How To Make Your Home Safer For The Kids
The home represents a safe place for those who reside within it. However, the reality is that quite often it can be the most unsafe of places to be in. This is especially the case for children who often have little or no idea about the inherent dangers of most of the things they interact with.
From sharp items and unstable furniture to electrical outlets and poisonous substances, there are plenty of risky things that may endanger your child. How can you make your house a little bit safer for them?
Secure Unstable Appliances and Furniture
One of the biggest dangers your kids could deal with is an appliance or furniture that isn't secured. At some age, little kids will get the urge to start exploring, or perhaps, they'll see their favorite toy on top of the TV and will want to reach it. Once kids start climbing furniture around the house, anything that isn't secured can pose a real danger. To limit this danger, use anchoring devices, furniture straps, or angle braces to secure your appliances and furniture.
Secure Electrical Outlets and Appliances
The temptation to stick something into a socket is very common in children. This is obviously dangerous, and you should take measures to ensure any outlet that's not being used is secured. Plastic inserts aren't ideal since they can still be removed from the socket. A socket with inbuilt safety features is a better alternative.
You should also buy products that can be used to secure plugs in their sockets so they can't be yanked out by a child. Small electrical devices such as DVD players, toasters, and hair dryers should also be out of reach. You can ask an electrician to come and ensure that your home is electrically baby proof.
Keep Poisons out of Reach
Kids like to put things in their mouths, and this increases the likelihood of them ingesting something poisonous. There are many such substances in the house, and quite often, we're unaware that something we use daily can be very poisonous to young children. Cleaning products, for instance, can be quite poisonous.
The best way of handling these kinds of substances is to ensure they're out of reach. This means they should be placed on a high shelf or a locked cabinet at all times. You could also look for products that come with a child-proof seal just to be safe.