As a parent, you probably never stop worrying about your child. Is he or she happy? Healthy? Safe? While you can’t control everything, there are steps that you can take in your home to help improve your child’s safety and well-being.
Childproofing your home can be an overwhelming task. The most effective way to start is to evaluate your home, room by room, from your child’s perspective. If your child is crawling, get down on your hands and knees. Is your child toddling or walking? Get down to his or her level and check out the view. If you were crawling, toddling or walking where would you go? What looks tempting or interesting? What is within reach? Where could you climb? While not all accidents can be avoided, below are some general childproofing tips to help you get started. Remember to evaluate every area in your home for potential dangers.
Also keep in mind that childproofing is an ongoing process. As your child grows and develops (e.g., crawling, toddling, walking), you will need to reevaluate your childproofing efforts upon each milestone.
Furniture & Appliances
- Secure heavy furniture and appliances to walls wherever possible.
- Store heavy items on the bottoms of furniture such as bookshelves and cabinets so they are not top heavy.
- Keep furniture and/or office drawers closed when not in use – climbing children tend to use these as ladders.
- Make sure heavy appliances, such as televisions and computers, are pushed back from the edges of furniture – bolt them to the wall if possible.
- Cover pointed edges of furniture with guards or bumpers
- In the kitchen, use a stove guard to prevent your child from touching the burners or pulling at hot pots.
- Use plastic covers if the stove’s knobs are within your child’s reach.
- Always lock your oven or invest in a lock to prevent your child from opening the oven door.
Doors & Windows
- Keep windows and doors closed and locked when not in use.
- Use door knob covers. Be sure that these covers are sturdy enough not to break, but also allow doors to open quickly by and adult in case of emergency.
- Use door stops or door holders on doors and hinges to keep little fingers safe.
- Place marks or stickers on glass and sliding doors to make them visible.
- Keep furniture away from windows.
- If you have double hung windows, open them from the top.
- Never open low windows more than four inches.
- Use window stops, to prevent windows from opening more than four inches.
Blinds, Curtains & Draperies
- Keep your child’s crib or bed away from blinds, curtains or draperies.
- Keep blind, curtain and drapery pull cords out of your child’s reach.
- Cut or remove pull cords.
- Replace pull cords with safety tassels.
- Use inner cord stops.
- Make sure that older blinds and drapery cords have tie-down devices to hold the cords tight.
- When purchasing new window coverings ask for those with child safety features.
Bathroom
- Keep the toilet seat down when not in use.
- Install a toilet lid lock to prevent your child from lifting the lid.
- Always unplug appliances such as curling irons and hair dryers, after each use (and never keep anything plugged‑in near water).
- Keep all medications and vitamins in a locked cabinet.
- Keep razors, scissors, tweezers and other sharp bathroom objects in a high or locked cabinet.
- Set your water heater temperature to 120 degrees or lower to help prevent burns from hot water.
- Install anti-scald devices on faucets and showerheads.
- Use a non-slip mat in the bathtub and on the floor next to the bathtub to prevent slips.
Cabinets, Closets & Drawers
- Secure cabinets, closets and/or drawers with locks or child-proof latches.
- Store sharp, potentially harmful objects and dangerous products in high cabinets, out of your child’s reach.
Stairways & Other Areas
- At the top and bottom of stairs, use safety gates that screw in place; they are more secure than those that stay in place with pressure.
- Use safety gates that children cannot dislodge, but that you can easily open and close so you will be less likely to leave them open.
- Use safety gates to prevent your child’s curious exploration into dangerous areas around your home such as the kitchen, bathroom, pool and hot tub.
Electrical Outlets
- Cover or replace all electrical outlets.
- Plastic Outlet Protectors –These devices fit directly into the outlet holes to prevent the insertion of foreign objects. If using these protectors; make sure they are large enough not to be a choking hazard.
- Tamper Resistant Outlet Covers – These outlets look just like regular outlets, but use a plastic shutter to prevent the insertion of foreign objects.
- Tamper Resistant Outlet Face Covers – These receptacle covers have plates that slide over the outlet holes when not in use. Some require replacing the entire outlet cover, others install over the existing outlet face cover.
- Use a power strip safety cover on all in-use power strips.
Sources: www.cpsc.gov, www.babycenter.com, www.kidshealth.org
