The number one reason children under three years old visit the emergency room is accidental household injury. This can be avoided with supervision and a lot of baby-proofing. Follow these guidelines to make sure your little ones stay safe:
Think Like A Toddler
The first step is to your home is to think like your child. Numerous parents say: get down on your baby's level and crawl around. You’ll see just how dangerous it can be. Take note of exactly which countertops, cabinets, and tables are reachable from your child’s level. This establishes what needs to be protected.
Identify The Enemy
Kids bump their heads, that’s a fact of life. But there are bigger threats lurking in your house. Think of the first thing your child does when he or she picks up something new to play with. They put it in their mouth. That’s why it’s important to keep any poisonous substances out of reach. Anything in cabinets are fair play. Luckily, your little one's most likely can’t reach very high, so the best way to ensure those substaces stay unavailable is by using the top cabinets. Keep the poison control phone number saved in your phone – just in case.
Quick Safety Tips:
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Lock It Up
If you don’t have enough overhead cabinet space, lock your cabinets! There are commercial childproof locks for cabinets and drawers. They come at a reasonable price as well. A DIY alternative is to use rubber bands to tie the cabinet doors together; it’s simple but effective. That should keep out any adventurous toddlers.
Beware Heavy Things
Another common threat is heavy pieces of furniture; common culprits are television sets, dressers, and bookshelves. Make sure your child can’t pull anything down on top of him or herself. Make sure nothing is wobbly enough or top-heavy enough to come toppling down. Babies naturally learn to pull up to a standing position on furniture. You don’t want anything to be able to push back down on them. Keep dresser drawers closed because in your baby's eyes, they make perfect ladders.
Children are always hurting themselves. It is a part of growing up. Small boo boos are totally natural, but it’s important to keep the more dangerous threats out of your child’s path of destruction. It won’t take more than a day to childproof your house, and it will leave your mind at peace knowing they can’t hurt themselves too badly.
Posted by Tom Crimmins Realty, Ltd. on
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