Introducing a newborn to the house is one of the most exciting and memorable time for every family. Along with constant supervision and taking care of every need, you also have to consider childproofing your home.
Infants and toddlers need extra care and caution so that they don’t get hurt. From the time a baby starts crawling, sitting up, walking, till the time they are old enough to understand what they explore on their own, they need care.
Now, even if you’re with the child all the time, there can be a minute you take to get something from the kitchen and bam – they hurt themselves! You never know such unprecedented moments that can lead to fatal accidents. This makes childproofing a necessity and we tell you how to go about it.
Tips for childproofing your home
You need a baby proofing house checklist based on the points below. It will help you cover all that you need to make the house safer for a child:
1. Cover electrical outlets
Putting the tiny fingers into the holes of an electrical outlet is one of the most common accidents that happen. You must start childproofing your home for toddlers by adding protective covering for such outlets.
2. Keep chemicals out of reach
All the chemicals in your house must be put by after use and kept at a height where a baby cannot reach. Toxic cleaners are poisonous and babies can mistake a floor cleaner with milk.
Childproofing cabinets is vital and you can do that by buying locks. If the shelves are at a height, you don’t have to worry until you have a climbing toddler.
3. Keep medicines away
All types of medicines must be away from the child – even their own medicines. Children pick things up easily and might recall times when you feed them medicine. If caught at hand, they can pop in medicines and have an overdose. You can use child-proof caps for medicine bottles if you must keep them handy or near the child.
4. Use safety gates
You need to try childproofing your home with safety Best Baby Gates For Stairs when you have stairs. These are also necessary for basements, attics, and maybe the kitchen too.
5. Pool covers
Although there are high chances your child doesn’t get to the pool without you noticing his steps, it is better to use a pool cover for security. If you have a pool, strap it down with a pool cover so that your child doesn’t fall in it.
6. Fence your yards
When your toddler starts running about, it can go anywhere. It is smart to let the child stay active while you build a gate or a fence to protect him from accessing the outer word.
7. Childproofing your home appliances
You need to store your house-hold devices properly so that your child doesn’t have access to them. From damaging a product to getting an electric shock, you need to be cautious about appliances.
8. Keep breakables away
Keep away glass objects and other breakables from your child’s hands. Once your child grows older and reliable, you can allow him to hold them and understand what sensitive objects are. Till then, these items are safe in your locked cabinet.
9. Cover furniture edges
The baby proofing basics include covering edges and corners so that babies don’t have an injury. There are corner guards especially produced for childproofing and they will come to perfect help.
10. Add cushioning
One smart step to childproofing your home is to consider cushioning everything possible. For example, place padded mats at the bottom of your stairs so that a fall doesn’t hurt. The safety gate should come after that – you will need this when you help the child walk down the stairs without getting hurt.
11. Close doors and drawers
You must close doors in your bathroom, garage, and doors that lead to the garage. You also must close dresser and storage drawers. These places quickly draw a child’s attention and they want to explore what’s beyond. The door of your refrigerator also counts on this list!
12. Use window guards
Never leave a chair in front of a window or leave a child alone when a window is open. You need to cord up every window to prevent a strangling hazard as well.
13. De-clutter the rooms
Prevent your child from tripping by keeping the rooms clean. You must keep their toys back in place, once he is done playing. You must also supervise the child when he has access to toys.
If there are any spills, wipe off the floor immediately. If you have loose carpet or floor tiles that need repair, consider doing them as soon as possible.
14. Keep cribs free from large toys
You should stack a crib with toys, especially if you’re not attending the child throughout. The toddler can easily climb up the cushion or toys and get off the crib. Also, consider to not add stringing toys on top of the crib. Babies can take the support of such toys to stand up and strangle themselves by mistake.
15. Childproofing the kitchen
Once your kids become walkable, they will follow you around the kitchen. You need to make sure that he doesn’t come in contact with harmful kitchen essentials likes choppers and forks. It is also necessary to ensure that kitchens and bathrooms are spill-proof so that the child doesn’t fall.
16. Anchor down big furniture
You must anchor down big furniture like desks, dressers, and tables for baby proofing. Use anchor straps to avoid tipping or falling over such furniture when your baby climbs on them.
Final thoughts
These were some of the legit tips on childproofing your home. If you think these are tough for you to manage alone, call in childproofing home services. Just search for the best experts in town and let them cater to your home depending on what all you have. It is a safer way of ensuring that your baby is free to do any movement and will not get hurt anyway.
