Sign up for our free newsletter:

 1 of 4

When my dad gets behind the wheel, my children know they'd better click quick: "Hurry! Your seat belt! Grandpa won't wait!" My parents are of a generation that sees seat belts as inconveniences; after all, they drove for years without those confining straps and lived to tell about it.

Fortunately, my parents generally observe our family safety rules, even if I have to remind them on occasion. When they visit us, Mom and Dad make sure to keep their medications out of harm's way. When we stay at their house, Mom moves her cleansers from under the sink to a high shelf. With 1,500 miles separating us, my parents rarely get a chance to baby-sit; but I know that when they do, my kids are not only much loved, but safe as well.

My friend Betty, on the other hand, has always been frustrated by her in-laws' refusal to make any changes for their grandchildren's safety. "They keep glass knickknacks where my girls could break them and get cut, and cleaning supplies are within reach, too," complains Betty. "I've asked my mother-in-law to please move them, but she says, 'That's where I kept them when my boys were young. I just told them not to touch those things, and they didn't.'" Consequently, Betty keeps visits to the grandparents to a minimum, even though they live just an hour away. "It's just too stressful to have to watch the girls constantly," she says.

Chances are, your kids spend time alone with their grandparents. According to the National Safe Kids Campaign, nine out of ten grandparents help care for their grandchildren, either occasionally or full-time. While it's wonderful when you can look to your own family for child care, that sweet arrangement can turn sour if you and your parents (or in-laws) don't see eye-to-eye on safety.

Parents today tend to be more aware of childproofing, seat belts and other safety issues than previous generations were. "Even the most loving grandparents can put their grandchildren in danger when they unknowingly overlook simple precautions," says former U.S. Surgeon General and Safe Kids Chairman C. Everett Koop, M.D. Each year, more than 6,300 children age 14 and younger die in motor vehicle crashes, fires, poisonings and other preventable incidents, and yet a recent Safe Kids survey reveals that:

• A third of grandparents don't think it's critical to use various child-safety seats, including booster seats, while transporting kids in the car.
• Less than half of grandparents think it's vital to check a smoke detector's batteries monthly.
• Only about 40 percent of grandparents have safety latches on drawers and cabinets, though nearly all take medications and vitamins that are potentially toxic for children.

next page... |  1 of 4

	We'd really like to know what you think about this article!
	Is this the kind of article you'd like to see more of? Is there a topic you'd like us to cover? Please send your response to

				Try Today's Christian Woman Free! Name Street Address City/State/Zip E-mail Address No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. If you decide you want to keep Today's Christian Woman coming, honor your invoice for just $17.95 and receive five more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The trial issue is yours to keep, regardless. Give Today's Christian Woman as a gift Order a gift subscription!

FREE MomSense Newsletter Subscribe to the MomSense Newsletter    RSS Feed   RSS Help