Ready, Steady, Grow!

Keep your child safe physically, emotionally and online

Child safety illustration

Did you know that you can support your child’s growth and development if you:

Keep your child safe physically, emotionally and online

Why is this important to you and your child?

It helps with your child's physical development, communication and personal, social and emotional development

When children are very young and become mobile, they will explore anything, touch what they see parents/carers touch to make sense of their world. Have a look round your home at your child’s level for any dangers. You can remove them or put a boundary in place.

The most common accidents in the home for the under 5’s are:

  • Falls
  • Fires
  • Scalds and burns
  • Glass-related accidents
  • Poisoning
  • Suffocating and choking
  • Strangulation including blind cords
  • Drowning

Nowadays young children are using technology more and more. Whether it is a phone, tablet, laptop or watching programmes, the online world is booming. E-safety is often defined as the safe and responsible use of technology. This includes the use of the internet and other means of communication using electronic media (eg text messages, gaming devices, email etc). In practice, e-safety is as much about behaviour as it is electronic security. 

Things you can do

  • Supervise your under 5 while they're online: Keep the devices your child uses in communal areas of the house such as in the living room or kitchen where an adult can supervise.
  • Children under 5 should not access the internet unsupervised in private spaces, such as alone in their bedroom or bathroom.
  • Check apps, websites and search results before using them with children.
  • Children, especially those in the early years should always be supervised when accessing the internet.
  • Ensure safety modes and filters are applied - default settings tend not to ensure a high level of privacy or security.
  • Children don't need screen time until they're 3 years old. After which, they should have no more than 2 hours of screen time a day.
  • Be with your child during screen time – it is not a substitute for childcare
  • During screen time, make it interactive by talking to them about what they're watching, otherwise they'll learn to mimic it without understanding the content
  • Be aware of the support available via e-safety campaigns

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