As a parent, it can be hard to talk to your kids about certain subjects. You don’t want to talk down to them, but you don’t want the language to be too complicated either. We’ve got you covered for at least one tough topic – keeping kids safe around windows. There are several resources available from the Window Safety Task Force (WSTF) to make this easier. Here are the steps I practiced with my own kids (and fellow parents), and I hope you will, too.

1. Color together. Studies show that making learning fun helps children to retain knowledge. While you’re coloring, talk through each page of the Window Safety Activity Book. Connect the dots on the beautiful butterfly while explaining how insect screens keep bugs out, not kids in.
2. Role play. Using the visuals in the WSTF infographic, talk to your kids about how jumping on the bed or leaning on a screen can be dangerous. Even young kids will understand how an “booboo” can happen if they fall down.
3. Read books. This was one of my favorite ways to spend time with my kids when they were little! There’s a great book called “If Kids Could Float” told from the perspective of Zane Cunningham whose twin brother, Thomas Cunningham, fell from a window and suffered a severe head injury. The language is simple, and the illustrations are adorable.
4. Share tips. Learning from other parents was huge for me as I was figuring things out with my first kid. Everyone has something to share that could help someone else. Given my involvement at the co-chair of the WSTF, I had to speak up when I noticed a potential danger. If I saw a bed near a window in a child’s room, I made sure to let the parent know that it was a fall hazard. Immediately, parents would make the connection that hadn’t occurred to them before that moment.
5. Spread the word. When I moved to a new neighborhood, I printed several copies of the Window Safety Activity Book and delivered them to porches where I knew young kids lived. Want to share tips outside of your neighborhood? Repost from the Window Safety Task Force social media accounts. This includes Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

These simple tips can help to educate both kids and parents about window safety. Don’t keep these resources to yourself. Preventing even one fall (and potential injury or death) is worth it!