Named unexpected dangers for children in the country: how to avoid them

There are dacha dangers for children that are in everyone’s mind and memory: this is the risk of fire if the kids decide to light a fire on their own, etc., this is a fall from a height – a porch or a tree where the child will probably climb, this is the risk of drowning in village pond…

But there are some that many adults do not even know about. We have collected all the likely potential troubles for children in the country, which you need to remember so that this weekend and the upcoming summer season pass without an emergency.

First by prevalence, the dacha danger is injury to children when falling from a height.

“In order to protect a child from falling out of the windows of a country house, as well as from balconies and stairs, you should purchase locks, restraints, install special barriers and protective screens for the balcony and stairs,” advises Ksenia Mishonova, Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Moscow Region. – According to our statistics, children often fall out of windows of 1-3 floors. So do not think that falling out of windows is only urban risks.

Second. All summer residents who care at least a little about their lives and the lives of their households have long ago installed autonomous fire detectors in their homes and outbuildings. And who has not installed, he has lagged behind modern means and methods of protection against fire in summer cottages and is at mortal risk. The automatic device is battery operated; when smoke appears, it notifies of a fire with a sound.

Third. The third danger that good parents never forget is electricity. First of all: all electrical wiring in the country, not only in the house, but also on the site, must be in good condition. It is necessary to check how firmly all household appliances “stand on their feet” so that the child cannot tip them over (you need to try to fix them somehow), and also remove all cords so that he cannot pull the equipment by the hanging cord. You can not ignore the plugs on the sockets.

Fourth. The next deadly danger for small summer residents is drowning, and not only in any water bodies that are nearby on the territory of the summer cottage cooperative, but, most importantly, on the sites themselves – in inflatable pools, barrels of water, cesspools and sewer pits.

Last summer, the country was shocked by a wild case – in Tatarstan, a one and a half year old child choked in a tire with water, which the owners (who were visited by a family with two children) collected for watering the garden. The adults overlooked the boy, they left the baby for a 4-year-old brother …

– For children in villages and dachas, fire ponds, barrels of water dug into the ground, unlocked wells that children like to open are a mortal danger in villages and dachas. The child often hangs on the log house and starts screaming, listening to the echo, and at some point he may not be able to resist and slide down, – Vladimir Fedorovich, adviser to the chairman of the executive committee of Rossoyuzspas, warns.

Here we have to once again call on parents – do not leave the kids unattended in summer cottages; do not trust their brothers and sisters who are not much older than them…

Fifth. The next risk is associated with household, or rather, country chemicals and poisons for insects or small pests. That’s where it’s full of different dangers!

– Children often confuse pills with sweets, and bottles of household chemicals with drinks. Therefore, it is imperative to store all chemicals, including fertilizers and means for combating plant pests and rodents, as well as medicines, in places inaccessible to children, says Ksenia Mishonova. – Keep it all in locked cabinets and drawers; it is better if they are at a height inaccessible to the child.

sixth. The Children’s Ombudsman also reminded about poisonous plants in suburban areas, which can be a mortal danger for silly children. For example, this is May lily of the valley, bittersweet nightshade, red elderberry and others. Children can put various attractive-looking but poisonous berries into their mouths, which they can get poisoned with. It is necessary to ensure that there are no such “green enemies” on the site. Well, doctors warn about the risk of chemical burns from contact with plants, the most dangerous of which is hogweed.

seventh. Rescuer Vladimir Fedorovich highlights the following danger in the summer cottage, which is often created by adults themselves.

– Some adults are thrown, anywhere, dangerous sharp garden tools and working tools (scythe, rake, saw), which the child may not notice in the grass. While running, playing, he can fall on them and get hurt. In a word, you need to observe elementary precautions and not scatter inventory throughout the site.

eighth. Children are threatened by various animals, ranging from stinging insects (wasps, bees), ticks that carry the risk of terrible diseases, and ending with snakes, dogs and foxes infected with rabies (which can come running from the forest).

– To protect children from ticks, use light-colored clothing with elasticated legs and sleeves, special repellents. Carefully inspect them after a walk, so that in case of a bite, help in time, Ksenia Mishonova warns.

ninth. And one more trouble that parents should try to avoid is the departure of the baby from the site outside of it. “Make sure that the fence is in good condition, check the reliability of the gate, do not forget to lock it with a bolt,” advises the children’s ombudsman. – If there is a road near the site where cars drive, it will not be superfluous to buy clothes with reflective elements (stripes) for the child, or put on a reflective bracelet so that drivers can notice him from afar. In general, dress your children in bright, light-colored clothing when you go on picnics with them.”

– Do not allow a child to walk alone on the street – if the village is unfamiliar, he may get lost. Not to mention the fact that he can meet with various illegal immigrants, homeless people who can live in abandoned dachas, – in turn, Vladimir Fedorovich added. – It is difficult to name a specific age, all children grow up differently, but you should not let him go alone outside the summer cottage until he begins to go to school and the store on his own. At the dacha, you need to clearly agree with the child: you go here, you don’t go here. As you grow older, the boundaries expand.

“It is, of course, impossible to foresee everything: children are children,” Ksenia Mishonova told us in the end. – But I really want my parents to observe elementary security measures outside the city, so that the holidays pass without incident. Take care of your children!

And the last thing: in case of emergency, urgently call 112.