My name is Julie Okely and I started Viseecom to create visual prompts to enhance the development of healthy, caring and well-adjusted young Australians. Our first Viseecom product is Yuk to Kids which is a visual safety system to use in and around the home. This product has recently beenendorsed by Dr. John Irvine, one of Australia’s most heard, seen and read child psychologists. Yuk to Kids has passed the development stage and, with your help, is about to go into production.

Dr John Irvine thinks Yuk to Kids and Yuk the Duck is Great! See what he says here...

YUK THE DUCK

- foreword by Dr John Irvine

Here's a fun little exercise based on the statistics from the Sydney Children’s Hospital. Just read the questions and check your answers.This should tell you whether you qualify as a super safety sleuth.

1 which age group is at greatest risk of home accident?

2 which structures in the home cause most accidents?

3 which swallowed substance causes most hospital admissions?

4 which "animal" causes the most accidents?

5 which is the most dangerous piece of furniture?

6 what is the most common cause of burns?

7 what is the most dangerous piece of playground equipment?

8 what is the biggest killer of kids around the home?

9 what is the most dangerous plaything?

10 what is the most rapidly increasing danger?

ANSWERS

1. Answer: 1-2 year olds.

2. Answer: stairs (then fences and doors).

3. Answer: medications by a mile.

4. Answer: insects and ants (sorry about that one).

5. Answer: the bed(!), (then stools, then tables).

6. Answer: spilt liquids (400% higher than any other).

7. Answer: climbing frames (then slippery dips and swings.

8. Answer: swimming pools (by a 400% margin).

9. Answer: skateboards (then ride-on toys, then roller skates).

10. Answer: mishandling or dropping kids .. up 16%

Yuk the Duck can’t fix everything but I really like it, not just because it’s visual (and that’s how young kids learn), not just because it’s fun, but because the kids participate in the labelling – young kids are active learners and having them involved as this clever little book suggests, means they’re more likely to remember it.

Up to this point in the clinic and on radio, I’ve been advocating a red sticker on no-go areas to indicate it’s a red light and no-one goes through red lights. It has worked well (and I’ve also had green lights for ready access areas, and yellow lights meaning kids ask parents first before touching that area). However it means kids need to know their colours, it’s not as much fun and they don’t do the labelling. Yuk the Duck is catchy and clever. It means another fun way to keep kids safe without making the whole house just so up-tight about kids’ safety.

Anything we can do to increase safety without increasing stress or promote helicopter parenting is welcome. Yuk the Duck would certainly be welcome in my house!