Safety

With the summer holidays here, family-travel expert, LittleLife, is advising families to be sun-smart in the warmer weather. Having softer and more vulnerable skin than adults, children are particularly at risk from sunburn. However the LittleLife Beach Shelter offers protection and the UPF 50+ rated fabric creates a cool and shady area where the whole family can escape from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Anne Coates put one a family sized Beach Shelter to the test with the help of Harriet and friends.

The NSPCC has teamed-up with Aardman to produce a new film as part of its PANTS campaign, which has already helped over 400,000 parents talk to their children about sexual abuse since it launched three years ago.

The Department for Education has put together some tips and information so that we can all play our part in tackling child abuse. 

On Safer Internet Day Stuart Miles, Tech Expert and Editor of Pocket-Lint, the largest independent gadget news and reviews site in the UK, advises parents on how to minimise the dangers when children are using technology as part of the LeapFrog Online Safety Guide.

Faulty electrics in the home account for 20,000 house fires each year, causing upwards of 70 fatalities. Research by NICEIC and ELECSA reveals that three quarters of Brits are leaving their homes at risk of electrical fault and potential fire at Christmas. Check out their five tot tips for electrical safety.

According to recent research carried out by AVG Technologies, parents are disregarding online hazards faced by their children and are failing to educate them on internet dangers. However there is plenty of excellent advice available from CEOPs.

To coincide with Foster Care Fortnight and following consultation with foster carers in England and Northern Ireland, a bespoke update to the NSPCC’s successful Underwear Rule guidance, aimed at parents of five to 11 year olds, will allow foster carers to have simple conversations with their children about keeping safe from abuse. If you haven't seen this before all parents should check it out now.

Coordinated in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre the celebration sees hundreds of organisations get involved to help promote the safe, responsible and positive use of digital technology for children and young people. Kaspersky Lab's recent research shows that primary school aged children are at increased risk of cyberbullying as no one is discussing the issues with them.

Britax's latest generation of Group I car seats includes the King II ATS. Incorporating the latest technology, The Active Tensioning System, this seat ensures comfort and saftety for your child as Ian Robinson discovered while he was testing it.

The British Safety Council supports the St John's Ambulance campaign to inform parents about what to do if their baby starts to choke.

A new addition to the Britax range is the KIDFIX XP SICT car seat, the highest scoring Group 2-3 car seat tested by Which? Harriet Coates road tested the seat for Parenting Without Tears.

With millions of families all over the UK planning the big drive home for Christmas, Britax has teamed up with Good Egg Safety to provide parents with some useful winter travel tips to ensure the nation’s families reach their destinations safely this Christmas.

Simon Citron, Yahoo UK General Counsel, shares some tips and advice for parents to help ensure their children are safe online.

The Electrical Safety Council is calling for retailers and manufacturers to do more to protect children after an investigation found that the majority of stores sell heated hair appliances such as straighteners without providing additional safety devices or sufficient information on storing them safely.   

Novartis Consumer Health UK LTD (NCH) announced today that it is recalling certain batches of Tixylix®, paediatric liquid cough and cold medicines, because of a potential manufacturing defect with the tamper seal that could result in small pieces of plastic being found in the bottles.

With nearly 300 children under 11 admitted to A & E in the past year, it's time parents made sure that any alcohol kept in the home is in a safe place and out of reach. Catalyst have launched Tantalus™ – the first lockable alcohol security device designed for consumer use.

New research shows a quarter of children and teens download films illegally, and of them, one in five are disturbed by some films they watch. This is because on illegal sites, films don’t have age restrictions, so 11 to 15 year olds are watching 18+ movies without realising. Tina Hobley, actress from Holby City, is fronting a new campaign to help parents protect their children from this.

Young Driver is a groundbreaking driver training course aimed at 11 to 17 year olds – before they're legally able to take to the roads. Research has shown that of those who have taken a Young Driver course, the rate of accidents in the first six months after passing their test drops by more than a half, to fewer than one in ten. Mathilde and Joe had their first driving lesson at Bluewater, as Louise Pollard reports.