The home your provide for your children should be one of the safest places for them to be but shocking statistics show that an average 2,096 children under the age of 14 die each year in the US from a home injury as reported by the US Home Safety Council. So how can we make our homes a safer environment for our children?
Baby-Proofing Your Child's Room
When we buy furniture and accessories for our children's rooms we often choose them on looks first, then quality with safety coming low on our list of priorities however safety should be top of our list.
• All bedding and mattresses should meet current fire standards regulations and this should be clearly marked on the label.
• Ideally corners should be rounded to prevent nasty cuts and bashes but if they are not then you can buy corner guards that simply attach to those sharp corners making them much more child-friendly.
• Check that drawers are fitted with safety mechanisms to prevent little fingers from getting trapped.
• Windows should be fitted with window guards to stop them from being opened too wide and window dressings such as cords should be kept safely out of the way of little hands. Similarly don't hang anything within reach of their cots, including mobiles.
• All electrical cords should also be kept out of reach and wall sockets blocked.
• Furniture should be secure and drawers and bookshelves fastened to the wall. Make sure that there is nothing they cannot reach without having to stand on something.
Have a crawl around their room on your hands and knees. It might look silly but only at this perspective can you get access to the areas they are most likely to explore and spot any potential hazards.
Baby-Proofing Your Child's Room
When we buy furniture and accessories for our children's rooms we often choose them on looks first, then quality with safety coming low on our list of priorities however safety should be top of our list.
• All bedding and mattresses should meet current fire standards regulations and this should be clearly marked on the label.
• Ideally corners should be rounded to prevent nasty cuts and bashes but if they are not then you can buy corner guards that simply attach to those sharp corners making them much more child-friendly.
• Check that drawers are fitted with safety mechanisms to prevent little fingers from getting trapped.
• Windows should be fitted with window guards to stop them from being opened too wide and window dressings such as cords should be kept safely out of the way of little hands. Similarly don't hang anything within reach of their cots, including mobiles.
• All electrical cords should also be kept out of reach and wall sockets blocked.
• Furniture should be secure and drawers and bookshelves fastened to the wall. Make sure that there is nothing they cannot reach without having to stand on something.
Have a crawl around their room on your hands and knees. It might look silly but only at this perspective can you get access to the areas they are most likely to explore and spot any potential hazards.
Preventing Falls
When a toddler starts to explore their environment, this is when they are most vulnerable to falls and trips as they are unsteady on their feet and just finding their balance. Hard as it might be, try to keep rooms free from clutter. Simple storage are very effective at providing specific areas for toys and other household clutter, thus keeping them off the floor.
Also ensure that stair gates are fitted to both the top and bottom of any staircases and that stairs are kept clear and the carpets are not worn or damaged.
Hard floors are not ideal for children as they can get slippy, especially when wearing socks; spillages become hazardous and of course a hard floor is not a nice thing to land on. So consider carpeting the rooms your child uses most, like the living room and bedroom and check that any rugs on hard floors have a non-slip lining.
First Aid
You cannot prevent 100% of accidents in your home but you can significantly reduce the risk by taking some simple precautions. Above all, consider signing yourself up for a First Aid Course which will give you the confidence and knowledge to be able to deal with any kind of trauma, from a bruised knee to something more serious such as choking. Because, no matter how careful you are as a parent, accidents still do happen but you can make a huge difference to the outcome with a little bit of training.
Besides sharing his view on blogging, Luke Mathews loves reading free ebooks. He would like to recommend people to download free ebooks and educate them self's even more!
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