Worries A-Z

Facts, stats and hints to put child dangers and safety into perpective.

Every statistics represents tragedy but more tragedies will happen unless parents know where to focus their time and energy.

Research  sources noted where possible but often represents an averaging of statistics for the purposes of noting a general trend.  For complete information, contact info@paranoidparentsguide.com.

Arson:  Will my child get angry and torch the house?  60% of arsonists are 10 to 15 years old.

Arts and Crafts:   While the Paranoid Parent is searching for the safety scissors, your child is in the corner eating the gorilla glue.  Over 10,000 kids under 6 ended up in the emergency room for eating ink, 40,000 for all arts and crafts poisonings.  (Poison Control)  And that doesn’t include pediatricians’ visits.

Average Parents: 
      Don’t know how to buckle their child in a car seat properly (78%)
      Don’t feed their child anything close to a healthy diet (98% of parents)
      Eat out over half the time.
      Don’t make their kids wear helmets.
      Over half have guns and 98% do NOT lock up the gun cabinet.

Bathroom:  Parents lock up household cleaners but leave everything out in the bathroom.
23,000 under 6s end up in the emergency room each year from drinking perfume and aftershave;
another 10,000 from drinking shampoo and conditioner. (Poison Control)
(See T  for toothpaste below)

Broken Bones:  most kids break a bone.  Don’t stress it.  Although it seems like an eternity, it takes 3 weeks for a baby’s bone to heal, and up to 6 weeks in a teenager.

Camps:   Camps keep accident statistics confidential so it is extremely hard to know what is going on.

Cleaners:  Everyone knows to child-proof their cleaner cupboard and has which is why poisonings for the under 6s are lower than in the bathroom.  But the total is still way up there. (Poison Control)

Day Care:  60% of children under 6 go to some kind of day care. (Child Care and Early Education Arrangements of Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers. 2001.  By the NCES (National Center for Education Statistics and NHES National Household Education Survey Program)

Easter Egg Dye:  Kids won’t eat the hard boiled Easter eggs but almost 900 under 6s  will end up in Emergency for drinking the dye. (Poison Control)

Fear of Flying:  You sit panicking in the airplane with your child for fear a terrorist will take over the plane.  Odds: 1 in 55 million (CDC)

Grandparents:  56% of grandparents see their grandkids at least once a week.  (AARP Grandparenting Survey 2002)

Hugs:  Your boy will be a better ‘man’ if you keep hugging him than if you don’t.  Hugging is one of the easiest ways to improve your child’s chances in life.

Insect Bites:  10,000 kids under 6 end up in the emergency room for bug bites

Junk Food:  about 200-300 calories a day of junk food (candy, chips, including fruit juices) are probably OK

Kindergarten:  Statistics show that full day kindergarten is better than half day. (American Journal of Education, 2006)

Learning:  Studies show children and teens learn better with music on (but not TV).

Lost:  Approximately 2500 children a day get lost. 

Missing School:  Parents in the UK can get fined $100 a day for children who miss school (for extra vacation days or an unexcused absence).  Five days absent can me permanent expulsion.  Kids can’t learn if they aren’t there.

No:  No can be another way to say I love you.  But saying No all the time makes your child deaf to the word.

Organic food:   Kids eat on average 3200 different chemicals a week in food.  Each of the 3200 chemicals could be safe on its own but it is impossible to test all the chemical reactions that might not be safe out of those 3200 chemicals.  Organic avoids all that.

Playgrounds:  210,000 kids under 14 end up in the emergency room from playground injuries.  (Safekids Worldwide.   Facts about injuries to children on playgrounds)

Quick Fix to kid worries:  Helmet and buckle up.  Reduces serious injuries 78%, death 90% (summary of CDC data)

Role Model:  Best role model:  you.

School Buses:  20 children under 14 were killed in a school bus accident (2003), half were getting on or off the bus and getting hit crossing the street.  (Safekids Worldwide.  Facts about Injuries to Children At School)

Toothpaste:   Just under  20,000 under 6s end up in Emergency for toothpaste poisoning.  (Poison Control)

Underwear:   It takes a long time to get little boys to put on their underwear the right direction.  Just like most kids don’t skip on both legs until they are 7, or really coordinate the crawl until at least 5. 

Vacations-- theme parks:  Will your child end up in emergency from a trip to a theme park.  Most likely cause—dehydration.  You have let him have caffeine soft drinks all day.  Rides are safe if AGE appropriate.  See Columns.

Worrying about Work:  Paranoid Parents cannot stop you worrying about your job security;  we wish we could, but we will try to help on everything else.

X

Yelling:  Yelling makes your child’s brain revert to the instinct level.  It probably will make your child’s mind go blank.  Yelling directions from the soccer sideline will help him lose the game.

Zoo:  Do not jump in the bear enclosure to rescue your child’s favorite stuffed animal.