Is Your Child Safe in Your Own Home? 

If you take preemptive measures, your child's safety in your family home should not be a concern for you. If your life is soon to be blessed by a new addition to your family, or if you already have a children, you should seriously consider childproofing every room in your home. Many of the following tips are easy to perform and can be completed without professional help.

Although your infant or child may be spending much of their naptime in the nursery; chances are your baby will spend most of its awake-time with you in the family room. Often a young child will begin crawling while being watched in the family room, which is why I suggest starting the childproofing in there.

The family room and living room of a home consist of multiple hazards for infants. Be sure to vacuum and clean the floors regularly, to ensure small objects and choking hazards haven’t been left behind on the floor.

Purchase electrical outlet plugs and fit them into every unused socket. Take a look at electrical wires and ensure they are tucked behind furniture and out of reach of your child, as these can be unsafe choking hazards. Also, make sure that cords from blinds and drapes are not a threat by tying them up towards the top of the fixture.

Do you have houseplants? If so, are they poisonous? Not sure? Play it safe and keep them out of your child’s reach. If your home has radiators, floor-vents, and/or a fireplace; protect your child by properly placing barriers around them.

When your child begins to stand and eventually take his/her first steps, make sure that sharp edges and corners are properly fixed with pads. Make certain that heavy objects, such as television and bookshelves, can’t be pulled down on top of the child. Keep glasses, vases, and other fragile items liable to shatter, out of the child’s reach.

Most modern homes have kitchens adjoining the family room, which is why I recommend childproofing the kitchen next. Many of the tactics used in the living room and family room should be utilized in the kitchen and in every other room in the house.

Be sure to keep knives and utensils away from the edge of the countertop and when washing dishes, be sure to place knives, forks, and other sharp objects into the dishwasher, so that they point downward.

All medications, including vitamins, should be safely stored out of reach. When cooking, place pots and pans on backburners and position the handles so that they are away from the child’s reach. You should also prevent the coffee maker, the toaster, heavy objects and other appliances from being pulled down off the countertop.

You will want to prevent your child from accessing hazardous materials such as: dish soap, dishwasher detergent, and other cleaning products, by purchasing safety locks or latches for cabinets. You should place a lock on every cabinet to prevent your child from exploring areas of the kitchen he/she shouldn’t be. Do the same for every bathroom cabinet too.

Now that you’ve secured the two main areas that your child is likely to spend most of their time in, you should move from room to room and double check that each room is safe. Bathroom doors should remain shut; always keep the toilet seat cover down.

Other safety tips that will help to keep your child safe in your home include: preparing a fire escape plan; having emergency service numbers readily available—i.e. poison control; guard stairs and steps with child-gates; never leave your child alone around water and have a pool fence installed.

This article addresses common safety issues for infants and small children. It does not cover every area of concern. For more information on this topic you can visit the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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