Tips for Childproofing Your Home

If you have a newborn child or toddler, you’ll want to make sure that your home is a safe place. At first glance, the rooms in your home probably seem relatively safe, but upon closer scrutiny you may begin to notice things that could put your child at risk. From a child’s point of view, there may be a lot of things to put them at danger, like potential falling objects or things they might hit their head on. Here are a few tips for childproofing your home:

Get Rid of Any Potential Hazards

There are many objects or tools in rooms that can be risky to leave with your children. One thing to look out for is small objects, such as nails or marbles. Any small object can be a dangerous choking hazard for children if they’re left in a room without close watch. If you don’t already, you should make sure that any and all cleaning supplies are either locked away or put out of your child’s reach. Items like hammers, screw drivers, toolboxes, and even brooms should be kept in secure places as well.

Make Sure Your Furniture is Safe

Test your end tables and chairs to see how much weight is needed for them to tip over. Children can be put at great risk for injury from wobbly or unstable furniture, as it has a higher chance of falling down on them. A table with a table cloth on it could also be dangerous if your child tugs on it. Anything resting on the table will surely fall onto your child.

Safety Gates

You’ll want to place gates in the doorways of rooms you don’t want your child crawling into, like the kitchen. You’ll also want to put gates at both the top and the bottom of staircases, so your child has no way to climb the stairs and risk a fall.

Use a Childproofing Kit

A childproofing kit can be found in many hardware and department stores. It typically includes a variety of electric plug covers, furniture corner protectors, security locks, and appliance latches. These kits can range anywhere from $10 to $150, depending on size of the kit and what is included in it.

The most important thing you can do to childproof your home is to make sure your young children are under your strict supervision. If you work or cannot be around them all day, consider either day-care or a babysitter. Both are good options, but conduct diligent research to determine what is best for your child.