Keep Toddlers Safe
According to the National Safe Kids Campaign, over 4 million children under the age of 14 are injured in their own homes every year. When purchasing a new home, its important to keep your house safe if you have little ones! Here are a few tips to baby/childproof your home.
The first thing you should try to look at the rooms from a toddler's perspective. Yes - you should get on the floor and look around at all the all the interesting objects, the electric cords, furniture that they could pull down, etc. This will give you an idea of what you're up against. Start by going room by room and remove of all the possible dangers.
Door Safety
The doors need to latch completely, so repair them if necessary. Specific plastic doorknob covers will make it impossible for kids to turn the knob. Think about investing in nice doorway gates; they are available at baby stores. This will keep the little ones from tumbling downstairs or getting into other areas.
Drawers, Closets and Cabinets
Drawers that are within a toddler's reach should be fitted with latches. These prevent the drawer from opening more than an inch. Latches for cupboards, closets and cabinets should be installed as well.
Dangerous Electrical Outlets and Electrical Cords
Plug them up! You can buy inexpensive plastic safety plugs. Be sure to insert when outlets are not in use. Inspect all electrical cords to be sure there are no frayed or cracked areas. Wrap them with black electrical tape. If possible, run cords behind heavy furniture.
Telephone Cords and Window Blind Cords
Unfortunately, if there is enough slack for a toddler to put his head through a cord, then there more than enough cord to strangle him. You can use wind-up cord shorteners for the phone cords and bind the blind cords out of his reach. You can also secure table lamp cords to the table with cord guards.
Stair and Landing Railings
If the space between your rails is big enough for a kid to stick his head through it, then it's big enough for him to get his head stuck in it, or even fall through.
Freestanding Furniture
You might think that your old grandfather clock is too heavy for your toddler to move. That's not exactly true. Many heavy pieces of furniture have fallen over on a curious toddler. All heavy furniture like this should bolted to the wall or removed until your child is old enough to understand not to touch it. Don't forget furniture corners and edges. You can buy foam padded furniture edge covers at many baby stores.
Kitchen Safety
You can purchase knob covers for your stove; they are available at most baby stores. Oven latches keep kids from opening the oven door. There are latches for refrigerators also! Plastic grocery bags and plastic wrap should be put away or disposed of immediately.
Bathrooms
Always keep your bathroom doors shut. Always be sure that all medications are stored high above the floor in a latched cabinet. Cleaners should be stored up high and locked up in a closet or cabinet. Never leave a baby or toddler in a bathtub unattended. Use nonskid mats to prevent slipping. Use tub faucet covers to prevent little ones from accidentally turning the water on.
