Taking your family shopping can be quite an adventure, especially if you have young and curious children. Falls, in particular, can have detrimental consequences to your children’s safety and well-being.
While businesses should do everything in their power to protect their patrons from harm, you can also aid in keeping your children safe from in-store accidents.
Know the risks
If your children enjoy climbing and exploring, rest assured these behaviors are typical of young people. However, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. emergency rooms see a staggering 8,000 children for fall-related accidents every day making falls the leading cause of non-fatal injuries.
Regardless of the stores, you frequent, knowing potential risks can help you plan ahead. For example, does the business have escalators, shopping carts or displays that may attract a curious child? Prior to your visit, talk about safety rules and the need for listening so everyone can have a safe and fun time.
Implement ground rules
Setting rules with your children and consistently enforcing consequences for non-compliance can go far in encouraging responsible behavior. Some suggestions include the following:
- Keep children buckled in the shopping cart seat and discourage standing in or on the cart
- Encourage use of the handrail on escalators and make sure no one has loose shoelaces
- Teach your children to step out, over the gap when entering and exiting elevators
- Discourage your children from hiding in or pulling on store displays, which could tip over
Your diligence in supervising and reminding your children of the rules can help protect them from harm. If your children do suffer an injury because of negligence on the premises, you have the right to take legal action.
