Children are a bundle of joy and a gift to the community. Not only are they adored, but toddlers are also receivers of unconditional love from every member of the family. With that said, kids are naturally curious during their developmental years and their restless actions can sometimes lead to domestic accidents. Be proactive and prevent these accidents from happening by childproofing your home.
Secure Stain-resistant Fabrics
If there’s one thing babies are good at, its spilling drinks over. Their nimble hands always find a way to knock over cups and glasses, filled with the beverage of your choice. From fresh fruit juices to steaming hot coffee, nothing is safe from the little rascals. Do yourself a favour and get stain-resistant tablecloths and pillow covers that can brush off spills easily. Aside from spills, these fabrics will also be a breeze to clean after the toddlers are done playing around, which will happen more often than you’d expect.
Cover Coffee Table Corners
Coffee tables are quite common in most households. However, most coffee tables also come with sharp edges that can severely bruise your baby. Baby-proof the coffee tables at your home by adding cushioned strips or padded guards to the edges. Children have a habit of running around the house and God forbid, if they crash into a glass table, it could lead to some serious injuries. That’s why if you have any glass coffee tables in your home, it’s advisable to put them away in an area that is inaccessible to the toddlers.
Trim Electrical Wiring
You are bound to find at least two electrical outlets in any given room of the house. Baby-proofing your home includes trimming any wiring that hangs outside the outlet. You can even tape them up to the walls and the ceilings to prevent any unwanted accidents from taking place. Cover electrical outlets with sliding safety latches to prevent kids from tinkering with them. Do not use plastic caps on the switches as they may end up in the toddler’s mouth and cause complications.
Keep Medicines Out of Reach
Build medicine cabinets at a height to prevent kids from fiddling with chemicals. Children have a knack for putting anything they find into their mouth. And sometimes, even a small dose of any medicine lying around can be lethal to your toddler. It doesn’t end there. You should move all your household detergents like floor cleaners and toilet cleaners in here as well to avoid any mishaps.
Prevent Furniture Tip-overs
After babies start to crawl, they begin to see and explore the world differently. Given that their world will be your home for the most part, it won’t be long before they clench upholstery and climb sofa sets like it’s Mt. Everest. Be sure to bolt any furniture to the wall to prevent them from tipping over during these tussles. Pay heed to this advice as more than 130 children died from furniture tip-overs between 2000-2006. Keeping the drawers of dressers and file cabinets locked up can also help in these efforts.
For many parents, their number one worry is that a stranger will storm in and harm their baby. Although that is a legitimate concern, new moms and dads must not overlook the threat that looms in their own house. Taking care of children isn’t a walk in the park. Take these precautionary measures at home beforehand to ensure your kids grow up in a safe and supervised environment.
