How to Childproof Your Home

How to Childproof Your Home

A study by the University of Alabama at Birmingham found out that first-time moms of children aged 12 to 36 months cannot identify potential hazards in a model home. So even though you feel that you have already childproofed your home, the truth is that you may have not done a thorough job of it yet. You may also be overconfident about your child’s ability to understand potential hazards and harm.

Household injuries are one of the top reasons kids under the age of three are rushed to the emergency room each year. Something as simple as making sure that your second floor has sturdy metal railing fabrication from a West Valley City company can make a big difference in your home. But what other steps should you need to take to ensure that your child is well-protected while roaming your house?

Identify the Potential Hazards in the Room

Visit each room in your house and identify what could pose a threat or risk to your child. Are any electrical sockets exposed? Are the cords to your appliances out of the way? In the kitchen, can your children turn on the stove by themselves? Can they reach knives and other sharp objects? In the bedroom, do you have railings around your bed? Is the crib railing the right height?

Buy the Necessary Tools

After you have identified the potential hazards in your home, you can buy the necessary tools to childproof your house. You need cabinet locks, doorknob covers, electric socket protectors, smoke detectors, and corner cushions. You also need a stair gate to prevent your child from climbing up or down the stairs. Preventing falls is another essential part of childproofing your home. Gates should be installed both at the top and bottom of the stairs.

Check Your Bathroom

Children are naturally attracted to water. They will want to get into your bathroom to play with water and their toys. So it’s important to check the possible hazards in the bathroom. And there are plenty of them. Medicines should be stored in the cabinet. Your children might get curious and pop pills in their mouths. The drawers and cabinets should have safety latches.

The faucets and showerheads should have anti-scalding devices to prevent the possibility of your child getting burned by the heater. Make sure to install anti-slip mats on the floor to prevent accidents. Many kids go to the ER after they have slipped on the bathroom’s wet tiles. That’s for your protection, too.

Keep It Clean and Tidy

Adorable Little Boy Sucking Thumb

Sometimes, the best way to prevent accidents from happening is just to keep your house clean and tidy. Putting things in their proper places will go a long way toward making sure that your child won’t accidentally slip on their toys. These toys could also pose a choking hazard to children.

Although you have to do a lot of things around the house, always make sure that you have eyes on your children. Don’t leave them in a room alone. Don’t let them climb on chairs and stairs on their own until you are sure that they can do it already. As much as it’s time-consuming to look after them when they go around the house, this is the only way to make sure that they are 100% safe from accidents and injuries.

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