Top Ten Resolutions for Keeping Children Safe and Healthy

The American Academy of Pediatrics published the following list of resolutions to help keep all children safe and healthy.

These resolutions are not listed in order of priority -- each one is equally important:

1. Help reduce tobacco use among children, adolescents and young adults. If you smoke, quit. If you can’t quit, smoke outdoors to protect your child against second-hand smoke.
2. Good nutrition makes for a healthy child. Be sure that your child eats regularly and has a variety of nourishing foods.
3. Everyone should buckle up in the car. Help avoid the leading cause of disabilities and death of children before you turn on the engine.
4. Lower the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in newborns. When infants are put down to sleep, they should be placed on their back.
5. Make sure that every child is immunized on time. Immunizations are the best defense against many dangerous childhood diseases.
6. Give your home a safety check. Install smoke detectors, store poisonous substances out of your child’s reach, and know how to access emergency services.
7. Prevent violence by setting good examples for your children. Remember that words can hurt, too. Also, hitting, slapping or spanking children teaches them it’s okay to hit others to solve problems so use non-physical forms of discipline.
8. Read to your children on a daily basis beginning at 6 months of age to enhance their early brain development.
9. Monitor what your children see in the media, including television, movies and music, because children are affected by what they see and hear.
10. Teach children the difference between fantasy and reality.
11. Provide a nurturing environment in which children feel loved, safe and valued.