Safe Kids Watch Vol 8 2015

Vol.8 2014
www.safekidswatch.com.au

Contents
Nutrition and Physical Activity
Home Safety
Teaching Kids Road Safety
Swimming Pool Safety
Mobile Phone Safety
10 Signs Your Chid Is Being Bullied
20 Tips For Travelling With Children
The Dangers of Social Networking
For Kids
Pg 4
Pg 5
Pg 10
Pg 11
Pg 13
Pg 15
Pg 17
Pg 20
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SAFE KIDS WATCH
ABN: 24 158 831 111
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Sydney NSW 2000
CONTACT:
Phone: 02 8458 0759
Fax: 02 8458 5314
Email: contact@safekidswatch.com.au
Website: www.safekidswatch.com.au

Nutrition and
physical activity
Nutrition and physical activity
Good nutrition healthy eating
and regular exercise are
important in preventing
diet-related conditions
such as obesity, diabetes,
cardiovascular disease and
some cancers. Regular
physical activity and healthy
food can make a difference
in preventing these diseases.
Current activities designed
to assist the general
community, including
children and adolescents,
to choose a healthy diet
and increase their physical
activity include the following:
The Healthy School
Communities Program,
which provides grants to
community organisations
associated with primary and
secondary schools to initiate
local healthy eating activities;
Focussing on addressing
obesity through the Healthy
Weight 2008 policy.
Assisting health care
providers, parents, child care
workers and the general
community in choosing
healthy food for children
in their care through The
Australian Guide to Healthy
Eating;
Encouraging healthy lifestyles
that minimise the risk of the
development of diet-related
diseases within the Australian
population through the
NHMRC’s dietary guidelines;
Raising public awareness of
the importance of healthy
eating through the Go for
2 and 5 campaign and the
importance of physical
activity through the Get
Moving campaign.
In June 2004, Building a
Healthy Active Australia
package was announced to
address childhood obesity.
This package includes 4
main initiatives. One such
initiative is Healthy Eating
and Regular Physical Activity
- Information for Australian
families to give practical help
about how to make healthy
eating and physical activity
part of their everyday lives.
The National Go for 2 & 5 fruit
and vegetable, healthy eating
information program was
launched on 28 April 2005.
Campaign materials and
other associated information
are on the website.
The Building a Healthy Active
Australia package also
includes the Get Moving
program announced on 3
February 2006 to encourage
children to undertake at least
an hour a day of physical
activity.
In July 2004, the Physical
Activity Recommendations
for Children and Young
People. Resource kits have
been sent to every school to
assist them in encouraging
students to eat well and be
physically active.
In 2007 the Government,
as part of its election
commitments, announced
an initiative to address
childhood obesity through
the development of
guidelines on healthy eating
and physical activity for early
childhood settings. $4.5
million was provided in the
2008-09 Budget over five
years from 2007-08. More
information can be found on
the Early Childhood Nutrition
pages.

Home Safety
The home is the most
common place for young
children to be injured. Preschool
aged children often
spend the greater part of
their day at home and they
are curious, adventurous
and simply do not have a
full understanding of the
consequences of their
actions. Most injuries are
predictable and preventable.
Parents therefore need to
make the home environment
as safe as possible to
minimise the likelihood,
frequency and severity of
injuries.
Main causes of injury
Common causes of injury to
young children in the home
include poisoning, burns,
finger jams, dog bites, falls
and near drowning. There
are a number of common
scenarios, such as:
Collisions due to poorly
designed kitchens.
Injuries due to poor visual
contact between work areas
(kitchen, laundry) and play
areas (yard, family room).
Collisions and impacts due
to poorly positioned doorway
openings.
Falls due to poor lighting,
floor surface, tripping
hazards, visitors or other
distractions.
Lack of supervision of
children during phone calls,
when we are not feeling well,
when we are distracted or
entertaining, or when there
are a lot of things happening
at one time.
Supervision is the most
important safety precaution.
However, it is understandable
that parents cannot watch
their children every second
of every day. Take the
time to create a safe home
for your child by looking
for potential hazards and
implementing steps to
remove or guard any risks.
There are plenty of low-cost
safety devices such as outlet
plugs, cabinet and drawer
locks, window stops, window
guards, smoke alarms and
furniture straps and brackets
to prevent furniture tip-overs
that can help keep children
safe at home.
Home safety would be
improved dramatically if
parents incorporated safety
features during the design,
construction or renovation
stage of a home. Doing so
establishes greater potential
for reduced injury risk. Very
few houses are purpose-built
for children; however, there
are many simple ways to
reduce potential risks.
Remove dangerous items
such as medicines, poisons,
matches or lighters and
ensure they are locked away.
Install barriers to stop access
to some areas.
Add safety products.
Rearrange objects and
furniture to improve traffic
paths and reduce tripping
hazards.

