Spotlight on toddler safety

So says Madeley author Florence Parry who, at 84, has drawn on a lifetime’s knowledge of health education and home safety to self-publish Great Grandma’s Guidelines to Prevent Childhood Accidents.

Florence wants to make the community aware of how to prevent ‘predictable’ childhood accidents ” from choking, strangulation and suffocation to scalds and burns and cutting, piercing and crushing injuries.

‘Since 1975, children’s normal development has not changed because that is natural but what is changing is the environment and advanced equipment coming into homes such as flat screen TVs and little flat batteries,’ she said.

‘Very simple things lead to problems and lots of things are not dangerous until they get into the hands of a toddler. You have to be vigilant with children.

‘Supervising a child means not doing something else and coming back every two minutes. You only have to turn your back for something to happen.’

Manchester-born Florence came into the health education/home safety area by chance but the ability to help keep children safe became her passion.

Trained in the UK as a lithographic artist, her first job after moving to WA in 1968 was as a librarian at York Library.

In 1972, Florence joined the Health Education Council of WA as a librarian.

During 10 years as executive officer of the National Safety Council’s home safety division, she started investigating childhood accidents.

‘I was constantly surprised to find information I had never heard of, information I felt I should have known as a young mother in the 1950s,’ she said. ‘I believed professional vital information on child-rearing ” essential information that should be made common knowledge to parents and babysitters ” was not reaching the community.’

Florence introduced child safety courses, wrote articles and harnessed the media, always aware that ‘you have to simplify the message to get things across.’

Now retired, the safety advocate celebrated the arrival of first great-grandchild Cianan by gathering a lifetime’s knowledge into 283 illustrated pages. ‘Although I have written and had lots published, this is my first big book,’ she said.

Florence’s book is available at www.Xlibris. com.au or through local bookstores; part-proceeds to charity.

For a chance to win one of two soft back or two e-book copies of Florence Parry’s Great Grandma’s Guidelines to Prevent Childhood Accidents, send your name, address and phone number to Childhood Accident Prevention giveaway, PO Box 885, Joondalup 6919. See www. inmycommunity.com.au for terms and conditions.

COMPETITION TERMS AND CONDITIONS1    Instructions on how to enter form part of these terms and conditions.  If there is any conflict between these terms and conditions and any other published material, these terms and conditions are to prevail.2    The promoter is Community Newspaper Group Ltd (ABN 13 009 128 081) of 34 Stirling St, Perth Western Australia 6000 (‘CNG’) telephone 9237 1000.3    Participants in the competition will be deemed to abide by these conditions of entry.4    Participants agree to make themselves available for publicity purposes.5    The promoter may appoint judges and the judges’ decision is final.  No correspondence will be entered into.6    Participation is open to residents of the cities of Wanneroo and Joondalup who fulfil the participation requirements. 7    To enter participants must send their name, address and daytime phone number to PO Box 885, Joondalup WA 6919 or email wt@communitynews.com.au by November 26, 2013.8    The major prize for the competition is a soft-back copy of Great Grandma’s Guidelines to Prevent Childhood Accidents valued at $29.99 or an e-book copy valued at $3.99.9    The winners of the competition will be selected by random on November 27, 2013 at 16 Clarke Crescent, Joondalup.10     Directors and employees of Community Newspaper Group including their immediate families, its agencies and companies associated with the competition are ineligible to enter.11    The promoter and the judges will not be liable for any losses or damage whatsoever (including but not limited to direct or consequential loss) or personal injury suffered or sustained, in connection with the promotion, the use of the prize or any act or omission (whether negligent or not) of the promoter, the judges or their respective agents, employees and contractors.12    A) By entering the competition, you consent to the collection of your details and acknowledge that Community Newspaper Group may, at its discretion, disclose and use these details for the purpose of providing you with goods and services, communicating with you, planning, research, product and business development and sales, promotional or editorial purposes. The details will also be used to investigate complaints, as required or permitted by law, to enable Community Newspaper Group to perform its obligations to you under this or any other agreement and to ensure that you perform your obligations under this or any agreement.B) If you do not want your details to be collected and used for the purposes stated above, please write to us: Community Newspaper Group, Marketing Department, 34 Stirling St Perth 6000C) For details of the Community Newspaper Group Privacy Policy, please go to http://www.inmycommunity.com.au/about/PrivacyPolicy