Bringing a child into your life is a wonderful and truly unique experience. However, there are a lot of changes that you should make in your home to make it completely safe for your child. We, as grownups, know how to navigate through all the parts of our homes without any problems, but there are many things that can pose a danger for your child, so it is important to take some necessary steps to make your home injury-proof.
Reduce the chance of falling
Falls are the most usual causes of the majority of child injuries, and this is why you should take various steps to make sure that you have lowered the chances of this happening.
- Stairs: One of the usual places where a child could fall and become seriously injured is the stairs. This is why installing safety guards on the stair entrance is a good way of preventing this from happening.
- Balconies: The balcony is no place for an unsupervised child, so it is necessary to install a safety guard at the exit towards the balcony to prevent any falls.
- Windows: Not many people realize that a child can easily fall through a window. Even though small children are usually unable to unlock and open a window, there are situations when this occurs. The best and most effective way of preventing this from happening is by installing window guards, especially installing them on the upper-storey windows.
- Lights: Children regularly wake up during the night to go to the bathroom, so leaving lights on in the hallway is a great way to prevent tripping in the dark.
- Floor type: There are specific types of floors which are healthier for children, and are also less slippery than traditional ones. This is a small investment that will keep your kids much safer and healthier.
Preventing burns and scalding from occurring
There are numerous things inside a household which can cause burns, such as the stove, hot water, hot beverages, ovens, microwaves, and heaters. The only way to prevent this from happening is to keep your child away from all these devices by locking the kitchen. When it comes to the hot water, it is necessary to set the water heater temperature right so that the water does not exceed 50 degrees Celsius.
Improve fire safety
There are many things that can cause a fire within a home and the best preventive measure that you should take is to implement smoke detectors inside your home. People usually install a single smoke detector on each floor of the home, which is a legal obligation in some countries. Even though it will result in a bit of a higher financial investment, it is a much better option to have these devices in as many rooms inside your home as possible.
On the other hand, make sure that you have a fire extinguisher that is easily accessible in emergency situations. Make sure that you regularly test your smoke detectors and that you change their batteries once per year.
Become risk-free when it comes to poisoning
Children under five are especially at risk of accidentally ingesting poison. This is the age when children love to explore everything that surrounds them. There are numerous chemicals throughout the home that should be completely removed from the reach of children. Here are some of the solutions to this problem.
- Keep all poisonous liquids, such as cleaning chemicals, away from any space that is accessible to children.
- Store all of these liquids in high cupboards which are unreachable by children. Keep them locked just in case — this will ensure that the child cannot reach them in any way.
- Install child-safety latches. These are great gadgets that can help you in the case that you do not have cupboards which are high and unreachable. They make all of the cupboard doors practically locked while adults can still open them with a stronger push or a pull. Additionally, these latches are very useful for drawers as well, as they will keep your children’s fingers safe.
Don’t forget about water safety
This is something that depends completely on you. If your home has a pool, never leave your child unattended as they can easily fall in. You can always install a fence around the pool, followed by a self-locking gate. On the other hand, the same goes when it comes to the bath. No matter how shallow the water in the bath is, never leave a child unattended, nor should you leave him or her with an older sibling. Always be present, as these accidents can seriously endanger your child, and some can even be fatal.
Help your child steer away from electricity
During the growing-up period, children are very explorative — this is why it is your responsibility to keep electricity, in any form, inaccessible to your child. We all know how dangerous and lethal electricity is, so make sure that you take these steps to ensure that your child remains safe from an electrical shock.
- Safety switches: If you do not have a safety switches in your home’s electricity system, immediately call a professional electrician and have them installed. This device will turn off the electricity in your home if any kind of irregular activity in the electric system occurs. Additionally, these switches also help with fire prevention, making your home a much safer environment overall.
- Cords: Keep every single electricity cord in new condition, as they isolate the electricity. If you need to replace them, invite an electrician — this will keep you safe and your whole family safe afterwards.
- Sockets: The majority of electrocution injuries occur when a child inserts something that conducts electricity into a socket. To prevent this from happening, make sure that you use electrical socket covers which make it literally impossible for a child to insert anything in them. Make sure that you use the covers for all the sockets in your home, even for those which are found in rooms where your child does not usually spend time.
Keeping your home safe for your child is a task that requires a single time and financial investment, but it serves to protect your child during his or her most vulnerable formative years. Keep in mind that the majority of these problems occur when children are unattended, so make sure that you keep your children in your line of sight at all times. It takes only a matter of seconds for bad things to happen, and no matter how safe your home is, accidents can still occur.
