CAPT’s recent survey for Child Safety Week has shown that parents feel under huge pressure on social media to put up a front of perfect parenting. Younger parents are particularly vulnerable to these pressures.
One in three parents don’t want to admit their child has had an accident or near-miss. And getting on for half of all parents aren’t prepared to admit they don’t know about something that could pose a risk to their child.
So, in the light of these findings, what can practitioners who work with families do to alert parents to accident risks to their children?
Actually, social media has a part to play in breaking the taboo and encouraging parents to ask questions. Sharing posts of surprising accident facts means no-one feels stupid for not knowing.
And did you know that the detergent in liquid laundry capsules is up to five times more concentrated than powder detergent? So more likely to cause harm to a small child who swallows it?
Linking accident risks to child development can be helpful too. Babies, toddlers and small children are hugely curious and lightning fast. You turn your back and they’ve put something in their mouth.
In our Facebook poll, four in five of us admitted to storing our laundry and cleaning products under our sinks for easy access. Some parents even told us how their children can foil the ‘child-proof’ locks on their kitchen cupboards.
That’s why it’s reassuring to know about Bitrex®. Bitrex is a bitter safety ingredient that’s added by manufacturers to potentially harmful products in and around the home – laundry capsules, cleaning products and antifreeze.
It tastes so bitter that children spit it out instead of swallowing it – helping to keep them safe.
And, if you’re looking to encourage parents to share stories of poisoning accidents or near-misses and ask questions about risks to their children, the Bitrex Taste Test offers a great talking point, as this video shows.
Surprising facts
One in five poisoning accidents to under-fives are from household chemicals – things like liquid laundry capsules and cleaning products.
Child safety caps aren’t completely child-proof – some three and four-year-olds can open them in seconds.
