If you are expecting a new baby, or are babysitting a young baby or toddler in your home, then you will need to make sure that it is safe for them. Here is the list of the top ten things that you should do to babyproof your home and prevent accidents.
1) Use a fireguard and radiator covers. Babies and toddlers don’t know about the dangers of heat. You will need to teach them this, but in the meantime they will need to be kept safe. Cover any fires with guards. Even gas or electric fires can burn them if they touch them. Radiators can get hot too, so either put furniture in front of them or get radiator covers.
2) Stair gates need to be used at the top and bottom of stairs to prevent toddlers falling down the stairs if they try to climb them when they are unsupervised. They can also be used in doorways to prevent children going into rooms that have too many unsafe items in them.
3) Use safety glass on internal windows and doors, then if they break they won’t shatter and injure the children.
4) Move items higher so they are out of reach. You should take special care to move sharp items like knives and scissors. Glass ornaments and vases that can cut if broken. Heavy items could be knocked over and injure the toddler. Also make sure you keep cups of tea or other hot drinks well out of the way of toddlers who can easily knock them over.
5) Stop doors banging and catching their fingers by putting a doorstop on them.
6) Sharp corners can cause nasty injuries if a toddler falls onto them, so put a plastic corner protector on anything pointed to prevent injury. A piece of sponge will work just as well.
7) Move unsafe liquids like bleach and other poisons into high cupboards, or lock them up. Even dishwasher tablets can cause serious injuiries if eaten so make sure they are well out of the way.
8) Keep doors and windows locked so your toddler can’t wander out of the house or fall out of the window. Even when you have a baby you will want to be secure so that no one can just walk into your house and put you in danger.
9) Cover ponds in the garden so your child can’t drown. Make sure you never leave the unattended in the bath as it takes just a small amount of water for them to drown and you only need to leave them for a few minutes and it could be fatal.
10) Dangling cords need to be tied up. Check all your blinds and curtains, as these can be a strangulation risk to babies and toddlers. Also make sure that small items that they can choke on are put away, and there are no plastic bags nearby that they could suffocate with if they put them over their head.
Babyproofing your home doesn’t take much time or effort, you just need to always be aware of any risks to your child and minimise them as much as you can.