Keeping your kids safe on the playground

Children’s playgrounds can be fun and wondrous – a place to play, explore and enjoy the great outdoors. But they can also be dangerous. Many children are injured while at play on public equipment and in worse case scenarios, the playground can be a magnet to predators who have evil in their hearts. It is incumbent on parents to take a few precautions before and while the children play.

But first, if your child has been injured as a result of a playground accident and you believe it was caused by the negligence of authorities, you may be entitled to some public liability compensation. If this is the case, you’ll need to consult experts in this field, such as Patinos Personal Lawyers , for advice on how to go about lodging a claim.

Inspect the equipment

It’s a good idea to have a quick inspection of the playground equipment before letting little Johnnie or Jenny loose for the day. You don’t have to be an engineer or mechanical genius. Just take a quick walk around the equipment looking for loose nuts, broken supports, missing parts or anything else that might be a hazard.

Keep an eye out

Many parents believe they are doing such a good thing taking the kids to the park, only to all but ignore them once they have set them loose in the playground. This is a rookie mistake. Even being satisfied the equipment is in good repair and safe doesn’t mean your child isn’t going to get injured. Children have a knack of getting themselves into places where they shouldn’t be and injuries often occur when equipment isn’t being used as it should. In addition, predators can also tell when a child is unattended and left to their own devices. Don’t sit there reading a book. Keep an eye on them at all times.

Play with the little ones

If your children are very small, you are going to have to be more proactive than simply watching them. Play with them and help them climb the monkey bars, play on the swings and use the see-saw. Little kids tend to watch and emulate their older playmates, even if they aren’t physically capable of doing so. And the end result can be disastrous.

Know your surroundings

It’s not just the playground that can be a hazard trap for small players. The surrounding area can also be an accident waiting to happen for the unwary. Most children’s playgrounds are built in safe parkland, surrounded by a security fence designed to keep the little ones in. But some, particularly the older ones, are not so secure and can be built on the edge of dense forests or near lakes and rivers. And it doesn’t take much more than the blink on an eye for many small children to disappear before you know it. Be aware of the area and anticipate where you child might run off to when you aren’t looking. Better still, don’t let them run away in the first place.

Danger for children can be lurking around every corner, and playgrounds are no exception. Just be a good parent, wary of any hazards that may be near, and your child will grow up enjoying all the delights public play equipment has to offer.

This is an S2 POST.