When you’ve got young children at home (or will have little children at home), then the home that you normally didn’t give a second thought to, looks like a complete danger zone. There are so many new things that you see as hazards, the minute you become a parent. And as soon as your baby starts to roll over and crawl, the more real the hazards become. So, it will mean time to baby-proof your home to make sure that it is a healthy and safe place. The thing is, no matter how much you baby proof, the chances are that you will still miss something.
It can also be easy to underestimate your child’s ability too. You might not think that they can reach up to the toilet bowl or the kettle. But then one day, to your surprise, they will be able to. So, taking some time out to think about every possibility is important. If you’re not sure where to start, then here are some ideas of things that need to be looked at right away.
- We all love to have candles in the home, right? They can be especially helpful when there has been a particularly stinky diaper. But they are such a hazard to our children. First, if your little one was to chew on a candle, they could quite easily choke on the wax. If the candle has recently been blown out, then they could drop hot wax on themselves too, that could result in a burn. Second, matches need to be kept out of reach. If they grab a match, it can be quite easy for them to light it, even if you think that there is no way that they can. So, all of those things need to be put away or kept high up and completely out of reach. It also goes without saying that you should never leave a child in a room with a lit candle unsupervised.
- If you have a fireplace, then it is so important to keep it covered. Little crawling babies can get curious and try to reach out to something like a fireplace, so it needs to be covered to stop them from getting their little fingers burnt. When you have a toddler that has just started to walk, they can become unsteady on their feet and could easily fall into it. So, a cover is so important. They are inexpensive so make sure that you pick one up.
- Batteries can be hazardous to anyone, let alone babies. So, check devices that have batteries. Do they have a cover on them that is secure? If the cover is loose or there isn’t one, then they need to be replaced or put out of reach. You don’t want to find your baby chewing on a battery or trying to swallow a button battery. Such insignificant things that can do a lot of damage.
- As well as inside the home, there are many things outside of the home to think about. If you have an outside space, then having secure gates or fencing is important. You don’t want them to be able to escape anywhere. There can also be hazards, like gravel paths or certain shrubs or weeds that can hurt them. So, when you are outside with kids, you need to think about keeping your child safe while on the playground or in the garden. There are more hazards than you might realize.
- I’m not sure why, but babies seem to be born to be curious petty things. So, if there is something new for them to discover, they will want to investigate. Things like plug sockets are a big attraction for little ones. They could poke their fingers in the sockets, or use one of their toys to poke around. Both of which can be dangerous. So, get some plug socket covers where you can.
- If you have window blinds in the home, then make sure that you tie up the cords securely. You could also think about switching to cordless ones. The reason being there have been many instances where little ones start to tug at them and then get themselves all tangled up in them. It can lead to them choking themselves, which would be devastating. So always secure them.
The bottom line with these things is that you need to be with your little ones always really. You can take steps to reduce anything happening to them but being vigilant always is key.