Change the way you go
about your daily routine.
Sometimes you are in a hurry
or under a lot of pressure.
At times like these, injuries
can happen because too
many things are going on at
once. Perhaps this is the time
to skip unnecessary jobs
or to change your routine.
Avoid that 4.00 – 7.00pm
kitchen disaster by feeding
a demanding toddler his
dinner at midday and serving
something light you don’t
need to cook in the early
evening. Perhaps the rest
of the family can eat a meal
when baby is safely in bed.
Occasionally give a baby a
wipe instead of a bath if you
don’t have the time to stay
beside him/her. The choices
you make will depend upon
your individual situation and
the age of your child/children.
Most importantly, take steps
now to provide a safe play
space.
Suggested ways to increase
safety inside the home and
the immediate surrounds
Driveways
Many small children -
particularly toddlers - are run
over in home driveways, with
92% of run-overs occurring
at home. A parent or family
friend is usually the driver.
Never reverse until you know
where the children are.
Kitchen
The majority of kitchen
injuries are to children aged
from nought to four years.
Injuries in the kitchen include
poisoning, falls or scalds
from hot food, water or other
liquids.
To avoid injuries, try to keep
children out of the kitchen
when you are cooking. Some
parents may choose to use a
playpen at this busy time or
a safety gate at the kitchen
door.
Visit the Poisons Information
Centre website for more
information on poisoning
prevention www.austin.org.
au/poisons
Other ways to keep children
safe in the kitchen include:
Installing an oven guard,
stove knob covers or a stove
guard that fits around the hot
plates to avoid burns.
Installing safety taps or tap
covers to reduce the risk of
scalds.
Installing locks or safety
latches on cupboards where
dangerous items are stored.
Bathroom
In proportion to the amount
of time in use, the bathroom
is the most dangerous room
in the home for children, with
scalds and drownings most
common.
Ensure hot water is delivered
to the bathroom at a
maximum of 50°C to prevent
serious scalds.
Fall injuries are also common
due to the combination of
water and slippery surfaces.
Install anti-slip products to
prevent children from falling
in the bath.
For more information on
water safety in the bathroom,
visit the Royal Life Saving
Society of Australia website
www.keepwatch.com.au.
Other ways to improve
bathroom safety include:
Keeping the door shut or
installing a safety gate in the
doorway to block access to
the bathroom.
Avoiding the use of fan
heaters on the floor.
Checking the temperature
of the water before placing
your baby or child in the
bath; use your forearm or a
thermometer (a comfortable
temperature for a baby is
between 37–39C).
Ensuring hot water taps are
turned off tightly, particularly
before putting children in the
bath.
Remember – Always remain
within arm’s reach of your
baby or child in the bath.
Do not leave to answer the
phone or attend to visitors,
and avoid cooking at the
same time.

