Three tips for childproofing your home

Did you know more than 9.2 million children aged 0-19 years are treated each year for unintentional injuries such as falling, choking, poisoning and more (via CDC)?

 

Childproofing your home is an easy and effective way to help prevent accidents in your home and keep your children safe and sound indoors.

 

But, with so many potential hazards and problem spots, where should you begin the childproofing process?

 

We’re ParentEducate.com, the go-to platform for engaging online parenting courses covering a variety of topics — including indoor safety. Each of our courses is packed with exclusive research-backed content that was once only available to early childhood educators.

 

We’ve taken highlights from our indoor safety class to help you get started on your childproofing journey (check out the end for more info on how to access the full course).

 

Start with electrical outlets and appliances.

 

Infants and toddlers are curious by nature, which means they’ll likely want to investigate the electrical sockets throughout your home. Keep them from sticking their fingers into the socket holes (and getting seriously harmed) by placing covers on any visible outlets. When selecting one of the three types of covers for your home - plugs, box outlet covers and sliding outlet covers - be sure to choose one that makes sense for your lifestyle and contains as few choking hazards as possible.

 

Because electrical cords can also be a safety hazard, be sure to place them out of reach or securely tape them to the floor. By doing this, you can help prevent any injuries resulting from tripping or strangulation. You’ll also keep your kids from pulling any appliances off of higher surfaces and onto themselves or the floor.

 

Opt for shades that can be opened by hand (rather than with cords).

 

Most window treatments and blinds rely on cords to be opened and closed. However, window shades with long cords provide a host of potential dangers for children — especially if the chord is easily reachable.

 

To avoid entanglement and/or possible strangulation, opt for drapes that can be drawn by hand.

 

Be mindful of doorways and gates.

 

Doors and gates help restrict access to dangerous areas in the home and avoid unsupervised activity. If not properly attended to, though, they can also present a hazard to children, whether it’s through pinched fingers or collisions.

 

To avoid these injuries, our team recommends ensuring all doors and gates are closed when they’re not in use. When it is time to open doors, do so slowly to ensure there aren’t children on the other side. 

 

Finally, take the time to teach your child that doors should be opened carefully and slowly and that they should never be slammed as that could hurt other children nearby.

 

Want to learn more about how to create a safe home? Our Indoor Safety course has you covered! To access that course (and over 70 additional parenting courses), sign up for a free trial today!