Moms worry a lot when it comes to their children’s safety. From the moment you find out you’re pregnant and remember the frozen Margarita you had two nights earlier, or the paracetamol you took to relieve your headache, worry will be a part of you — just like free Wi-Fi and your iPhone.
When my son was still a toddler, one of the things I fussed about was how to childproof our home to keep bumps and boo-boos to a minimum. He once banged his head on the center table while getting the ball under. Thank goodness the edge wasn’t sharp so he just sustained a scratch on his forehead.
This incident flashed back when I attended the “Safety Hacks for Moms” workshop organized by Wilkins Distilled Water last Monday at Unit 27 Bar & Cafe at Bonifacio Global City.
The event gathered actress and doting mom Nikki Valdez, Andi Manzano-Reyes, Mikaela Lagdameo-Martinez, soon-to-be mom Isabel Roces, STAR columnist Leah Puyat (who’s second mom to her nieces, nephews and inaanaks) and the witty, pretty and preggy DJ Delamar who helped demonstrate some DIY safety hacks Moms could use to keep their infants and toddlers out of harm’s way.
Using materials that are easily accessible and available at home, Delamar and a volunteer mom fashioned edge-guards — for sharp-edged tables, chairs and beds — out of foam insulator pipe cutouts from old lint rollers. These cutouts could also double as a door stopper to prevent kids from slamming their fingers, or keep them from locking themselves inside the bathroom.
For emergency situations like minor burns, pour vinegar on the affected area to keep it blister-free. Check the pantry for other natural cures like coconut oil and baking soda. Coconut oil can soothe sunburn and prevent infection in small cuts as well, while baking soda (diluted with water) can be used to get that nasty splinter less painful and out of your child’s finger.
If you have picky eaters at home, encourage them to eat healthy by making their meals fun and exciting. Delamar called in the bento mommas who showed us how to make a panda sandwich (using a panda bread press), rice balls with veggie eyes and carrot “smileys.” These bento meals are not only pretty to look at, but yummy and healthy as well. Lest we forget, a safe drinking water is just as important. It’s always handy to have bottles of safe drinking water like Wilkins at home, in your bag or your kid’s school bag. Most recommended by moms and prescribed by pediatricians, Wilkins follows an international quality control system and uses only state-of-the-art equipment in packing and sealing its products to ensure clean and safe quality water for the whole family.
Here are some of the safety hacks moms and homemakers can try at home:
• Scout the territory. The first step is take a child’s eye view of your home. Get down on your knees to see for yourself what’s within reach, what looks tempting and what could be dangerous for your kids.
• Keep window chords up high. Loop and tie window cords to keep them out of children’s reach, but not too high that you can’t lower the shade all the way down.
• Duct-tape power outlets. Cover reachable openings with duct tape or Band Aid to avoid the risk of electrocution.
• Know your first aid. Always keep a first aid kid handy, whether you are at home or traveling with your kids.
• Keep an emergency master file for your Circle of Trust. We all have our most trusted support group, people we know we can count on when it comes to taking care of our kids. This includes your best friend, grandparents, pediatricians, among others. Keep their contact details and other vital information in one master file in order to reach them quickly in case you’re out in times of emergency.
As our children get older, a whole new world of worry opens up. The only thing that changes is what we, parents, lose sleep over. So keep your Circle of Trust intact.
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For information on how to keep your family safe, visit the Wilkins Facebook page at facebook.com/WilkinsDistilledDrinkingWater.