The Friend's House

If your child is going to a friend's home to play, make sure that you are familiar with the home they are going to. Visit the home prior to the first visit, and look for possible hazards:

• Are their electrical outlets covered if not in use?
• Is the house reasonably clean?
• Are there dangerous objects lying around (rusty fences in disrepair, auto parts lying about, kitchen knives out where small children can retrieve them, excess animal waste in play areas, etc.) Do the toys look safe?
• Are there guns in the home? If so, where are they stored? Where is the ammunition stored? Many parents feel uncomfortable asking this question, but those who have lost children to accidental shootings wish they would have asked.
• Who will be watching the children? Is this adult responsible and attentive? If not, have the play date at your home.
• Never leave your children at a home where an adult is not present. Many parents feel comfortable leaving their children in the care of a teenager or younger child. This is not safe.
• If you discover that an adult has left the children alone while your child was playing there, consider moving all play dates to your home. Even if he just ran to the corner store, it is not acceptable.
• Are there lighters or matches within easy reach? Hundreds of children are burned every year because they have easy access to matches or lighters.
• What will the adult be doing while the children are playing? Some adults have no problem sleeping or leaving children unattended - a situation that has led to death in some cases.
• Without telling the family in question, you can go to your local police department and run a Megan's Law check on the adults in the home. Many parents have been surprised to find out that the, "nice boyfriend" at a home where children play has actually been convicted of child sexual molestation.
• What type of animals does the family have and how are they restrained? Are there dogs running loose that can't be trusted?
• Will the children have unsupervised access to the Internet?
• What types of movies, books, magazines and posters are present in the home? Do they conflict with your values?

• Have playtime at your home. If there is a special toy or game that the child wants your child to see or play with, suggest he bring it over.
• Invite the child along to fast food restaurants or to the park with your child.
• See if you can persuade the parents to enroll their child in some of the same activities in which your child is involved, such as soccer. This will allow them to spend time together.
• If a parent confronts you with the fact that his child is always at your home, know that by confronting him with the reasons why may cause that parent to terminate playtime between your child and his own. However, if you have no other option, you might approach the subject by saying, "I'm known to be an overprotective parent, and I would just worry the whole time Janie was gone if I knew your Pit Bull was in the room with her. I'm sure she's a darling dog, but with all the attention in the news media, I just can't get past it, I'm sorry," or, "We had a family friend whose child lost an eye on an old wire fence just like the one over there. I'm sure I'm overreacting, but I would just rather not worry the whole time Sam was gone."

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