Childproofing Your Home

Childproofing your home is a very important task to undergo if you have child roaming around your house. Today’s homes generally have many potential dangers for young children, but to help you make your home a safer place we have put together a few simple childproofing suggestions to ensure your child's safety. Most of these are just common sense, but it still never hurts to know the possible hazards throughout the house.

The first step with childproofing involves removing potentially harmful objects from a child’s environment. Such things generally include tall lamps and other objects that can be pulled down, magnets on the refrigerator that can be put into a child’s mouth, hanging cords that kids can grab, cords to blinds, table clothes hanging over the edge of the table, houseplants, fragile vases and sculptures, VCRs and also any oddly shaped sharp objects. Furthermore, garbage’s should be off limits to children and poisons should be placed out of reach and in upper cabinets.

Securing unsafe places and furnishings is another important step. All cabinets and doors should be made childproof with safety latches and locks so that kids cannot freely enter into them. If pets are in the house, pet doors or safety gates should be used to block off door entries. Windows and fire exits should be safety-proofed and unsteady furnishings should be secured. You should also use corner bumpers on furniture and fireplace-hearth edges, install child-resistant covers on all electrical outlets and safeguard heating and gas systems.

Additional childproofing ideas include:

• Keeping firearms and ammunition safely locked away.
• Keeping cigarettes, matches, and lighters out of children's reach.
• Keeping all pot handles turned in so that your child cannot reach up and pull on the handles.
• Avoid placing wall hangings over the crib and make sure the crib meets national safety standards.
• Avoid using tacks or staples to secure electrical cords or other objects.
• Remove mobiles once your child has grown older then 5-7 months.
• Avoid household water hazards.
• Place furniture well away from windows.
• Make sure everything is vented properly in your house, such as furnaces, fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, space heaters, and gas appliances.
• Lock medicine cabinets and liquor cabinets, and any cabinets that may contain dangerous weapons.
• Use floor grips in bathtubs and showers.
• Keep knives, cleaning supplies, tools, small objects that can be swallowed and plastic bags out of children's reach.
• Use a Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detector outside bedrooms to help prevent CO poisoning.

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