Child Safety in the Home - 7 Child Proofing Tips For Your Home
By Marie Stark
The final papers have been signed and you're ready to move into your new home. But before you do, don't forget to consider child safety in the home.
Child proofing Tip #1 - If It Doesn't Look Safe, It Probably Isn't!
As a parent, you have a pretty good idea of what is and isn't safe for your child. If something looks dangerous, figure out what you can do to make it safer. For example, staircases always pose a danger to a young child. Why worry about your child falling down the stairs when you can install a child safety gate (often called a baby gate) at the top AND bottom to keep your youngster off the stairs when you're not watching?This won't prevent the older kids from sliding down the banister but at least it will prevent the little ones from falling down the stairs. When installing a baby gate on stairs, make sure it is held permanently in place. Do not use pressure-mounted gates. While they may seem strong to you, small children can easily put too much pressure on the gate causing it to dislodge and fall.
Childproofing Tip #2 - Learn From Your Children
Your children WILL find the most dangerous things in your house, often finding things to do that you would never have considered but that can cause serious injury. If your child gets hurt, don't let yourself think that your child has learned and will not do it again. Chances are, he or she will! Thank them for showing you the danger and do something to prevent it.
Childproofing Tip #3 - Store all Medicines, Cleaners and Other Dangerous Substances Out of Your Children's Reach
Move all poisonous substance out of the reach of your children. Safety is often overlooked for convenience. If you must store any type of cleaning substance or medicine within a child's reach, be sure to put safety latches on your cabinet doors and/or drawers. If at all possible, store cleaning materials and medicines out of a child's reach and sight. The ledge of the bathtub and under the sink ARE NOT good places to store cleaning items. Razors are another item that can be dangerous to an unsuspecting child. Children love to imitate adults. Do not give them the opportunity to mimic shaving with a real razor - the results can be very painful.
Childproofing Tip #4 - Prevent Children from Accessing Windows and Blind Cords
You've probably heard horror stories of children falling several stories after pushing on a "secure" window screen or falling out of a window a parent thought they could never reach. Children are extremely creative and curious - they can find ways to get into, onto and out of things you would never imagine possible.Be sure all windows, whether screened or not, are either out of reach of a child or securely locked. You can purchase a child safety door lock or child safety window lock at most stores. Blind cords are another potential hazard for both children and pets. Cords should be wrapped up and secured out of reach a child. You can easily wrap the cord around a hook on the wall or even around itself and then tuck it out of sight on a curtain rod or on the top of window blinds.
Childproofing Tip #5 - Protect Outlets
Common outlets can be a danger to young children who like to put things where they don't belong. When we moved into our house, we were amazed to find 128 outlets that needed to be covered. The easiest way to protect children from an outlet is to use a safety plug to cover each outlet. The safety plug is inserted into the outlet much the same as you would insert a plug. As long as the safety plug is in place, nothing can be put into the outlet and the plugs are very difficult for children to remove.
Childproofing Tip #6 - Child Toy Safety
Remove small toys from the reach of young children. Small toys and small pieces of just about anything can pose a choking hazard to young children. Don't be comforted by the fact that your child "never puts things in his or her mouth." Be safe rather than sorry by getting in the habit of picking up anything that is less than three inches in diameter. Older children should be taught to pick up and put away their toys to prevent their younger siblings from getting an item that could be hazardous. A source of choking that is often overlooked is food. Items that seem safe - like grapes, hotdogs, apples and hard boiled eggs - should always be cut into small pieces to avoid choking. Hot dogs should be served in quarters or halves to make them easier to chew.
Childproofing Tip #7 - Child Water Safety
Never leave small children unsupervised around standing water. Common household items such as buckets, toilets, bathtubs, filled sinks, bird baths, ponds, spas and pools can be a danger to your child. There are many inexpensive safety devices that can be used to make these items safer. For example, you can use a toilet lid lock to prevent small children from raising the toilet lid. Locks are available for windows and doors that will prevent children from gaining access to a yard. Self-closing springs are available for gates and doors that lead to water areas. Although it may be inconvenient, a padlock or other locking device should be used on all gates leading to pools, spas and ponds. The lock should be relocked after each use. There is no substitute for adult supervision but there are many things you can do to make your children safer and your supervisory job a little bit easier.
Categories:
Baby Safety
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