Home Safety for Your Children

There are many concerns when it comes to your children’s safety. But it really comes down to what you do in your home that will determine the safety of your children. There is first and foremost the cleanliness and tidiness of the house. This is particularly important because you wouldn’t want your child to just pick anything up and put it in his or her mouth. Or he/she could stumble over a toy that you’ve forgotten to put away.

WHAT TO DO: Obviously, a clean and tidy home is what works best. Clean up all the clutter and store all prized possessions that you wouldn’t want destroyed or lost. Lock all dangerous objects like tools or poisons. Keep cleaning materials, chemicals, and products out of children’s reach. It would also be better to lock them up. Little details of your home also matters. For example, your child runs around and none of you notice that the edge of your rug is tilted upwards a little. Your child might trip on it and hurt him/herself. Try to look forward to what might happen if you’re not careful around the house. Leaving a toy on the floor could very well lead to your child stumbling over and hitting his or her head directly on the floor.

WHAT TO DO: Take a look around your house and try to evaluate every corner and every area. What could be a potential danger for your child? Here are some points you could use to make your house safer for your child:

• Put sleeves on doorknobs to keep toddlers away from dangerous areas
• Turn down temperature on your water heater to at most 120 degrees Fahrenheit
• Secure curtain cords or any cords or strings that are carelessly within your children’s reach
• Put childproof latches on cabinet doors and drawers
• Place baby gates at the top and bottom of the stairway
• Fence in your swimming pool and other dangerous areas
• Cover sharp furniture and edges with foam tape and corner protectors
• Tape down loose rugs and electrical cords
• Cover unused outlets with plastic outlet plugs
• Take away any protruding bolts or loose nuts and put on non-slip coating on slippery floors
• Replace hard swing sets or play toys with soft material
• Provide soft ground cover around play equipment and soften ground on play areas

These are just some of the many safety measures you can employ in and out your house. Regarding escape plans in cases of emergencies like fire or gas leak, it is important that your child understands what to do.

WHAT TO DO: Go over you escape plane with the whole family and make your child remember what he has to do in case trouble comes up. Be specific and detailed with your emergency plans. It would also be great if you have a drill on what to do. Make sure that emergency contact numbers are right next to your phone. You can also have your children memorize the emergency numbers just in case. You should also keep exits easy for your children. Keep escape ladders near second-story emergency exits, too.