Are you new parents who need to ensure your home is safe for your child, or a grandparent who will be watching your grandchild in the near future?
Childproofing your home regardless of either situation is important for the safety of all children. Bear in mind, the adult-friendly home has more than a few potential hazards for a child. But you can keep your child safe by finding out what the risks are, and then preventing or removing them.
But even when you think you’ve removed all the home safety hazards, the reality is that children can still have tumbles and falls. That’s why supervision is one of the keys to home safety for kids.
Supervision Is Key
Also, as your child grows and learns to climb and open things, you need to be alert for new hazards. You’ll probably need to change the environment to make sure your home is still a safe and creative place to play and explore.
And along with supervision and a safe environment, you can also improve home safety by teaching your child about what’s safe and what’s not.
Here are some tips for products and measures you might want to take to protect your kids in your home whether it’s now or in the near future:
- All outlets should have plug covers. These plastic covers plug into the outlet and fit tightly within the outlet, so most children cannot get them out easily. You can purchase these at home improvements and hardware stores.
- Stairs should always have safety gates up to keep the baby and young toddlers from falling down the stairs. These gates range in size, shape, color and material. Some are made from plastic, others from wood. You can often find gates that are relatively new and in decent shape at flea markets and even garage, and estate sales. If not, they can be purchased at home improvement stores and mass retailers that carry baby and children’s items.
- All household cleaners and poisons should be kept in a cupboard that is high enough that the baby and young ones cannot reach it. Keep the phone number of the poison control center at your fingertips, as well as your local emergency room, and hospital in case you need to contact them should an accident take place unexpectedly.
- Additionally, post other phone numbers for the fire department, ambulance, and your pediatrician nearby your phone and within arm’s reach.
- In the kitchen, always remember to keep the handles turned toward the back of the stove out of children’s reach.
- Furniture should have rounded corners or be padded in case the baby or young toddler falls into them.
- If you have vertical blinds in your home, keep the cords up high where kids cannot reach them as they can get strangled in these cords.
- Lighters and matches should be kept up where children cannot reach them.
- You should have a smoke detector on each floor of your home and be sure to test them weekly. Also, change batteries once a year.
- Every home with kids should have a First-Aid kit that includes the basics like Band-Aids, First-Aid gauze, tape, scissors, etc.
Remember, no safety measures can replace supervision. Children are quick and need to be watched constantly. It only takes a minute for an accident to occur, so be on your toes and alert to avoid any and all emergencies
