COULD I POSSIBLY BE AN ABUSIVE PARENT?

CREATING A HEALTHY ATMOSPHERE IN YOUR HOME

You may have heard that most accidents happen in the home. Not that the household is that dangerous an environment in itself, but we spend a lot of time there—including the majority of those hours when we’re asleep or almost asleep.

Regardless, as a parent you want to do everything possible to keep your children safe and healthy. Here’s how to create a home that supports that goal:

Guard Against Accidents

You probably know the basics of fire prevention, guarding against electric shock, and removing tripping and poisoning hazards. Here are a few safety tips you may not be as familiar with:

• Never leave a small child alone in the bathtub, even a tub with no water in it. A toddler can turn on the faucets—including the (scalding) hot water faucet—and children have drowned in as little as two inches of water.
• Keep any potential climbing “stool” (including folding chairs) locked away when not in use.
• Keep your car’s doors locked when it’s parked at home. Cars are attractive—and potentially dangerous—places for children to play unsupervised.

Keep Your Air and Water Fresh

If your home has never been professionally inspected for carbon monoxide leaks, toxins in the water, radioactivity, etc., it’s a good idea to have that done, even if you haven’t noticed any symptoms of trouble. In any case, you can improve the quality of indoor air and water by:

• Keeping houseplants around to freshen the air.
• Changing your HVAC filters regularly, and getting a professional inspection every year or two.
• Opening your windows every now and then to let fresh air circulate through the home.
• Knowing what products/chemicals are in any furniture you buy.
• Serving drinking water from a filter pitcher.

Help Everyone Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Consistently sleeping well improves mental acuity, reduces obesity risks, makes a person more cheerful and optimistic, and even improves human relationships. You can make your children’s bedrooms (and your own) into more sleep-friendly environments by:

• Eliminating clutter. Most people find it harder to settle down when things are scattered about and shoved under the bed. (Yes, even when they can’t actually see the clutter.) And keeping too many toys in a bedroom encourages the brain to associate that room with active play—and wakefulness.
• Choosing relaxing colors—pastels, deep blues, and whites—for bedroom walls and furnishings.
• Making the room as dark and quiet as possible. If your child insists on a night light, buy one with a soft red or orange glow rather than glaring white.
• Laundering the bedding regularly.

Set a Good Example

If you’ve followed this blog for long, you’re probably thinking, “She’s always saying that,” right? But it’s true: healthy parents raise healthy children, by providing examples to imitate, by having more energy to meet the kids’ needs, and by naturally making healthy choices about the home atmosphere. You’re part of that atmosphere too, so do your share in adding positive vibes to make your home a healthy, happy place!