Imagine your children horsing around in your garage. You can see them running in and out of the garage, while the door keeps opening and closing.

They pretend to be explorers, and investigate the moving parts of the door. They bring their little fingers and faces near racing rollers, speeding pulleys, and treacherously taut springs.

Your kids open and close the garage door, repeatedly. Not only do they threaten to damage the door, itself; but they put other property, like your cars, in jeopardy of getting hit! Your children risk hurting each other, too. Picture your heavy garage door slamming down on the body of one of your babies.

How can you prevent this from becoming a reality? You have to make a deliberate effort to teach your children to be safe around your garage door!

Tell your kids about the dangers of the garage door, itself. They’re heavy and hazardous. Your children should know to never sit, stand, or play under an open door. They should never rush under a door while it’s closing. They should also keep their hands away from moving doors. Fingers can get pinched and squeezed in between door panel sections.

Warn kids that they should keep their body parts away from moving parts. Hands can be taken off by roller, pulleys, and cables. Tightly coiled springs can crush fingers.

Teach children to never play with garage door opener transmitters. Although remote controls look cute and fun, they’re not toys. Wall-mounted opener buttons may look like playthings, but they’re not. When children play with transmitters, there’s a likelihood for mishaps. Kids can slam garage doors onto property or other people, which can cause injury.

In general, kids should know the garage isn’t a playground. Unless they’re under the supervision of an adult, children should be discouraged from being in a garage in many instances. If we teach our kids how to be safe, the next time we imagine them, they’ll be happy and free from harm.