R = ALTER Which Resources You Use to Increase Awareness of Risks
Ask for Help and Use What You Have Learned
Often parents report that this final strategy is the most difficult to use. This strategy suggests that you think about different resources that can assist you in monitoring your children closely. Often, watching children is something shared between parents and other family members or friends. Sometimes parents can arrange play dates with other children to allow themselves time to complete activities that may limit their ability to watch their children closely. Another resource that is sometimes used to occupy a child’s attention is the television. While this can be effective, parents should be careful not to use the television in place of monitoring their child.
Examples:
- Ask a family member or friend to visit when you need to get things done and can’t watch your child.
- Arrange ‘TV time’ around chores or tasks that don’t allow you to watch as carefully.
- Organize the daily schedule around your child’s safer activities (TV time, napping, playing in backyard) so that you can get things done when it is safe to do so.
- Go online and review child safety websites (e.g., Parachute.ca) to get a better understanding of common concerns and solutions.