Childproofing Your Home
How to
childproof different areas of your home
When your child start crawling and walking around the house, one of
the first things that you have to do is childproof your home. Child safety in the home is an important step can be
even taken in advance, as your prepare for a baby.
But even if you do so, it's a good thing to double-check your
childproofing home project just as your baby starts to get
about on his/hers knees and feet. Only then you can more acurately childproof your home, once you see what your
baby does and in what things he or she takes interest.
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Children are naturally curious about everything around the
home, but they have to
be watched as they haven't got yet any sense of danger. (Image:
Pixabay.com) |
Even if you don't know exactly how to go about childproofing your
home, don't worry. Once you observe what baby does, you'll soon realize all the possible dangers around the house
that could be potential hazzards for the baby. You'll develop a different frame of mind and a way of looking at
things, with a view to prevent the little one from doing something untoward, or even dangerous.
As a parent, I'm sure you're familiar with the feeling of viewing the
world in a different way once you have a child. Child safety in the home is essential to every parent and part of
parental responsibility.
Childproofing
Home
Little hands will get into things you never even thought of, so being well
prepared is critical to your child’s safety. Here are some areas of your home that need attention to get you
started on your childproofing project.
»
Electrical Outlets– One of the first things to do. You can buy
inexpensive covers to keep little fingers out of your outlets, or simply put a piece of furniture in front of them.
There are different electrical outlet cover designs, so choose the one you think is the safest.
» Cords– Be they electrical
cords or cords for blinds or draperies, they are a risk. Cords from blinds or draperies are a choking hazard, and
electrical cords can cause a shock, or can cause baby to pull something heavy (such as the lamp at the other end of
that cord) down on top of them. Make sure they're tied and lifted up away from the baby, or just moved out of her
reach.
» Rickety furniture– Be
certain that you don’t have unstable furniture around. When your baby begins pulling up, he could pull the
furniture right down on top of him. Sometimes it’s necessary to attach furniture, such as top heavy bookcases to
the wall. Little hands may seem little and gentle, but they can have surprisingly enough power to pull things down
when exploring their little world.
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Your house's windows are
another area of your house that might need to be
child-proofed, as children have a natural curiosity that can
take them to places you'd never think they would go. (Image by
Freeimages.com) |
» Plants – Likewise, make
sure your plants are tied and can't be pushed or pulled down. Some houseplants are poisonous, so be certain to keep
plants out of baby’s reach. Also, keep in mind that babies like to bite into things, plants included - don't let
them.
» Radiators – Heat - one
of the first things we learn as children to stay away from. If you live in an older home with radiators, you will
need to put barriers in front of them or radiator covers over them during winter months.
» Fireplace – Even more
essential to be protected from, as it's a greater source of heat and an open fireplace attracts their attention
more. Be certain your fireplace is equipped with a grill or glass doors to protect your child’s little fingers. As
soon as your baby starts to take interest in your fireplace, make sure you explain what it is and keep the baby
away from it. Babies and children learn things quickly and know more than they let know at first.
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Being full of energy and
playfulness, children like to run no matter where they go. Stairways at home or elsewhere can
be slippery and dangerous, so your children should be made aware of
this. (Image by
Pixabay.com) |
» Stairs– Another potentiall
hazardous area. Install baby gates to keep your little one from tumbling down the stairs. Make sure the gates can't
be easily opened - little ones learn fast by observing how adults deal with obstacles.
» Cabinet doors and drawers–
Install childproof latches so that your baby is unable to open drawers and doors, particularly those where you
store sharp objects or cleaning supplies. There's always a danger of them falling on top of your baby when pulled
out.
» Railings – Be certain
that any railings in your home, such as those on your stairs, have no more than a five inch gap between any
vertical posts. You’d be amazed at how easily a baby’s head can get stuck.
Keep your baby or child safe at
home
All of these are important steps to readying your home for those days when baby
starts crawling around. But, probably the most important thing you can do is to learn to keep your everyday things
put away. Items that adults use regularly, like scissors, pins, coins, buttons, cutlery and letter openers can all
be very hazardous to a baby.
It’s going to take some getting used to, but with some preparation, you can
organize your life so that your everyday activities don’t put your baby and child at risk. It takes only a moment
of inattention for something to happens. That's why childproofing your home is an ongoing project, just like
parenting is anyway.
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