When you have kids, it’s common to suddenly feel like there’s a lot more danger lurking in the world. While you can’t protect them from all the bad things out there, you can make your home a safe space, and here are some tips to help you prevent accidents and injuries in your own home.
Avoid escapes from the home
A common worry for parents can be small kids escaping from the home. After all, kids are great climbers, and windows and doors are often left open a crack for some fresh air, meaning a small child could easily squeeze out. This could lead to a nasty injury or put your child in danger if they get close to the road. It’s worth investing in security doors, which help you stop toddlers and pets bolting out when you answer the door, and you may want to consider window catches or mesh panels, so you can get a breeze through the house without the danger.
Look out for danger hotspots
Certain areas of your home are more dangerous than others. For example, the kitchen and bathroom are areas where you’ll definitely want to focus on childproofing and ensuring they are safe. When you that your whole home is safe even when you clean your home. Keep anything dangerous out of reach, round off sharp corners, and look out for the placement of things like knife blocks.
Bathrooms can also be dangerous too, so make sure you follow strict safety rules:
- Always have an adult in the bathroom with kids at all times, don’t step out even for a moment
- Install a non-slip mat in the bath or shower
- Lock medicine cabinets and keep sharp items like razors and scissors out of reach, as well as electrical appliances
- When running a bath, run the cold tap first, then add hot water. Use a thermometer to get a safe temperature
While all your home should be childproof, certain rooms need additional checks as accidents are more common.
Secure your pool
Pools can be a lot of fun, but sadly, they are extremely dangerous when you have young children. Accidental drowning is still one of the most common causes of death among young children, and this is often in home pools or spas. The best solution is to fence off your pool, and in some areas, this is a legal requirement. Fencing your pool means kids are much less likely to get into there unsupervised. You should also consider getting a pool alarm, so if anyone climbs in, you’ll get an alert.
Protect them from electrical dangers
Electrical dangers are present all around the home. This includes wires, plug sockets, and appliances. You should take a look at electrical socket covers, and make sure wires are tucked away, in plastic housing if possible. This can help you avoid common accidents.
There are lots of dangers lurking in the home for little ones. You might want to consider renovating your home, but if you work on childproofing your home, you can cut the risk of an accident or injury so your children can enjoy carefree play.