Laundry
To keep children safe and
free of injuries in the laundry:
Keep the door closed or use
a safety gate (half door) in the
doorway.
To avoid the risk of drowning,
keep buckets of water off the
floor and cover with a lid.
Keep cleaning products in
a locked cupboard out of
reach of children.
Living/family room and
bedroom
To ensure a safe sleeping
environment for babies, lay
them in their own sleeping
area without blankets,
bumpers or pillows. Parents
can share the same room but
not the same bed.
Provide children with a safe
play space in the living area.
Store toys in a ventilated
toy box with holes to avoid
suffocation, and a slow
closing latch to prevent
finger jams. Install fingerjam
protectors and doorstoppers
to both the hinge
side and the opening side
of doors to prevent serious
finger injuries.
In Australia, an estimated four
children per week present
to a hospital emergency
department with an injury
related to a button battery.
Many remote controls and
other electronic items in
the home have battery
compartments that are
easy to open. Parents may
be unaware of the risks
associated with coin-sized
lithium button batteries. These
batteries cause severe
injuries when swallowed, as
they may get caught in the
throat and burn through the
oesophagus in as little as two
hours. In extreme cases, the
batteries can cause death.
Children under five years are
at greatest risk.
Do not allow young children
near home gym equipment
such as weights, treadmills
and exercise bikes. Place
these items in a separate
room or use safety gates
to keep children away
from these items. Before
you purchase a treadmill,
research which models
provide protective covers
to prevent little fingers and
hands getting caught. Check
that the machine has a safety
stop switch to disable it
quickly in case of an injury.
Before using the treadmill,
ensure children cannot reach
or touch the machine.
Windows
Windows play a vital role
in home safety, ensuring a
second way out of a room in
an emergency situation such
as a fire. However, windows
can also pose a risk to young
children.
To prevent a fall injury from a
window:
Keep windows closed and
locked when children are
around.
Don’t rely on insect screens
to prevent a fall.
Arrange furniture and shelves
away from windows to
prevent children climbing
and opening a window.
Make sure nothing is
blocking or preventing a
window from opening in
case of emergency.
The importance of first aid
Injuries involving children
can occur as families go
about everyday activities.
Are you confident you know
what to do for your child if
faced with a life threatening
emergency? Would you
know what to do if you
discovered an infant face
down in a pool of water?
Could you confidently revive
a child, or would you know
how to adequately manage a
child with scalds from cups
of tea and coffee or boiling
water, or a flame burn?
For more information on
paediatric first aid courses
visit www.rch.org.au/
safetycentre
For a complete list of
safety features throughout
the home, refer to The
Royal Children’s Hospital

Safety Centre Home Safety
Checklist and print a set
of A4 home safety and
surrounds posters.
The Interactive Home Safety
Guide is a virtual house
designed to help parents
explore and modify safety
risks around the home. As
each risk is identified, parents
gain knowledge about why
the risk is a safety issue.
Once complete, parents
can print out a checklist
of actions that need to be
implemented in their own
home.
Disclaimer
This information is
intended to support, not
replace, discussion with
your doctor or healthcare
professionals. The authors
of these consumer health
information handouts have
made a considerable effort
to ensure the information
is accurate, up to date and
easy to understand. The
Royal Children’s Hospital,
Melbourne accepts no
responsibility for any
inaccuracies, information
perceived as misleading, or
the success of any treatment
regimen detailed in these
handouts.

Teaching Children
Road Safety
Going for a bike ride
Talk to your kids about the
importance of wearing
correctly-fitted helmets and
other appropriate protective
gear. Make sure they are
clearly visible and have adult
supervision. Check out these
other bike and helmet safety
tips from Kidsafe ACT.
Making young children aware
of road safety is essential
for keeping them safe in
today’s world. When we
talk about road safety a few
things probably come to
mind immediately – crossing
at pedestrian crossings,
looking left and right before
you cross, wearing a helmet
when riding a bike – but there
are a lot of other things we
can talk to our kids about.
Here’s our list of road
safety tips for pre-school
and primary school
children,gathered from
road safety experts like the
Kidsafe organisations and
Kids and Traffic.
Mum Kids Crossing
RoadGoing for a walk
Going to the park or the
local shops? Walk all or part
of the way along the safest
route with them, and use the
opportunity to explain the
observations and choices
you make to get there safely,
such as using pedestrian
crossings and traffic lights,
and using the ‘Stop, Look,
Listen and Think’ approach
(check out this advice from
Kidsafe VIC and ACT).
Explain words like “fast”,
“slow”, “near” and “far”. This
is also a great time to make
sure your kids recognise and
understand road signs and
crossings.
As passengers in the car
Talk about the importance
of wearing seat belts and
make sure that everyone in
the vehicle has appropriate
restraints for their age and
size. You could also explain
the rules of the road.
Road safety around the home
A driveway is like a small
road. Always supervise any
children whenever a vehicle
is to be moved - hold their
hands or hold them close
to keep them safe – and
separate play areas from
cars. Kidsafe NSW has more
of these important tips on
driveway safety. This advice
also goes for other off-road
areas such as car parks,
unfenced yards, private roads
and farms.
Around the school
Discuss safe drop off and
pick up behaviours around
the school with your children,
including checking for other
vehicles and pedestrians.
Other general tips
‘Hold their hand or hold them
close’ is a good approach for
young children when they are
pedestrians or getting in and
out of vehicles.
Young children often behave
unpredictably, even around
roads, so always expect the
unexpected especially when
behind the wheel yourself.

