According to Safe Kids Worldwide, (a nonprofit organization whose aim is to avoid unintentional injuries), the number of kids that get hurt at home every year is estimated at around 1 million. Your home should be a safe space for your kids – the one place where they can be protected from any kind of injury or harm. Kids are indoors about 90 percent of the time, so parents should provide an environment free of health hazards. Let’s look at some ways that your home can be made safe for your kids.
Drawers and doors should have stoppers
There is no guarantee that someone will always be around to protect your child from things that may be dangerous around the house. But there are things you can do to ensure your kids’ safety even if you’re not around. To prevent injury to your kid in your absence, fix hinge protectors, and stoppers to your doors. Doing this will also stop doors from opening and closing on their own when the kids are in the house. You can also prevent them from being mischievous by poking their fingers through the hinge and getting hurt. Your child should be allowed to be active and freely move inside and outside the house. As a parent, it is your job to make that possible. As kids, they should learn and discover things on their own, so they need that space and freedom to explore safely.
Sharp tools that may cause injury should be locked away.
Tools that are dangerous for kids should be kept hidden. Pointy and sharp tools like scissors, pens, and staplers should be kept away from your child’s reach. Saws, grass cutters and drills are heavier and should be kept in the garage and inaccessible to kids or toddlers. They should be far from the playground or garden. Forks and knives should be kept in the kitchen at places where kids cannot reach them.
Cover your power sockets and use cord holders
At such a young age where they want to learn and explore, toddlers are attracted to distinct objects. They are drawn to colors and shapes of different objects. Because of this, power sockets and electric cables should be covered and kept away from them. Get an electrician who can install safety switches that can cut power in instances of near electrocution. Electric cords lying around may be dangerous for a toddler. Organize them with a cord holder to keep them from injuring them. Organizing your electrical equipment is a must when your kids are still very young.
Every room should have smoke alarms
You as a parent should always take precautions even if it’s unlikely that a toddler can cause some level of damage. You cannot be careless with objects that can spark a fire. Children like to play around with anything they lay their hands on.
Lighters and matches, for that matter, should be kept far from their reach. Be sure to have a fire extinguisher in the house. Smoke detectors should be fixed in every room in the house so that fires can quickly be detected. Your fireplace cannot be left uncovered. Fix a fireplace door so that your kids do not have direct access to the fireplace. If you worry that it may not fit into your decor style, get custom fireplace doors that will fit your space perfectly. Your child should not be exposed to anything hot to avoid scalds and burns. Be vigilant not to leave hot things near them or at a place where they can reach.
Keep windows locked and secure the stairs.
Your kids will be all over the house the moment they start to walk. They will climb tables, chairs, and anything that can be climbed. They will fall several times, and a staircase or a window is not one of the things you want them to fall from. The entrance to stairs and balconies should have guard rails for maximum safety at home. Windows should have safety guards. A hyperactive kid will try to stand on anything they find just to reach a window. For this reason, you must keep away tables, books, or any objects that may help them in this way.
Choose your floors carefully
Children like to run around the house and a slippery floor is a bad idea for playrooms, bedrooms or family rooms. There are types of floors that may be the best option for you if you have kids, such as hardwood flooring and carpets. Hardwood can be refinished several times and last up to 30 years or longer. Your child will make a lot of mess and hardwood floors are perfect because they are easy to clean. Laying a carpet will keep your floors protected and also absorb sound. They are a good fit if you want to soften hardwood or you just want a wall-to-wall carpet. Carpets and rugs made of natural fibers are preferred so that your kids are not exposed to chemicals.
Prevent drowning
A swimming pool is not the only water hazard in the home. Children can easily drown in any small amount of water in the bottom of a bucket or bathtub. You can stop your children from drowning by doing the following:
- Add alarm and security cameras to the poolside.
- Pool fences should have self-closing latches.
- Lock toilets so that toddlers cannot topple into the toilet.
- Do not leave children who are 6 years or younger alone in the bathtub.
- Water from kiddie pools, bathtubs, sinks, and buckets should be emptied as soon as adults leave the premises.
The bottom line is that when your kids are still young or are still toddlers, monitoring them becomes challenging as they like to move about. They do not tire quickly, and you may get exhausted, just trying to handle them to keep them safe from hazards in your home. You must therefore implement these methods to help you protect your children from getting hurt around the house.
Kori
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