Childproofing Safety
How to Child Proof the Home
Your home is your child’s playground, a place to discover and experiment with the things that surround them. This curiosity is a great thing for kids to have, this is the way they learn, but it is our job, as parents to protect them from things that can be dangerous. Not only can we protect them by childproofing the home, but also by teaching them what is dangerous and why. Kids understand far more than we give them credit for, so even if you don’t think they understand, they probably understand more than you think.
This may seem a little silly, but get down on your hands and knees and see the world from your child’s perspective. See what things are at eye level with your child and eliminate the things that could cause problems. It is a good idea to childproof even before your baby arrives. Time will fly by and soon they will be getting into everything. It also can take sometime to get in the habit of making sure doors are locked or hot pans are out of reach.
Childproofing Cabinets
Searching through cabinets can be a lot of fun for your child, from banging on pots and pans to dumping the cereal box out all over your floor. This is where safety latches come in handy. Here are a few different types of safety latches:
1. Magnet Latches – For these latches a magnet will be your “key” to open the cupboard. You will place a magnet in a certain area to open the door. I never liked them because you needed to get the magnet to open the door and you needed to place the magnet in a perfect spot for the door to open.
2. Plastic Push Latches – These are most common and are very inexpensive. You attach the lock inside the door and all you need is the force of your finger to open them. Typically you attach them by pre-drilling holes in your cupboards, and then screwing them in place.
3. Outside Cabinet Locks – These are plastic locks that hold two door handles together so the doors cannot be opened. The one problem you will find with some of these locks are that they are weak and will break if someone pulls on the door handle while they are on (big kids tend to break them easily). They also take a little more time to take off and put back on.
Childproof your Stove Top and Oven
Your stove top can be very dangerous for children. Little hands like to pull things down off tables and counters, and hot pans if you are not careful. Try to only use your back burners and when using the front burners, make sure that your handles are directed towards the wall.
If your little one enjoys playing peek-a-boo with the oven, attach a safety lock. They make simple self adhesive locks for ovens. When you are cooking, let your child up to see what you are doing and explain to them that the stove and oven are hot and dangerous. The more you reinforce that to them, the faster they will learn not to touch the stove and oven.
Childproofing Doors and Windows
One easy way to keep kids out of rooms is to put child locks on the doors. They make child safety locks that fit almost any size or type of door and door knobs. They also make door stoppers, so fingers cannot get slammed shut. You especially want to focus on doors that lead outside. You can even find door locks with alarms, so you can be alerted if someone opens a door.
You can also find many different types of window locks and gates. Walk around your house and look for windows that children can get to. Remove any objects that make it easy for children to climb onto to get to the windows. Screens are not a safety device, they pop out easily. They actually make windows more dangerous for children, because they don’t understand that they cannot lean up against the screen.
Childproofing the Bathroom
The toilet is a scary part of the bathroom. Kids can fall head first into the toilet and have a difficult time getting out. My second child loved the toilet (not a fun stage). She loved to throw things inside, including my husband’s phone. So don’t hesitate to buy a latch for the toilet if it becomes a problem.
The next concern is the hot water. Turn you water heater down to 120 degrees. They also make anti-scalding devices you can install to help prevent burning.
Always make sure that your bath tub is drained when someone gets out. Once in a while I will catch one of my older kids leaving a full tub, which is very dangerous to my one year old. To avoid slipping in the bath tub, buy skid proof mats or surfaces.
Leave hair dryers or other electric devices unplugged and out of reach.
The Stairs
Stairs are great fun for your little ones to climb on and it is good for their motor development, but at the same time it is dangerous. Let your toddler climb up and down on the stairs while you are watching them, but all other times keep them off the stairs with a baby gate. Baby gates come in all shapes and sizes. Find one that fits your needs. Some gates have floor levers that allow you to open the gate with a step of a foot. These are nice if the gate is used often.
Tipping Furniture
Search your house for any furniture that could be tipped and secure them with anchors. An anchor attaches the piece of furniture to the wall.
Outlets
Stick plugs into all of your outlets around the home, making sure they do not come out easily. Make sure that all your outlets in the bathroom and kitchen are updated with GFCIs (ground fault circuit interrupters). They will turn off all electricity if an appliance comes in contact with water. Most newer homes should already have these in place.
The Nursery
Be careful not to place your crib by any shelves, window or other furniture that could be dangerous. Remove any extra bedding or stuffed animals from the crib. Crib bumpers have also been proven to be more risky than beneficial.
Other Things to Keep in Mind When Child Proofing your Home
- Make sure all appliances or other objects are pushed back from the edges of tables and countertops.
- Put safety guards on all sharp corners and edges around the home.
- Make sure you don’t have cords hanging down from blinds or anything that your child could become tangled in.
- Make sure you have carbon monoxide and fire detectors through out your home.
- Make sure that there isn’t any small objects in your child’s reach that they could choke on.
Still Looking for Some More Help?
Depending on where you live, you can hire someone to come out to your house and help childproof your home. It typically costs around $200 to $400. Their job is to help you see your house in a whole new perspective and make it completely child friendly.
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