With news of a three-month-old Surrey baby being thrown from a vehicle after an accident in Washington last Thursday coming just days after a toddler fell through the third-storey window of a South Surrey townhome, now seems as good a time as any for parents to be reminded to be extra vigilant concerning the safety of their children.
Sometimes, it’s a child who sneaks away from their parents’ eyes for just one second, and is temporarily lost; other times, the story is of an unattended youngster falling into a pool.
Every summer, these types of incidents – almost always accidents, with no neglect, malice or intent involved – seem to pop up across our communities.
In both recent cases – the child in the window, and the baby thrown from the car – the youngsters are remarkably expected to be OK, which is welcome news.
They are the lucky ones.
Perhaps it’s something about the season – the weather is warmer, so families are spending more time outside, windows and doors are often left open, or screened in, giving the illusion of safety.
But whatever the reason, adults should be encouraged to take every step necessary to ensure the safety of children this summer.
That car seat appears strapped in properly. That screen window seems secure. But looks can be deceiving, especially through the eyes of a child.
And while children cannot be protected from everything – they are going to scrape knees, fall down, sometimes break bones – the proper safety measures still need to be taken to ensure they’re as far away from danger as possible; they are far too precious a commodity for their safety to be taken for granted.
Accidents do happen – even in the event that every possible safety measure is followed – but many don’t have to, and we should be doing as much as we can to keep our children safe.
