From the time you bring your baby home until the day they stop being so nosy, you need to childproof your home. Childproofing with child-safety devices can significantly reduce the risk of injury and poisonings at home. In addition to using safety devices, parents and older children should educate little ones about the dangers in the home and how to avoid them. Here are seven great tips for childproofing your home:
Use outlet protectors:
Children and plug sockets are a dangerous combination. Kids will stick just about anything in outlets, including fingers, toys, and small metal objects. One of the easiest ways to protect your child from electrical shock and electrocution is by covering the outlets with protectors. A less annoying but equally effective option for adults is the sliding cover kind — they don’t involve plastic plugs that are hard to remove and easy to lose.
Place furniture away from high windows:
Children tend to treat furniture like a jungle gym — and if it’s up against a high window, there could be even more trouble. When furniture is placed near a window, a child can easily crawl into the windowsill and open it. Most window screens can be pushed out and are not strong enough to withstand the weight of a child. Always keep your window screens secure and your windows locked, and make sure your furniture is far away from a window.
Install safety latches:
Safety latches keep your baby from getting into cabinets and drawers that might contain dangerous chemicals, sharp objects, and choking hazards. This is an important part of childproofing your home and preventing poisonings, injuries caused by jammed fingers, or climbing up on a cabinet and falling.
Install door knob covers:
A closed door is extremely inviting to a curious kid, but what’s on the inside might pose an added danger. To keep your child from entering a room where they might get injured, lock the door or use door knob covers that make it difficult for little hands to grip and turn the knob. If you’re concerned that your kid can figure out the trick to opening a covered door knob, it’s in your best interest to lock the door.
Use corner and edge bumpers:
Uncovered corners and sharp edges are accidents waiting to happen. Keep your corners covered with bumpers and cushions to protect your children from bumping and scratching themselves throughout the house. If you can’t find a bumper to match the color of your furniture and you don’t want a mismatched cover, put the furniture in a blocked-off room or store it until your child gets older.
Use safety gates:
If you have a second story or a room you don’t want your little ones in, a safety gate is the only way to go. Safety gates will block your crawling baby or curious kiddo from inching their way up or down the stairs and into a potentially hazardous room. It’s important to make sure your safety gates do not dislodge easily, but are easily accessible for adults.
Use visual reminders:
Images of Mr. Yuk and a skull and crossbones may be just the thing that keeps your child away from poisonous household products and medicines. Even if you keep hazardous items locked up and out of children’s reach, there is still a chance they may access them. In addition to practicing proper safety precautions, poison-warning stickers are also effective deterrents.
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