Swimming pool
safety
With a proper safety fence
and appropriate precautions,
including constant
supervision, swimming pools
can mean hours of fun for
your child.
Pool fences
All private swimming pools or
spas that can hold a depth of
300mm or more must have
safety barriers around them.
This law applies to pools and
spas on private residential
properties in all Australian
states and territories.
All pool safety fences must
meet Australian Standard
1926 (AS:1926) safety
requirements (check with
your local council for details).
You’ll need a building permit
before you start putting a
safety barrier in place.
Always make sure there’s
an adult supervising when
toddlers and children
are playing in or around
swimming pools, spas
or other bodies of water.
Supervision, not safety
barriers, is the key to
preventing accidents.
Barriers are required for:
- inground pools
- above-ground pools
- indoor swimming pools
- bathing and wading pools
- jacuzzis
- hot tubs
- spas.
A safe pool fence is at least
1.2 m high is strong and
secure has a self-closing,
self-latching, child-resistant
gate (latch must be more
than 1.5 m high) has vertical
bars no more than 100 mm
apart has horizontal bars at
least 900 mm apart.
S
afety fences can only do
their job when you use
them correctly. To ensure
your safety barrier remains
effective, you can follow
these guidelines:
Fit and maintain correct
safety measures to gates,
doors and windows that can
be used to access the pool
(for example, self-closing
or self-latching devices, fly
screens).
Keep the gate shut so
children can’t get through
without you, and never prop it
open.
Maintain, repair or replace the
safety latch if it isn’t working
properly.
Clear the area by removing
any items that could be used
to climb the pool fence, such
as pot plants and chairs.
Attend a first aid course –
first aid is an essential skill for
all parents and older family
members.
Other pool safety tips
Supervision means constant
visual contact, not the
occasional glance. If you
leave the pool or water area,
even for a moment, take
your child with you. An adult
needs to be within reach at
all times when children are in
or around the water.
Display a resuscitation CPR
chart on your pool fence.
Familiarise your child with
water by taking him to
lessons at the local pool from
a young age.

Always watch small children
around paddling pools.
Empty paddling pools
immediately after your child
has finished playing.
Empty baths, basins, sinks,
buckets and troughs
immediately after use.
Water mats, lifesaver rings,
inflatable vests and water
wings need to conform
to the relevant Australian
Standard. Always watch your
child when she’s wearing
floatation devices, making
sure she doesn’t tip upside
down or slip through into
the water. Neighbours’ pools
can also be a danger to your
child. If your neighbour’s
pool isn’t properly fenced, it
might be worth letting them
know about relevant safety
regulations. Keep an eye on
your child to make sure he
doesn’t make unsupervised
visits, and tell him about the
dangers of swimming without
an adult.
Public pool safety
Even in a supervised public
pool, never take your eyes
off your child – lifeguards are
no substitute for a parent’s
watchful eye. Keep your
child within reach when she’s
swimming.

Mobile Phone
Sfaety
Mobile phones are a great
way for children to stay in
touch with their parents,
family and friends. Mobiles
allow users to make calls,
take photos, play games,
send texts (SMS) and images
(MMS), and access the
internet. Mobiles are a regular
feature in teenagers’ lives
and increasingly used by
younger children.
While mobiles provide
immediate contact and can
be fun to use, the fact that
they can be on 24/7 and
you can’t always be there to
supervise, means there are
potential risks. These include:
High bills - children and
young people may not
consider the impact of their
mobile phone use, or the
cost of premium services,
like ringtones or games,
which are more expensive
than a standard SMS.
Scams - young users may
also be more susceptible to
mobile phone scams that are
designed to steal personal
details or money. Children
may not know they’ve been
scammed unless invoices
or online statements are
checked carefully for unusual
charges.
Cyberbullying and
unwelcome mobile calls
- Mobile phones are often
used for cyberbullying, as
they are easy tools for bullies
to use. Mobiles can also be
used to make calls that are
threatening, offensive or
harassing in nature.
Sexting - a growing issue is
young people’s use of mobile
phones to send sexual
images to one another. This
can have social and legal
consequences.
Access to inappropriate
material - internet-enabled
mobiles allow children and
young people ready access
to a range of material that
their parents may consider
inappropriate for them.
There are a number of ways
that parents can increase
their child’s phone safety.
These include helping them
to block unwanted calls
from specific numbers or
disabling internet access.
Contact your mobile phone
provider to find out how to
do this.
Most phones can also be
manually locked with a
password or PIN number
so no-one, except you or
your child, can make calls
or access details. This is
especially helpful if your
child’s phone is lost or stolen.
Some mobile phones can
enable your child to access
the internet. As parents can’t
always be there to supervise,
it’s more important than ever
to teach children and teens
how to protect themselves.
Not sharing too much
personal information online is
an important first step.
Tips for parents
Stay involved with your child’s
use of new technologies. Ask
your child to show you how
their phone works and what
they are using it for.
Find out how access to the
internet and other services
can be managed. This
information is usually available
on the carrier’s website.

