Being a father of 4 children, their safety is always on my mind especially as my 3 teenagers become more independent, to me the streets don’t seem as safe as they used to be, and it’s not just the streets, social events and parties can quickly get out of control.

Having done a level of security work myself as a night club bouncer I have seen my fair number of fights just appear out of nowhere, so I do worry about my kids.

However I know my kids are not going to want to me to follow them everywhere, so they are just going to have to learn to recognise potential risks and avoid them, but in the event that they are caught up in a situation, they need to know what to do as safely and quickly as possible.

I found this great self defence video, which as the title says is the most intelligent form of self defence I have seen.

In today's podcast Vicky talks about providing opportunities for children to fully explore a "window of opportunity" for their development. They might be going through a phase of wanting to explore their sorting skills, drawing skills or their concept of cause and effect. So it is great to be able to provide them additional opportunities on top of what they discover themselves. It is also important to ensure that children can satisfy their desire to explore in a safe environment. There are lots of things in our households that we often throw away that could be used for providing those opportunities. Here's a few examples of DIY toys Vicky made herself:

Amazing what you can do with old drink bottles, caps and pieces of string. Check out the toys in detail in our post "How to stimulate your baby's development with home made toys".

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-Stefan

A NEW TOOL TO HELP NEW ZEALANDERS RECOGNISE AND ACT ON CHILD ABUSE

Written by Anthea Simcock
Published by CPS

For every child that’s killed or hurt through child abuse, there is an adult saying; “I was worried about that child, but I didn’t know what to do.”

“How Can I Tell?” gives all New Zealanders the skills to recognise when a child or a family is in need of help is the aim of the new book, “How Can I Tell?”

The book also includes advice for what appropriate actions to take if people suspect abuse.

As the subtitle of the book indicates, this book will help New Zealanders recognise when a child or family needs help. It has been designed to be easy to read and carry, to show the positive side of protecting children and at the same time to contain lots of helpful information.

Every Zealander has a responsibility to recognise when a family or child needs help and “How Can I Tell?” will assist. It's not about telling tales or being a nosy neighbour.

Here's a cool and fun way to raise kids' awareness of UV exposure - UV sensitive beads. UV Beads have a chemical substance embedded into the plastic that will change color when exposed to UV radiation (sun light). The beads will remain white indoors as long as they are kept away from windows or doors where UV light can leak into the room.

This is especially great for kids in New Zealand and Australia where exposure to UV radiation and potentially developing skin cancer as a result is a real problem. You can do all sorts of experiments with them and make them into bracelets, ear rings, hair bands etc. You can also attach them to a wrist watch, mobile phone or key rings. The key thing is to get your kids to check them regularly when they are outside - ESPECIALLY ON AN OVERCAST DAY. Cover up, when they light up!

Very powerful ad with an important message ... well executed and great to watch! Well done.

-Stef

We've recently come across a nice little site called safetyandstyle.com. They basically sell stylised work and safety gear. So if you want to make sure everyone knows you're the world's biggest Harley fan - get a Harley Davidson hard hat. I didn't realise that stuff existed - what a great idea though. Be safe and go in style.

Safety is a huge issue for dads working in hazardous environments - so if there are products out there that make guys want to wear safety gear more often because they're kind of cool ... well that's great. After all there are too many sad stories where something happened to dad and he didn't get to see his children grow up or couldn't do the things he wanted to do with them because of some accident at work or doing DIY stuff at home.

So check out the site and gear up!

-Stef

Picking the right gift for kids or family can be quite challenging. Here's a different take on the usual "what to buy" lists ... In addition to all the toys and games you may want to give children for Christmas how about buying presents that help protect them from injuries at home, at play or on the road.

Here are some ideas:

* A car booster seat. Jazz it up and let their imagination run wild (e.g. tell them it's a rocket ship or a fairy chariot!). Kids are safer in a booster seat until they're big enough to fit an adult seat belt properly. The easiest way to tell: If your children are under 148cm or 4'10" tall, they still need a booster seat.

* A cycle helmet. If Lance Armstrong uses one, your kid can wear one too. Let them pick their own helmet and while you're at it, get one for yourself and walk the talk.

Lighting a candle at home to celebrate a birthday, get in the mood for Christmas or even to save a bit on your next power bill is a nice thing to do. Children are often drawn to the magic of the flame and enjoy the sense that something special is happening. Apart from the usual hazards of an open flame near children there have been reports over the last few years that candles literally create a special atmosphere at home - a toxic one.

Some compare the fumes created by burning paraffin candles to those of second hand smoking. Just how dangerous candle smoke is to humans remains unclear, but many common types of candles release toxins such as benzene and toluene when they are lit. It is believed that the soot from paraffin candles can also cause respiratory problems or could negatively affect people who already have asthma, lung, or heart problems.

On the odd chance that you haven't seen this clip - an accute reminder for all parents to always check that the brakes on your pram / stroller are fully engaged when you let go of it. Amazing how it took only a few seconds for the stroller to roll on to the tracks. A sheer miracle that the baby was unharmed ...

-Stef