Childproof Your Home

Childproof Your Home

The most conducive time of the physical and mental development in a child is between the ages of 1 to 4. During this time, if the child’s development is smooth and accident free, the child is said to be healthier and stronger both mentally and physically.

Avoid Bedside Travel Source

As kids, we are much more prone to minor accidents than as adults, as kids are more restless and active. As kids like to know the surroundings, they often test and learn things on a trial and error basis. But there is one thing that the parents are worried about, is about their kids hurting themselves.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 2.3 million children are injured accidentally every year. So it is very important to make your home child-safe.

CHild Might get hold of THings that might choke them Source

Here are some tips and recommendations to childproof your home.Look at your home through your child’s line of view and observe the things that are hazardous in terms of sharpness, poisonous, hard, high, wobbly, electric, hot and choking, through that point. Make sure to keep all those things out of reach of your child.

1) Cover the plug points which are within the reach of your child/children, so that they don’t put their fingers inside.

Plugpoint should be coveredSource

2)Cover the corners of your furniture with plumbing foam pipe which you can get in any hardware store. (Try to get the self-sealing variety; it is easier to put on).

Cover the table with with foam pipesSource

3) Also look under the furniture, as many things fall and stay hidden, like medicines, marbles, pins, cleaning products, etc. Which aren’t located in the plain sight of adults, but are easily accessible for toddlers.

Keep an eye of the things lying around the reach of your child Source

4)You also need to be especially vigilant, when you have visitors. Great Aunt Muriel loves to bring gifts and her bag is full of cosmetics, medicines and pepper spray, which might be in reach to your kids and might be hazardous. Also the wrappers of chocolates etc. can be a choking hazard.

5)You also need to check if the glass items, like table tops, picture frames, full length mirrors, vases, smash-boards etc. are either out of reach or are fixed to the surface/walls firmly.

6)Avoid bed-site tables, vase stools, and couch-side counters as they are light and can easily be toppled with the contents above.

7)You should also check the fasteners in your doors so that they don’t open with a single twist of handle, as some toddlers, especially the ones who have just started walking or can stand up with support can open. Also seal that cat/dog flap, you created for Montmorency or Milo, till your baby grows and can walk on legs. Babies, for some reason, find these pet flaps really interesting and these prove to be secret getaways for them. But they might get stuck in the process of going out. Even if they aren’t stuck, they would go outside without your knowledge!

Fasten the furnitute Source

But if you feel, you are doing injustice to your pet or Montmorency/ Milo is being extra grumpy or cranky, you can choose a one way door flap, which allows your pet to come inside, but it won’t let your pet (and your child) out.

Keep Small things away from the hand of yopur child Source

8) Make sure that the floor is not chipped, wet or oily, at anytime. This is not just dangerous for the kids but for adults as well. See that a bio-friendly floor disinfectant is used, as the kids tend to walk on all fours and they put their hands and feet in their mouth. If possible, carpet the floor, which will also keep the children from getting hurt when they fall (which they do, more often than you might imagine).

Hope these tips will help you to keep your child safe and happy.