Help your child to understand
that their phone is like a wallet
and every text message,
phone call or download
service costs money.
Remind your child that they
shouldn’t let anyone borrow
their phone.
Talk with your child about
their experiences with their
mobile phone. Let them know
it’s okay to tell you if they
come across something that
worries them.
Teach your child that there
are ways they can deal
with disturbing material—
they should not respond
if they receive something
inappropriate, and they
should immediately hang up
if they feel uncomfortable or
worried.
Tips for your kids & teens
Never post your number
or other personal details on
the internet or share it with
anybody you don’t know. The
more private your number is,
the less likely you are to be
contacted by strangers.
Be wary of anyone who
asks to borrow your phone
in public—even if it’s for a
supposed emergency. If it is
a genuine emergency, dial
Triple Zero (000) for them
and pass on the phone. Do
not leave a stranger alone
with your phone.
a virus or be an attempt to
sign you up to an expensive
subscription or premium
service.
Say no! Don’t accept any
offers that seem too good
to be true, like a free mobile
phone. Check with your
parents or guardian first.
Stay aware of what’s going
on around you and guard
your privacy. Remember,
if you can take pictures of
everything and everyone with
your phone, so can others ...
and you may not want to be
the subject of their photos!
Be considerate - only send
the kinds of messages and
photos you would be happy
to receive.
Tell your parents or another
trusted adult if someone
sends you unkind or bullying
messages, or asks you to do
something that makes you
feel uncomfortable. Make a
note of the number it came
from, the date and time of
the call, or save the message.
It may need to be followed
up by your school, Internet
Service Provider (ISP), mobile
phone carrier or the police.
If you receive a text message
from an unknown source,
don’t reply. It could contain

10 signs your child
is being bullied
Most parents have been
bullied at some stage in their
life, and it’s highly likely your
child will have to face it too.
Research suggests that one
in five kids will face bullying
at some stage and one in ten
are likely to be cyber bullied
- or bullied while online or via
their mobile phone.
All Australian schools have
bullying strategies and
policies designed to tackle
the problem of bullies and
appropriately resolve any
problems related to violence
and intimidation.
Bullying can be covert or
cyber-based. It can be
physical or emotional. So
when can you use the label
of “bully” - and what are the
types?
What is bullying?
Bullying occurs when a
person or a group repeatedly
and intentionally use or abuse
their power to intimidate,
hurt, oppress or damage
someone else. They can
include:
Physical bullying - when
physical actions such as
hitting, poking, tripping or
pushing, are used to hurt
and intimidate. Repeatedly
and intentionally damaging
someone’s belongings is also
physical bullying.
Verbal bullying - involves
the use of negative words,
like name calling, insults,
homophobic or racist
slurs, to intentionally upset
someone.
Social bullying - when lies,
the spreading of rumours or
nasty pranks are used. This
includes repeated mimicking
and deliberate exclusion.
Psychological bullying
- involves the repeated
and intentional use of
words or actions which
can cause psychological
harm. Examples include
intimidation, manipulation and
stalking.
Cyber bullying - this is a
big one at the moment,
and is when technology is
used to verbally, socially
or psychologically bully. It
can occur in chat rooms,
on social networking sites,
through emails or on mobile
phones.
Bullying isn’t a disagreement
or single episode of social
rejection - it’s usually more
sustained or systematic.
Bullying is happening
everywhere and the chances
that your child - or you - will
encounter it are very high.
How likely is it that bullying
will happen?
One student in every four in
Australian schools is affected
by bullying, says recent
research commissioned by
the Federal Government.
An estimated 200 million
children and youth around the
world are being bullied by
their peers according to the
2007 Kandersteg Declaration
Against Bullying in Children
and Youth.
Kids who are bullied are
three times more likely to
show depressive symptoms,
and up to nine times more
likely to have suicidal
thoughts, say some studies.
Girls who were victims of
bullying in their early primary
school years were more
likely to remain victims as
they get older. Children
who were frequently bullied

