The trailer of filmmaker Vinod Kapri’s movie Pihu describes a parent’s worst nightmare: Their baby trapped alone in a high-rise apartment. The two-minute-long video showed little Pihu, played by Myra Vishwakarma, screaming in peril, unable to ‘wake up’ her dead mother. She is surrounded by glaring household dangers — from exposed plugs and common electrical appliances lurking in the kitchen (cooking gas) and bathroom (geyser) to an open balcony door within the two-year-old’s reach.

The emotionally-gripping Pihu trailer makes clear that once you’ve got an unsupervised, active baby in your life, your home itself can become a danger zone for her/his curious mind and hands. As a parent, preparing your child for any emergency can be a difficult endeavour. But it’s also a good idea to ready your child from a young age for any disaster and make some important preparations for when an emergency strikes. In the film, after Pihu’s mother dies when the two are alone at home, the toddler spends the day all by herself in a spacious modern apartment, where she is confronted with innumerable dangers she cannot comprehend.

If you’ve got an inquisitive tot who gets into everything, double-safeguarding your home will keep him/her from trying to plug things in on his/her own or attempting to cook food, when alone. From newborns to growing tots, keep the whole family out of harm’s way by not only securing drawers and cabinets at your home, but also having a plan-of-action. This can make recovering from an emergency more likely for your little one, and can help keep you and your family safe. Here are some tips you can follow:

Discuss safety and establish ground rules
It may sound simple, but it is important to sit down with your child and spell out what will keep them safe, including locking the doors, making sure they are not letting anyone in the house and how to call the police. Spell out the do’s and don’ts for your child. As your child get older, write them down, share them with your kids and post them. Make sure you include things like not going near the cooking gas, or other things you don’t want them near to keep them safe.

Stash away your purse
Your purse is full of lots of fun and exciting things, but many of those items can be harmful to your tot. Maybe, he/she’s familiar with how to use your phone, but loose change and medicines are choking hazard. Find a spot to stash your purse, so it’s out of reach from your inquisitive tot when you aren’t around.

Keep your bathroom and kitchen secure
Your child wants to be just like you, which means he/she’s attracted to using your bathroom, just like you do. Ensure that without adult supervision, your little one has no access to bathrooms, which can lead to serious health concerns. Also, keep your child from getting up close and personal with kitchen supplies, sharp utensils, such as, forks and knives, and other dangerous substances by installing cabinet and drawer latches. Along with being a beneficial appliance, your fridge can be an invitation to danger. An unlocked refrigerator is full of safety hazards, ensure it is kept securely closed at all times.

Protect from plugs and install a child gate
If you’ve got a wandering tot who has the amazing ability to get into anything, consider popping gates in doorways so that when you need to step out of the room, your child stays safe. Also, plug protectors will ensure your lil one won’t decide to experiment with electrical outlets when alone. And it’s not just little babies that might find those small holes interesting, older tots love mimicking adults and after watching mom or dad plug something in, may want to try doing it themselves.

Enlist the help of friends and neighbours
Reach out to friends and neighbours and ask if they would be willing to step in if your children needed help. As your child gets older, fill out a list of important phone numbers and post it in the house so it’s visible, preferably near a phone. Let your child know where the list is located, in case of an emergency.

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