The notion to child-proof the home should be automatic for everyone, not just young couples starting a family. Whether your a aunt, uncle, grandparent or godparent, it is always smart to have your home prepared to accommodate young children. Even when closely watched, it only takes a split second for a serious accident to occur when a house is not safe.

There are many possibilities for an accident to happen and it varies from home to home. I will list the major issues which are common in most homes and hope the information will be useful to you.

1. Electrical cords should always to put in bundles and out of the reach of children. For computers and other electronics, cord organizers are available and are easy to figure out even with multiple cords that many electronics come with. For table lamps use cable ties to secure to table legs which prevents lamps from falling to the floor and onto a child.

2. A child beginning to walk can pose a major challenge for parents. Always take into consideration items that can be easily pulled down by toddlers such as table runners or tablecloths that have vases or other decor on them. Keep unstable furnishings like pole lamps, coat trees or anything that a curious child can tug on away for awhile until your child grows up some. Nine times out of ten someone is going to get hurt and somethings going to get broken which can be all the more serious for a small child. Plan on many years of just not having certain items out if your house is for family and not for showing. One last thing, for all grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends, please take the necessary steps to remove all safety hazzards if you know young children will be coming to your home for a visit.

3.In basements and garages, install self-closing springs on the doors that lead from your house to the garage or basement. If you don't alreay have an electric garage door, it may be worth it to have one installed because it reverses if anything touches it when closing. Always keep the remote away from a childs hand.

4.Safety gates are a must have if stairs are in the home and children are too. Have one gate for the botttom and one for the top. An ideal gate is one that is tall and sturdy and has strong mounting hardware. The release should be easy enough for an adult to pass through but definitely not for children. The gate should not be ab accordian style one but should be able to swing in both directions. The pressure gates are not recommended for stairs.

5,Outlet covers are necessary and there are different types to serve a specific purpose. The sliding type cover is good for electrical items that are unplugged often. On the other hand, electrical items that stay plug in most of the time should have covers that also shields the plug, with openings at the bottoms for the cords.

6. Stoves are very dangerous and can cause serious burns and house fires. Protect children with knob covers which are easy to install and also easy to remove when you need to use the burners for cooking. Remember to always stay at the stove when frying foods and keep children safe and away from the stove when cooking soups, stews, etc.

7. We all store cleaning liquids and solvents, and the majority of the time the storage is located in lower laundry room cabinets or under the kitchen sink. Protect youngs ones by installing magnetic key locks on cabinets. The locking mechanism mounts inside of the door and can only be released by a magnetic key. Make sure the key is only accessible to an adult. Another type of cabinet lock is the latch type which will disengage when the door is opened slightly and pushing down. I prefer the first type myself.

8. If you have window blinds in the home, cut the loop at the end to prevent babies and toddlers from strangulation. Do this by cutting the cord just above the tassle and remove the equalizer buckle. Complete this smart tip by adding a separate tassle to the end of each cord.

9.Protect children from serious burns by installing covers on all floor registers, radiators and other heat sources. Another wise move is to lower the temperature of your water heater thermostat to 120 degrees form the normal 140 degrees.

10.When bathing young children, always test the waters first. Place cushion covers over faucet handles and turn the child away from them to prevent a child from reaching for the hot water handle.Last but not least, always stay with child when they are bathing.

There are many more safety precautions to take in your home,so modify and add where applicable.