Child Proofing Basics
The average home is not constructed or designed with a child's safety in mind and most parents do not understand all the dangers until their child gets hurt. Pediatricians advise parents to begin thinking about home safety when their baby is around six months old. As soon as the child is even slightly mobile, child proofing the home is a wise decision. According to the National Safety Council, over 4.5 million children are injured or killed by hazards in their home each year. Burns, suffocation, drowning and falls are the leading causes of these injuries. However, most of these accidents are preventable with planning and foresight by using simple, relatively inexpensive child safety products. Child proofing your home does not have to be a major headache. A quick walk or crawl through your home can open your eyes to the dangers your child faces every day.
Let us start with a "walk" through the average home together. Start in the foyer by taking a good look at the staircase and the banister. If the spacing between the banister spindles is large enough for a child to risk falling through, then acrylic will be needed to protect the gap. A permanently mounted gate at the top of the stairs is necessary to prevent falls, with an additional gate at the bottom strongly recommended as well. A home should also always have smoke detectors installed in the halls and checked monthly. The chances of dying in a residential fire are cut in half when smoke alarms are present and functioning correctly.
The kitchen is a common dangerous area in most homes. Cabinets, drawers and the dishwasher should be locked and appliances on the counter tops should be cleared. Make sure to secure pantry doors and the garbage disposal switch. Use the back burners while cooking and consider a stove guard to prevent any possible burns. It is best to try and keep any children out of the kitchen during meal preparation, as accidents more commonly occur when little ones are under foot.
When it comes to family and dining rooms the main potential hazards to look for are top-heavy pieces of furniture, sharp edges, unprotected outlets and stray cords. Another major hazard is the fireplace, which should be padded, locked or gated around its perimeter. For many the best solution to safe guarding the fireplace is to use hearth guards. Window blind cords can be another serious hazard to young ones as a strangulation hazard and should always be tied up or secured. Lastly, be sure to move toxic plants to an out-of-reach area where children will not run the risk of getting poisoned or choking on any of the plant matter.
Bathrooms are also another one of a home's high danger areas. When child proofing a bathroom make sure to secure all cabinets and drawers and consider using a toilet lid lock. Electrical issues in bathrooms are a constant hazard, which always raise concern so be sure to install GFI outlets for the excess moisture. It is also a good idea as a parent to be aware of how to unlock bathroom doors from the outside in case your child locks themselves inside the room by accident. Parents also need to keep in mind what they throw away in wastebaskets because these areas are on the ground and often accessible to small children. The other major thing to remember when dealing with very small children in a bathroom is to never leave a child alone in the bathtub because a baby can easily down in as little as two inches of water.
While child proofing any bedrooms in your home, parents mostly need to worry about securing furniture, covering exposed outlets and removing objects on dressers and night stands. If the second level windows are low to the ground they should be secured with a window guard or similar device to limit them from opening wide enough for a child to get out of. A child's crib is one of the most important things to look into, as many older or hand-me-down cribs do not meet today's present standards of safety, be sure to do your research before you look into buying your child's crib.
In your designated laundry room or laundering area, all hazardous chemicals should be moved to a high shelf or secured in a cabinet that a child cannot easily get into. Secure lower cabinets, lock any closets and throw away dry cleaning bags that could be a potential suffocation hazard.
Even though not every family has a swimming pool, if yours does then you will need to take some extra precautions. Begin by installing a safety barrier around the pool. Safety pool fencing with a self-latching gate is best. Another great option is installing alarms on the doors from the house to the pool area. It is important to pay such close attention to this area of the home because private swimming pools are the most common site for drowning to occur for children between the ages of 1-4 years old. As a new parent, it is always a great idea to take a CPR class just in case the unexpected should occur you would be prepared for the situation.
Overall, child proofing is really about moving objects to areas where an infant has the least chance of getting hold of them, thinking like a baby would; what is at your level and what can you easily reach and utilizing safety products. While there are many safety products on the market, some work better than others, so make sure you take the time to do proper research. However, if you do not have the time to research all the safety products out on the market and want to make sure every hazard in your home is taken care of, then call a professional child proofer in your area. They can answer all of your questions and supply you with several different options in safety devices.