y their peers are more
likely to develop psychotic
symptoms in their early
adolescence, says more UK
research.
tGirls were much more
likely than boys to be
victims of both cyber and
traditional bullying, says a
recent Murdoch Children’s
Research Institute study.
Children as young as three
can become victims of
bullying and young people
who bully have a one in four
chance of having a criminal
record by the age of 30.
Bullying is the fourth most
common reason young
people seek help from
children’s help services.
How to spot the signs of
bullying
Children can find it hard to
communicate what’s going
on if they’re being bullied.
Even now, with all the
publicity about bullying and
the zero tolerance attitude
of schools, many bullying
victims suffer in silence - in
fact some research suggests
that 20% of victims say
nothing. Maybe they are too
ashamed, or more likely feel
too threatened by the bullies
to tell anyone.
So it is important that parents
and teachers know how to
spot the signs that bullying
may be occurring, which
include:
physical injuries like
unexplained bruises and
scratches
reluctance to go to school
lower academic
performance
moodiness, withdrawal,
tension and tears after school
or kindy
talk of hating school
refusal to discuss what’s
happening at school
bed wetting, altered
sleep patterns or having
nightmares
changes in eating habits
(such as loss of appetite or
overeating)
major changes in
relationships and friendships
with others
getting into trouble more
often, and acting out
Obviously these signs can
also point to many other
issues. So how do you find
out if bullying is the reason
for your child’s changes
in behaviour? You need to
talk to your child and try to
encourage them to open up
about what’s happening.
Talking about bullying
Many kids who are being
bullied will not voluntarily talk
to their carers or teachers
about what’s happening. They
will need some coaxing and
a feeling that they are being
understood to reveal what
they’re going through.

20 TIPS FOR TRAVELLINg
WITH CHILDREN
Travelling with children can
be a bit like taking a herd
of wild goats on holiday.
Whether they’re your own
or someone else’s, factoring
a child’s needs into your
travels involves a lot more
than sticking on a CD full of
pop music and making toilet
stops.
Take your time
The greatest thing you
can take – whether at the
airport, sightseeing or getting
from A to B – is extra time.
Toddlers love to explore
and don’t care for the time
pressures of travel, so you’re
more likely to all retain your
cool if you factor the faffing,
gawping, stalling, toilet stops
and tantrums into your
timeframe.
Book ahead
Whether you’re camping or
staying in hotels, it pays to
book ahead. Trying to retain
the spontaneity of travel BC
(Before Children) doesn’t
pay off if you arrive at your
destination to find you can’t
bag a bed or pitch and have
to hit the road again with
tired, hungry toddlers melting
down in the backseat.
Give them a
camera
Giving toddlers their own
(robust, child-friendly)
camera encourages them to
observe their surroundings
and focus on what interests
them. You might be surprised
at the results from their kneehigh
view. Amongst pictures
of feet and wheels, my threeyear-old
has shot flowers,
animals, helicopters, boats,
rocks and rabbit poo.
Be prepared for
the climate
It’s simple advice, but
children dressed comfortably
for the weather and terrain
will be happier in a new
environment. With all the
gear available, there’s no
excuse for dressing toddlers
in ski-suits four sizes too
big, forgetting their gloves,
or leaving them barefoot on
a beach where sea urchins
lurk.
Pack Pull-Ups for
potty training
Planes and public transport
during the potty training days
can be a nightmare. As if you
didn’t have enough in your
hand luggage, now you’re
expected to add a potty,
three changes of clothes
and bags of wet, stinky
pants. Potty-training gurus
may disagree, but if toddlers
are still having lots of little
accidents then I’m all for
putting them back into Pull-
Ups on the plane.
Be app-y
Thanks to toddler-friendly
apps, there’s no need to
cram a toy box into your
hand luggage when travelling
by plane. By all means take a
book and a magic scribbler
(crayons just get lost down
the side of seats), but the
most compact form of
entertainment is a device
loaded with apps and games.

