect them.
