We may not think about it in our busy lives, but our homes can be potential danger zones for babies and young children. They don’t intend to cause an accident or sustain an injury, but by babyproofing our homes we can reduce the risk of anything happening when we are occupied or taking care of something else when curiosity gets the best of a young child. Here are some really easy and sensible ways to babyproof your home.
1 – Get Down to Their Level
One of the best ways to properly see what kinds of dangers may exist for a child is to see things from their interesting perspective. This means getting down to their eye level and taking a closer look at everything you see at that level. Then ask yourself what is within reach, what looks tempting and where could you go in your home if you could only crawl, toddle or baby walk. This exercise will show you the places that need attention.
2 – Use Barriers Where Needed
You can save yourself a lot of trouble and extra work just by blocking off areas of your home at certain times. The way in which you can do this without creating many new obstacles for you and the rest of your family is with baby gates. You can keep your child away from potential dangers by confining him or her to a specific room or part of your home that has already been babyproofed.
3 – Electrical Outlets Should Be A Priority
There are effective outlet coverings you can purchase at your hardware store that can cover them and when you are using extension cords, cover the exposed outlets with electrical tape. The idea is to have a barrier that prevents a child from sticking anything into a power outlet that does not belong, such as those cute chubby little fingers.
4 – Bolt Upright Items to The Wall
Cabinets, bookcases, dressers and appliances are hazards for children. Because they are not tall enough to see what is on or in them, children will tug or pull at things to access them. This can result in injury if a heavy item is pulled from a higher location. Where possible, attach these items to the wall to prevent anything from tipping over and falling.
5 – Close Drawers When Not in Use
Depending on the age of your child, open drawers in a dresser or cabinet create a ladder that can be climbed. The best trick to follow to prevent this from happening is to ensure any and all drawers are closed at all times. Also, depending on the design of the dresser or cabinet, a child pulling at a drawer can cause the piece of furniture to topple.
6 – Pull the Rip Cords
Curtains that have pull cords on them are another potential hazard for children. The best way to prevent an accident if your home has this style of curtain is to either cut the pull cords off or use cord shorteners to keep them out of the reach of tiny hands.
Need a hand with buying or selling in the Niagara region? I can help. I’m Jen Bedard and you can reach me by calling 289-213-7031.