Use public
transport
Most toddlers love the
novelty of travelling by train,
bus and boat, so ditch the
hire car and use public
transport where possible.
In Switzerland, my twoyear-old
would repeat the
names of the metro stops
as they were announced –
provoking ripples of laughter
and making him even more
excited about boarding the
train each day.
Invest in a child
locator
In my experience, toddlers
aren’t fans of reins,
backpacks with a leash, or
any infringement on their
freedom. Keep tabs on them
at airports, train stations and
crowded attractions with a
child locator. The child wears
a small unit (strapped to a
belt or shoe) and you keep
the transmitter. If you lose
your child set off the alarm
and follow the sound to find
them.
Keep bugs at bay
Whether you’re travelling to
Paignton or Peru, antibacterial
wipes and hand sanitizer are
handbag essentials. A wipe
of the cutlery in restaurants
where you’re unsure of
hygiene, or a squirt of hand
sanitizer when there’s no
washing facilities, can zap
a few germs and prevent
toddlers catching some
common bugs.
Don’t forget the
medicine
Whether they’re out of
routine, jet-lagged, or
eating less healthily, kids
always seem to get ill on
holiday. Dampen the impact
of broken nights, frayed
temperaments and fevers
by packing an easy-toswallow
medicine such
as Calpol in the UK. Other
basic ingredients in your
first aid kit should include
antiseptic wipes, plasters,
sting treatment, and a
thermometer.
Don’t let the
children pack
their own
rucksacks
We once went on a trip
with our eight-year-old, who
complained incessantly that
her backpack was too heavy.
The reason why? She’d
brought along her entire
collection of fossils “just in
case”. Do let the children
have input but remember
to edit this heavily before
departure.
Keep the
activities coming
If you’re heading out on a
long journey have a collection
of toys to be handed out
once an hour. Handheld
puzzles, tiny colouring books,
stickers, wordsearches and
even tiny packs of Plasticine
will pass the time on a long
flight or car journey.
Have a number
of family games
ready in case of
delay.
Punch-buggy and padiddle
are popular, if violent,
favourites for car journeys,
whereas more cerebral ones
like the Alphabet game are
safer for air travel.
Avoid sweets
Resist the temptation to keep
them going on a long journey
by feeding them sweets.
Pack a mixture of savoury
snacks like cheese cubes,
breadsticks, fruit and bagels
– anything to avoid arriving in
a strange city with children in
the middle of a sugar rush.
Encourage them
to keep a travel
journal

Get your kids drawing and
listing things they’ve seen
and interesting foods they’ve
tried. Who knows, this might
also encourage them to try
different foods. Collecting
postcards from places you
visit and asking them to write
themselves a message on
the back means they can
reach adulthood with a library
of memories all their own.
Remember the
medicine
It should already be on your
travelling list, but having kids
along means carrying a small
first aid kit is all the more vital:
plasters, antihistamines and
sachets of painkilling syrup
can save a lot of stress later
on. Antimalarials are also
available in liquid form.
Brand them
If you’re going to be travelling
through busy, crowded
airports or transport hubs,
write your mobile number
on your child’s arm in biro in
case they get lost.
Check your
passports
passport is astronomical, and
particularly galling if you only
realise it’s necessary when
already in the ferry queue at
Calais. Don’t ask us how we
know this. We just do.
Remember the
baby wipes
Even if all your children are
long out of nappies, don’t
forget the baby wipes.
They’re useful for washing
hands, cleaning toilet seats,
and wiping down restaurant
tables. In the same spirit,
little bottles of hand cleanser
can be a lifesaver in some
countries, but check the
travel regulations for liquids
well in advance.
Engage and
involve older
children
The best way to avoid a souldestroying
sulk from your
teenager is to involve them
in the planning of the holiday
and ask them for input on
what they’d like to do. You
might be surprised to hear
it’s not spending all day on
the internet.
Children’s passports only
last five years and they have
a habit of running out when
you’re not looking. Allow at
least four weeks to renew
one. The cost of a last-minute

