Household Safety: 5 Tips For Baby Proofing Your Home
Whether you are having a child, expecting a new grandchild, or preparing for a nephew/niece or a friends child, making some safety changes to your home is of utmost importance. There are many dangers in the average home. There are electrical issues, items that could fall over or off high surfaces, and chemicals in cabinets.
The following list of 5 Tips For Babyproofing Your Home was made to help you identify these issues in your home, and some resources to help resolve the inadequacies. The safety issues found in this article are by no means all of the dangers, but this list should get you well on your way to understanding how to make your home safe.
Baby Proofing Your Home: Get On Their Level
I know it may sound crazy, and you will definitely feel silly, but get down on the floor when you start babyproofing. Be on the safe side - crawl around your house and see what they see! You will find so many issues this way that you never would have thought of. This will allow you to see exposed edges, screws, electrical cords and other items you cannot see while standing.
One of the biggest dangers to child safety for toddlers and younger is choking. Get down on your knees periodically to see what small items may be beyond your site standing. These are the easiest harmful items for your child to reach as they begin to crawl.
Baby Proofing Your Home: The Easy Fix
The quickest and easiest change you can make is childproofing your electrical outlets. When buying supplies for baby proofing your house, go to Walmart, Target, or wherever and get a box of plastic outlet plugs/covers. Take a stroll through the house and you're done! Remembering to put the covers back when you use an outlet is the next key!
The trick here is to get plugs/covers that are to difficult for a toddler to remove but don't rip your fingernail off when you try. As your child gets older, they will be able to remove these by themselves. At that point they will serve as a reminder of what you have already taught them about electrical outlets being dangerous.
Baby Proofing Your Home: Get Out The Screwdriver
Here is the not-so-easy fix. You will need to get child proof latches for your cabinets in your kitchen/bathroom. The key here is finding one that works yet doesn't make you pull your hair out trying to open the cabinet yourself. Be sure to get enough for each cabinet and drawer from the counter down. Also, as you are babyproofing, don't forget to get the bathroom cabinets as well.
Other options here are latches or knob covers for doors. Some of these can be aggravating and aren't necessarily needed until child is 2+, as your child will not be able to really grip the door handle. Most of the child safety knobs can be difficult to get used to, but are definitely worth the aggravation.
Baby Proofing Your Home: Clean The Counter
This step is an ongoing one. When your child is walking, or earlier for coffee tables and end tables, you will need to keep certain items away from the edge of your countertops.
My wife was the worst about using a knife and setting it on the counter, inches from the edge. It took my oldest daughter grabbing a knife just once and now my wife will never leave another one out. Always remember, if it is within their reach, they will grab it.
Baby Proofing Your Home: Edges And Surfaces
This was the hardest change for me. Finding sharp edges on furniture and deciding whether or not to get rid of the furniture is a tough issue. Some parents just remove every edge, others put soft glue or tape-on edges on them.
One of the easiest changes you can make is moving furniture with sharp edges away from large open spaces. This will lessen the likelihood that a running toddler will be seriously injured, yet allows you to keep the item and some resemblance of a home and not a preschool.
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