If you’re an expectant parent, you’re probably already going through the process of childproofing your home and making it a safe place for your young children. It might seem like a simple process, but there’s a lot that goes into childproofing. Homes are typically filled with lots of objects with sharp edges, doors and cabinets to smash fingers in and dangerous objects like knives and medications. To keep your children safe and away from these items, there are a few things you can do to make sure they don’t end up in a cabinet or drawer they aren’t supposed to be in and don’t accidentally injure themselves on furniture and fixtures throughout the home. Keep reading for five major tips on how to child-proof your home and keep your kids safe!
Child Proof Packaging
Child resistant packaging is a great solution for keeping things like medication, makeup and other hygiene items that aren’t appropriate for kids out of reach in aesthetically pleasing containers. There are lots of options to accommodate all kinds of materials and items, from pills to sharp objects to dangerous chemicals that you want to keep out of reach. In the best cases, you can buy child resistant packaging that is customized to your specific needs in the home. Consider getting a collection of child safe packaging for all of your sensitive and dangerous products.
Safety Gates
Safety gates are a great way to keep children who are just beginning to be mobile in safe areas throughout the home. These are especially important if your home has a staircase, which is very easy for a small child to trip and fall down. Safety gates can keep your kids in their playroom, away from the staircase or out of the kitchen where you have the most dangerous objects in the house. Safety gates come in all kinds of variations and designs for every person’s taste and home aesthetic. Safety gates are an essential part of child-proofing, so make sure you do some research on the best kinds for your home.
Cover Outlets
Exposed outlets might not seem like a big deal, but childrens hands are small and can easily fit into wall sockets and cause serious injury. Plastic covers for outlets that aren’t in use are a great solution to keeping your children’s curious fingers out of wall outlets and sockets. No detail is too small to secure in your home to keep your child safe and your outlets are no exception. Especially if you know that a particular outlet has exposed wiring, this is something you’ll need to take care over and cover right away if you already have children or are expecting your first child. Look into the options of coverings for outlets, there are tons of great options available both online and in your local hardware store.
Secure Standing Furniture
So you get a new bookshelf, and set it against the wall you want it on. Done right? Actually, this is an insecure way of installing a bookshelf into your home. You’ll want to anchor any shelving units or standing furniture to the wall. This is because kids tend to be tempted to climb things, and in the event that they climb a bookshelf it could fall and cause serious injury. Similarly, if you live in an area on the west coast prone to earthquakes, even small ones can cause unsecured furniture to fall and present a great risk in your home. Be sure to secure any and all standing furniture you might have in the home to avoid accidental injury.
Cabinet Locks
Make sure you install child safe locks on the inside of your cabinets. These are often plastic pieces of hardware that stop a cabinet from opening and closing too hard to avoid your children getting their fingers stuck in there or to prevent them from accessing large and dangerous appliances. If an inside mechanism doesn’t seem like enough, consider getting a lock and key for cabinets containing dangerous objects like knives or appliances. This will make you feel that much more secure that even if your children get into the kitchen, they’re safe from the potential danger there.
These are just a few things to consider when childproofing a home. If you have a backyard or a pool, there are additional steps you should take to make sure that area is secured as well. If you’re still curious about more ways to child-proof your home, there are tons of resources available online for new and expectant parents, so make sure you do enough research and check off all the boxes you can before your new child arrives. You’ll be so thankful that you too the extra step to keep them safe. Good luck and congratulations on your new baby!
