A safe home is vital for any family in the United States. It provides a place where families can feel secure and protected from the outside world. It also gives children a sense of stability and security, crucial for their development. In addition, a safe home can help reduce the chances that families will experience poverty or homelessness.
However, not many families can achieve this. Thousands of households still experience child-related fatalities every year due to injuries, some happening in their own homes. To reduce this happening, you’ll have to child-proof your home. Here are some ways you can do that.
Install Safety Gates
It’s hard to control where your children go inside your home. They’re inherently curious and will want to explore every nook and cranny. So one way to give them a little more freedom while still keeping them safe is to install safety gates. These can be placed at the top and bottom of stairs, doorways, or even in the kitchen.
Safety gates are usually made out of metal or plastic and have a swinging door that can be locked in place. They come in various sizes, so make sure you get the right size for multiple parts of your home. They can be found in most hardware stores or online.
Make sure that the gates you’ve chosen aren’t too easy for your child to open. You don’t want them getting out of the gate without your knowledge.
Install Window Guards
Window guards are another great way to keep your child safe in your home. Window guards are pieces of material that attach to the window frame and hang down, blocking the opening. They essentially have a series of bars that prevent a child from falling out. They’re also helpful if you have pets that like to jump out of windows. They’re effortless to install and do not require a professional to do it.
The case for window guards might not be as crucial for one-level homes. However, for homes with two or more levels, this becomes essential.
Cabinet Locks
Another thing you can do is to use cabinet locks to keep your children from opening cabinets that contain dangerous items like knives or cleaning supplies. Additionally, you should hide all cords and plugs so that your children can’t accidentally electrocute themselves.
Orient Children About Potential Hazards
It’s also important to talk to your children about potential hazards in the home. For example, teach them not to touch anything that looks dangerous and stay away from kitchen appliances like the stove and oven. If you have a pool, make sure to teach your children how to swim and what to do in case they fall in.
Put Foam on Sharp Edges
There are many sharp edges found on all sorts of furniture. Take your dining or coffee table, for example. These edges of these tables have pointing edges, and any child that hits it is sure to get a bad bruise. easily cut a child if they fall on them.
You can fix this by putting some foam or rubber around the edges. This will help soften any impact and prevent injuries.
Be Aware of Furniture Placement
Furniture placement is also important when it comes to safety in your home. You’ll want to make sure that all furniture is placed in such a way that there are no tight corners where a child can get stuck. In addition, you’ll want to avoid placing furniture near windows or other places where a child could climb up and fall out. You should also choose round tables instead of rectangular ones. This is to reduce the sharp edges of your home.
Keeping Your Yard Child-Proof
Your yard also needs to be child-proofed if you want to keep your children safe. Here are various ways you can do that:
Install Fences
Fences are a great way to keep your children in the yard and out of trouble. Make sure that the fence is tall enough so that your child can’t climb over it. If you have a pool, make sure the fence is high enough to prevent your child from jumping into the pool.
You should also install fences near your pool. A staggering amount of children suffer fatalities from drowning in the United States. By installing a DIY swimming pool fence, you can reduce the chances of this happening in your home.
Install a Pool Alarm
If you have a pool, you should install a pool alarm. These alarms go off when someone enters or exits the pool. This will help you know if your child has entered the pool unsupervised.
You can also get a safety cover for your pool. This will help to prevent any accidents from happening.
Keep Plants Away From The Yard
One of the dangers of having plants in your yard is that your children might try to eat them. There are several poisonous plants out there that can make your child very sick. Poisoning happens more often to children than adults because of this reason.
To lessen the chances of this happening, you should keep all plants away from the edges of your yard. You can also plant nontoxic plants in your yard to make it safer for your children.
It’s important to be proactive about child safety in the home. By taking these simple precautions, you can help make sure that your child is safe and secure.