Childproof Your Home to Keep Your Little One Safe
by: Alli Ross
Parents and caregivers want to provide a safe place for their children to live and play but too often child proofing these areas gets put off. This has caused thousands of household accidents that could have easily have been prevented. The good news is that child proofing is not difficult and can easily be completed in one day.
It is important to protect your child from common household dangers before you bring your newborn home from the hospital. If you wait, things can become hectic and easily get put off until later. Below are some of tips on how to childproof your home.
On your first visit to the store you will likely be overwhelmed by all of the products on the market designed to child proof or baby proof your home. There are literally hundreds of different choices.
Some child proofing requires no devices, just common sense. Other areas definitely require the use of a child proofing device. Not all children are the same. If you feel a certain product would help protect your child from a situation they are more likely to get into, you may consider adding that to your arsenal as well.
Here are some basic steps for child proofing your home.
Move Cleaners, Medicine and Other Poisons
You need to move any poisonous substance out of the reach of your children. A common mistake is to keep cleaners under the kitchen sink or bath products on the ledge of the tub. While you might think that child resistant caps will protect your children, you should be aware that the requirements for a child resistant package may mean that at least 80-85% of children couldn't open them. That means your child might. All poisons and medicines should be stored in a high cupboard or locked area.
Block Stairways
Not surprisingly, falls are one of the biggest causes of injury to young children. Stairways are particularly dangerous and should always be properly gated. Never use pressure mounted gates at the tops of stairs since your child may be able to put enough pressure on them to give way.
Despite having a gate it is important for parents to keep a close eye on children around staircases. No safety device outweighs the importance of adult supervision.
Keep Children out of Dangerous Rooms
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Childproof Your Home to Keep Your Little One Safe
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