7 Most Important Home Areas To Know How To Child Proof

Keeping your child’s safety in mind, it is critical to know how to child proof different areas in your home. Millions of young children injure themselves at home every year, and most of these injuries could have been prevented with the use of childproofing devices and techniques. Some of the most important home areas to know how to child proof are the bathroom, kitchen, stairs, garage and pool.

1 – Bathroom

A young child who wanders into the bathroom can have access to the drawers and cabinets there. Household cleaners, medicines, mouthwash, soap and all cleaning equipment must be kept out of the reach of children or in secure cabinets with child proof door locks. Keep electric devices such as hair dryers away from reach. Young children can fall into toilets and drown easily. Toilet locks can be useful in removing this danger. A child who turns on the water faucet is at great risk of scalding himself with hot water. To prevent this, lower the heater thermostat for the water. Prevent access to the tub, as the child may fill it with water, making it a drowning hazard.

2 – Kitchen

The kitchen is home to many appliances that are dangerous to young children. Install safety latches on all drawers and cabinets. Never leave hot utensils close to the edge of the stove. If the oven is hot, keep your child out of the kitchen. Never keep appliances close to water faucets or at the edge of counters or tables from where it can topple over. Install smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, and replace batteries as needed.

3 – Stairs

Falls down stairs are the most common cause of injury in young children. Install gates wherever necessary, so that the child does not have unsupervised access. A small child who falls down a flight of stairs can be seriously injured, or even killed.

4 – Garage

The garage is an often-used entry and exit point from the home, other than the main door. Secure the entrance to the garage with child proof locks, so that your child cannot open the door and enter the garage, which can be an unsecured path to the outside world. Ensure that all substances stored in garages are in secure cabinets or cupboards with child proof locks.

5 – Electric Outlets

Cover all electric outlets with caps. Make sure they are secure and cannot be easily removed by inquisitive toddlers. If you have visitors, give them a brief idea about your childproofing tools, and remind them not to alter anything. Give visitors a storage facility for medicines and other harmful substances to keep out of reach of your children.

6 – Floor

Make sure there are no small items such as staples, pins or coins lying around on the floor. Such items catch a baby’s attention and tend to be put straight in the mouth. Cover all sharp corners of furniture with bumpers that will lessen the impact of falls.

7 – Pool

Restrict access to the pool, by erecting a fence that is locked at all times. Train your child from an early age, so he can learn to recognize the dangers inside and outside of home.