1. Safety Practices and Policies

In a preschool setting one of the most common injuries is due to falls and most could have been prevented through proper supervision and safety rules (Robertson, 2010). Children should be given a set of safety rules that must be sent home and signed by the parent and student and then the teacher can go over the rules to make sure they understood them. It wouldn’t hurt for the teacher to keep enforcing the rules since young children need to be reminded.  Giving parents a booklet on indoor safety can help them to recognize potential risks they may not have thought about.

     A safety policy that is set in place at the preschools and public schools is a form that must be filled out by parents that has a list of people that have permission to pick your child up from school. A parent may send in a note if they need their child picked up by someone that is not on the list. There are so many abductions in the United States that is important to make sure we know we are sending the children with an adult that is safe. Send home brochures or pamphlets teaching children about strangers and what to do if a stranger approaches them.

     Preschool children are at an age where they can do more physically but do not understand the risks factors that are involved. At this age the children are risk takers and need to be supervised. It is the job of the teacher to make sure they have provided a safe environment indoors and outdoors for the children. Play ground equipment should be safe and age appropriate with a surface cushioning of mulch, sand, or pea gravel (Robertson, 2010). Providing children with a list of outdoor safety rules that must be sent home and signed by a parent that they went over the rules with their child. This will also make the parent aware of the hazards of outdoor play at their own homes.

    Preschool children are still in danger of choking and should not be allowed to run or hoarse play with food or gum in their mouths. Children should be provided an area where they have a table to sit at while they are eating. I have had preschool children put toys or other items in their mouths that you would only think a baby or toddler do. Sending home safety brochures that are geared for preschool age children would help make the parents aware of potential choking hazards. A teacher should tell a parent if their child puts things in their mouth at school and explain to the parent how it was dealt with and they may chose to do the same at home.

     This brings me to another safety issue because preschoolers like to explore and experiment all the cleaning chemicals or anything that is a potential risk should be locked up or out of reach of children. Stickers should be on poisonous items and children are to be taught to recognize the sign and that it means the item is dangerous and should not be touched. Parents should be sent home a brochure of poison hazards with stickers for chemicals and a poison control number. I have gotten these from my children when they were younger.

     Parents need to be aware of the dangers in and outside of their homes. If there are creeks, streams, or other areas with water that presents a risk of drowning they need to have a fence that is childproof. Medications should be out of the reach of children and it would be safer if the parent buys a container that locks to put the medications in. Parents should install safety devices such as safety gates and latches where there is a risk of falls or injury and outlets should be covered (Robertson, 2010).

                                                               

                                                                  References

Robertson, C. (2010). Safety, Nutrition, and Health in Early Education (4th ed.). Belmont, CA:   

     Wadsworth Cengage Learning.