It is very important to keep your baby safe, no matter whether it is at home or outside. You have to make a number of child proof house checklist in order to keep them protected from any kind of accident.
Childproofing your home is more than just a necessity. Given that kids tend to have the habit of not staying in one place, it is very important that you do focus on doing the needful to keep them safe and prevent any mishaps.
In this article, you will come across various ways to make your house as childproof.
12 Baby Proofing House Checklists:
There are many tips to make your house childproof (R). Some of the ways are as follows-
1. Get Rid Of Tripping Hazards:
There are lots of hurdles, obstacles, and accidents when your child learns to walk and stand, etc. But, you can do a number of things to stop your kid from falling and hurting them and keep them protected at home. Adding some soft plastic covers to furniture’s sharp corners prevents the baby from hitting them around the edges. This is one of the major steps to be taken for your child.
Installing baby gates at the top and bottom of stairs mean they can’t get up or down the stairs without a grown-up. The carpeted stairs soften the blow of a stumble and keep the baby safe, ensuring that they don’t topple around and bruise themselves.
2. Protect The Little Fingers:
Installing some hinge protectors on ironing boards, deckchairs and doors can stop tiny fingers from getting trapped or painfully pinched in between them. It is very important to take care of these small things during the initial days of the baby’s life. The British plug sockets have shutters to stop your child from getting an electric shock if they manage to get a finger inside, but protectors are still worth installing.
Normally, the sockets are right at eye-level, and it is possible that the kids will want to stick things other than fingers into them. So, you have to very very careful. Make sure you try to keep all of your stationery and tools in a high drawer where your little one can’t reach at all.
3. Anchor Your Furniture:
Normally the crawling babies love pulling themselves up on things and once they get slightly older, they might try to climb up bookcases and chests of drawers too. So, fastening the furniture to the wall makes it less likely that they will pull the whole thing down on top of themselves. This is an important thing that you can need to do to make your house childproof.
It’s always best to keep tall lamps sandwiched against the wall and other furniture. It should also be attached to the wall. Make sure the cords should be hidden so that the child cannot pull it.
4. Stay On The Ball:
It is obvious for the curious and highly energetic babies to try and get into anything you leave lying around and pick up new stuff around them. If you’re throwing away anything dangerous such as batteries, plastic bags or broken bulbs, then you have to be very careful about how you dispose them. Make sure you throw all the stuff outside immediately.
Always try to put the bin somewhere the child can’t reach. Keep hot drinks away from the edge of surfaces, and put your cuppa down when playing with the baby as the baby can burn themselves and you in the process of trying to snatch it away from you. Turn all the pot handles away from the edge of the hob, as the child can get into it.
5. Safety while Playing with a Pet:
Pets are too affectionate and lovable but certain things and actions of kids like pulling the tail or the ear can piss them off. And some pets are wild too if they are not kid-friendly. Teach your kids to be gentle and compassionate with the pet and refrain from playing rough games with them. Make sure they don’t irritate the dog or any other pet too much.
It is not wise to go near the dog when he is having his food or try to take away bone from his mouth, as they can get angry. Warn your child to stay away from the pet, which is growling or showing off his teeth as it would harm them.
6. Secure Your Perimeters:
In order to avoid any kind of accidental falls or injuries with respects to kids, it is always essential to keep your windows and doors locked in the home. This is another point in the checklist for making a childproof home. Never leave your kid on the bed unattended as they might fall down.
Do not allow your kids to play with the open windows or patio doors. Also make sure the stairways are blocked when you are not using it, to prevent kids from climbing it. It’s your responsibility as a parent to maintain safety and security around the home for kids.
7. Set a Smoke Alarm At Home:
Installing a smoke alarm at home really works great for the kids as a checklist for the safety of the home. Check whether it is working fine every now and then. Teach your kids about the fire alarm, and the significance of the beeping sound and have a fire escape plan ready when the alarm goes off.
When there is a leakage of carbon monoxide gas which has no odor or color, it can be fatal for your kids. This may be too dangerous. So, try to keep your kids away from it. Installing a detector would assure you that your home is safe. This is an important part of the childproof checklist.
8. Small Sized Items Must Be Kept Away From Kids:
Kids usually are in danger of choking and harming themselves, if they play with small toys or food items like whole almonds. So, make sure you divide the food into bite-sized portions to avoid choking. This is a major step to be taken care of when it comes to your kid’s safety.
Don’t give your child grapes, candies, carrots, nuts and popcorn to eat, as it can also cause choking. Make sure you keep buttons, coins, earrings, pins or marbles out of reach from your kids as these can also trigger a choking hazard and is quite dangerous for them as well.
9. Lock Away The Firearms:
If you have a firearm at home, it is your full responsibility to make sure it is stored after unloading the ammunition and locked in a safe place which cannot be accessed by your kids easily.
Teach your kids about the dangers of using a gun in real life and also tell them the difference between the guns used by heroes in movies. You can make use of ‘advanced gun safe’ to store your gun safely.
10. Cover all the Electrical Outlets and Wires At Home:
Make your home childproof from all kinds of electric shock by covering electrical sockets which you might not be using at the moment using plastic covers. The electrical gadgets should be thrown away or ensure to repair the electric cords which are damaged. Keep them out of reach of the children as well.
Insulate the wires or fix them using casing to cover it. Making the kids aware of the dangers of electric shock is an important element to protect themselves and tell them they must not touch any of these with wet hands or without informing you.
11. Keep The Sleeping Areas of Your Child Uncovered:
Another childproof house checklist is to keep the crib as bare as possible because soft pillows, stuffed dolls or lots of bed covers might suffocate your baby accidentally and it may be dangerous in some situation and circumstances.
Wrap the mattress of the crib with a thin material blanket and tuck the bottom at the mattress end to make it look like a pocket. Make sure it reaches until the baby’s chest. Make sure you dress your kids in woolen clothes or use a slack if it is a winter season.
12. Do not leave your kids alone in homes:
Kids love to splash in the water and spend a lot of time in the water, whether it is a bathtub or a swimming pool. The chances of accidents like drowning can occur in water tubs or pools even if it is a fun and enjoyment time for the kids. Make sure the water level is not more than the waistline of your kid when you place him in a tub or sink.
Never leave your kids unattended, even for a second when they are around water. Give strict instructions to your kids that there must be no pushing or playing deep in the water level.
Initial days of parenting come up with lots of challenges and responsibility. So, you have to be very careful in order to take all the necessary responsibilities in order to keep your baby safe and protected at home as well as outside. I hope this article given you enough ideas on the ways of childproofing home.
