Childproofing your backyard

Keeping your child safe
When your child is walking and talking, he can become a more active partner with you in the big job of keeping him safe. You will be responsible for his safety for many years to come but, gradually over the years, you will teach him how to keep himself safe. Reward your child for spotting danger and telling you about it. Instead of saying, "Don't play with matches," when every kid knows that playing is fun, say, "Safety Kids always give matches to their moms or dads. Are you a Safety Kid?" You get the matches and your child gets the reward of being dubbed a Safety Kid.

Outside at home
When your child begins to play outside more often, investigate your back yard and the play area in the same way that you investigated the inside of your home when your child was first mobile. You still need to provide supervision, but eliminating hazards makes supervision easier. Look at everything from your child's point of view, and take the necessary precautions.

Plan an outdoor cleanup. Are there a couple of broken windows tucked out of sight behind the garage? Is there an unlocked shed that a four-year- old would find fascinating because it's full of broken tools and half used garden pesticides? Don't overlook the items you've set aside for recycling or for garbage pick-up -- they might be dangerous to a curious child.

Like a look at your garage and driveway, and consider how to minimize any dangers to your child. Check what you can see in your rear-view mirror when you back up any vehicle. Could you see a small child on a tricyle? All vehicles can cause injury or death, but the family van is especially dangerous because the sight-line for drivers of vans is different from the sight-line for drivers of the average car. If your child plays on the driveway, he might impulsively run out into the street after an escaping toy, even with you watching. Identify a barrier at the bottom of the drive to remind him that he must stop and look for traffic.