Children are a blessing, but if you are expecting a new arrival, there are quite a few things that you will need to do to your home to make sure that it is childproof. As soon as they are able to crawl, they are able to get hurt, so it is vital to take necessary steps to secure your home. Luckily, most of these fixes are very simple and practically anyone can childproof a home. You don’t need to bubble wrap everything, but it is a good idea to really use a sharp eye around your home to see where the trouble areas are.

1. Outlet covers.

The first place to start is your outlets. They are right at infant/toddler level and electrocution is devastating. You can simply cap outlets to prevent children from sticking their fingers inside. There are also plug protectors available that will prevent children from unplugging a device and getting hurt.

2. Installing cabinet locks.

While it may not be feasible to remove all dangerous cleaning products, medicine and other dangerous items from your home, it is easy enough to install cabinet locks. We highly recommend these for any home with children and they can easily divert a disaster.

3. Sharp edges.

If you have tables, counters, or anything with a sharp edge, it is vital to either replace them, or purchase end covers that will provide a softer surface. Kids fall, especially when they are learning to walk, and a sharp edge may cause a head trauma. In a pinch, foam tape on these corners will work wonders.

4. Child safety gates.

These are very important, especially for children that are able to crawl or just starting to walk. They should be placed in doorways to rooms where children should not enter, and at the top and bottom of stairs. We highly recommend adding one to kitchens since this is an area where injuries frequently occur.

5. Securing decks.

Your deck may look safe to you, but imagine if you are only a few feet tall. Could you get your head stuck between the railings, or worse, fall through? Purchase sturdy lattice that can be nailed in or consider adding a steel mesh around these areas to prevent these accidents from occurring.

6. Curtain and Blind cords.

Every year, thousands of children die as a result of improperly secured curtain and blind cords. It is absolutely vital to make sure that they cannot reach these cords. Remove them from reach and secure them so that there is not enough cord for a child to play with.

There are also a few other considerations to think about. One accident that is unfortunately highly common is a problem with countertop fryers. If they are placed to close to an edge, or a cord is hanging down, it is all too easy for a child to pull it down on themselves. By taking steps to avoid a tragedy, you can rest assured that your children are protected.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-09-25 05:32:02. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Related Posts

• Remodel or Refresh? If you are thinking about completely remodeling your home, but your budget is pretty small, you may want to think about refreshing it instead. There are some definite benefits to both types of home renewal, but there are some downsides as well. Let’s take a closer look at both types......
• Joe the Plumber If your home, apartment or some other building is suddenly experiencing a water leak, then repairing the fixtures, the faucets and the pipes can become extremely urgent in no time at all. You may be able to do some of the repair work yourself, but in most cases it is......
• How Energy Efficient Are Your Appliances? Given the world concern over energy efficiency, there are little steps that you can take to ensure that you are doing your part to minimize your energy use. The biggest source of energy drains in the home are your appliances, so it will improve things a lot to make sure......
• Learn How to Repair a Flooded Home After a flood, it may seem as if your home and your possessions are beyond hope, but many of those belongings can likely be repaired. With the right process, you can clean up, dry out, rebuild and reoccupy your home much sooner than you may have previously imagined. First and......
• Tips for Fire Safety If you want to practice good fire safety, then you are going to need to have a plan in place. If your home or workshop should ever happen to catch fire, you are not going to have much time with which to escape. Smoke fumes are capable of incapacitating a......

Related Websites

• Sleeper Costs of Buying a Home Purchasing a home is one of the most rewarding times in many people's lives. It can also be one of the most stressfull. The build up to buying a house is huge, you have to scrape and save to get the money together for the down payment. The search then......
• Reminder in Fire Safety Saves More than Money Summer is coming to an end and the heating season, at least here on the East Coast, is not far off.  Along with the need to warm houses and the high costs of heating fuel, there may be a lot more people using alternatives, such as plug-in heaters and kerosene......
• 12 Must Have Products That Will Keep Your Child Safe Around The Home Here are some child safety devices that can help prevent many injuries to young children....
• Buying World's Fair Memorabilia There are an endless variety of different types of collections and memorabilia out there, and one of the options that are available to you is to collect World's Fair memorabilia. For several decades now, both children and adults have brought home a multitude of different souvenirs and mementos following their......
• Balcony Safety Balcony safety is often ignored.   Is your child safe on the balcony? Setting firm rules with regard to balcony safety, is protection for everybody and anybody who sits out on an upper floor balcony, not just for children. The following tips should help prevent a family member or friend......

Online Stores

• Children s Ceiling Fans Home Lighting
• Extension Cords Electrical Solar Home Improvement
• Curtain Rods Curtain Rods & Hardware Window Treatments Home Store
• Outlets Receptacles Switches Outlets Electrical Solar Home Improvement

If you liked this article, vote for it on del.icio.us and stumbleupon.


Categories:

Cabinets, Curtains, Deck, Handy Man, Safety, Windows, locks

Tags:

amazon, cabinet locks, cleaning products, disaster, electrocution, fingers, foam tape, head trauma, infant toddler, medicine, necessary steps, new arrival, plug protectors, sharp edge, sharp edges, trouble areas