Common Parenting Mistakes To Avoid: Essential Child Safety Tips For Every Parent

Veena was busy preparing breakfast for her 3-year-old son Hari when her husband left for the office, closing the door behind him. After feeding Hari, she gave him some toys to play with in the drawing-room and got busy attending to household chores. After some time, she came to check on Hari and got the shock of her life. The door was ajar, and Hari was nowhere to be found.

Filled with panic, she ran outside to look for Hari. She was about to raise an alarm when her eyes caught sight of her neighbor walking towards her with Hari in tow. Luckily for Veena and little Hari as well, the neighbor had found the boy wandering down the street. Finding him alone, she had sensed something was wrong. So, she decided to bring Hari home.

The inadvertent mistake of leaving the door unlocked could have proved costly for the family, had the neighbor not appeared on the scene.

Children are the apple of their parents' eyes. However, it is also true that most parents, at some point or the other, do something that can result in unsafe consequences for their child.

Common parenting mistakes, often made unintentionally

Ignoring road safety: Most Indian parents use their two-wheelers to transport their children to school. With bad roads and rush during school hours, some parents drive dangerously to drop their child off at school on time. Losing control and meeting with an accident at such speeds can cause grievous injuries to the child. It can also prove fatal if the child receives head injuries.

For the safety of their child and their own, parents must refrain from rash driving and make sure they all wear helmets when out on a two-wheeler.

Leaving children behind in the vehicle: Very few parents pay heed to the safety of their children when taking them around in the car.

Most parents still don't understand the importance of car seats for children. The article titled, Saving Lives with Car Seats and Seat Belts, published on AAP.org, says, "In children younger than 1 year, using car seats decreases mortality by 71%. When compared to only using a seatbelt, car seats reduce the risk of injury by 54% in children 1-4 years old, and in children 4-8 years old, booster seats reduce the risk by 45%."

For the safety of infants and young children, install good-quality car seats.

Leaving the wardrobe unlocked: Young children are fond of dressing up in their parents' garments. Sometimes, while trying to do so, they get entangled in oversized garments. This can prove life-threatening, especially when parents are not around and the clothes get wrapped around the neck.

Similarly, children also like to play with curtains and blinds. This can also strangulate them.

Keep the cupboards locked and discourage children from trying on oversized garments. Also, avoid using corded blinds and curtains or shorten the ties to keep them out of children's reach.

The safety of a child is of paramount importance, and it is the duty of parents to keep their children safe. Along with making the home safe, staying alert, and keeping an eye on their child, following common safety protocols can go a long way in keeping a child out of harm's way.

Discover essential car safety tips for parents of toddlers. Click here to learn how to ensure your child’s safety during every drive!

Last updated on: September 18, 2025