The Dangers of Social
Networking For Kids
Social networking is a global
revolution, enabling around
a billion people worldwide
to stay in touch with their
friends, share experiences
and photographs and
exchange personal content.
In many ways it has replaced
the telephone and email. For
many users, it has become a
way of life.
Social Networking
Sites
Social Networking has
overnight become one of
the most popular things to
do on the internet. And is
one of the most enjoyable
experiences you can have
on the internet. But with
Social Networking comes a
certain risk and responsibility
to you and your family.
Although many social
networking sites have privacy
settings the responsibility
of access comes down
to the user posting private
information onto a public
internet. Always be aware
that when you post content
to your profile you are
posting it onto the internet. A
globally accessible network
of information without
restrictions.
You can’t take it back once
you post it, and you may
regret it in the future. For
teenagers, college students
beware most employers will
have a facebook or social
networking page and will
search for a potential job
candidates to see the real
person, not the shiney clean
shaven, well spoken person
who had an interview that
day with the company. So
the potential employer
searches for the candidate
on the internet and comes
across their profile and they
click on the photo album
called “Saturday Night Party”
and they see the candidate
falling on the floor drunk,
so suddenly the employer
is now thinking if I hire this
person will I have to worry
how they will behave at
the company family party,
or christmas party? Just
beware that anything you
put on your facebook,
myspace or any other social
networking site is on the
internet forever and easily
searched.
Safety for Kids on
Social Networking
With a network of over 450
Million People on facebook
and countless millions on
other social networking sites
around the world you are
likely to find some dangerous
people. So you need to take
steps to prevent your family
from being at risk.
So to begin, lets get a clear
picture of the danger cause
this 450 million number isn’t
scary enough. Lets take that
450 Million users and lets say
for example purposes that
0.5% are dangerous people.
That is 2.25 Million dangeous
people, now lets look at
how many countries are in
the world lets say 200 to
keep everyone happy. Thats
11250 Dangerous people per
country who prowl the social
networking sites for victims.
Its a very scary figure when
you break it down like that.
To scare you even more the
true number is probably 10
times more.

Keep your friends list a
friends list and set your
privacy settings to “Friends
ONLY” not “Friends of
Friends” because you can
only control what you do
not what other people do
and if one of your lose
canon friends has added
a dangerous person he
will have access to all your
information and photos if
you are using the “Friends of
Friends” privacy settings.
Social Networking
For Parents
Parents need to be proactive
in who your kids are
networking with. If you have
a young child using facebook
you should be extra careful
and teach your child to watch
for dangers. Teach them
what information they are
allowed to give out because
most children do not realise
that giving out their address
is a danger. Even in chat
rooms they should not give
out their specific contact
details ever because they
do not know who they are
talking to.
Top Tips to prevent
being vunerable.
- Make sure you set the
privacy settings correctly
to protect your privacy and
to protect yourself from
strangers. If you set your
settings wrong people can
still access your photos, info
when they are not your friend.
- Ask your friends and family
to have a look at your profile
to check that you aren’t
giving out too much personal
information or posting
inappropriate photos/films
because they might see
something you’ve missed.
- Keep your passwords and
secret security questions to
yourself.
- Respect yourself and
others online. Dont make
yourself a target by posting
tempting information.
- If you are unlucky enough
to have a bad experience
online report it to the service
provider and tell an adult.
- Cyberbullying is NEVER
acceptable. If you or
someone you know is
targeted by bullies online tell
them to tell an adult and very
important to keep evidence
of the bullying behaviour and
never reply
The Risks Social
Network:
- Disclosure of private information
by either yourself or friends/
contacts.
- Bullying.
- Cyber-stalking.
- Access to age-inappropriate
content.
- Online grooming and child
abuse.
- Encountering comments that are
violent, sexual, extremist or racist
in nature, or offensive activities
and hateful attitudes.
- People trying to persuade or
harrass you into changing your
basic beliefs or ideologies, or
adopt an extremist stance.
- Prosecution or recrimination
from posting offensive or
inappropriate comments.
- Phishing emails allegedly
from social networking sites,
but actually encouraging you to
visit fraudulent or inappropriate
websites.
- Friends’, other people’s and
companies’ posts encouraging
you to link to fraudulent or
inappropriate websites.
- People hacking into or hijacking
your account or page.
- Viruses or spyware contained
within message attachments or
photographs.