I received a package this morning and I’d like to thank Baby Company for sending me a Safety First Home Safety Kit. It’s actually our prize for winning in their Summer Scrapbook Contest in their Facebook Page
my photo entry
And because of this I realized the importance of keeping our home safe for our kids. When Iya started walking, being safe at home became my most immediate concern. And now that she’s almost three, she never stopped moving! She loves climbing and running around. I’m always worried that she might fall or trip or bump her head onto something. Below are some tips I got from various websites on how to keep our babies safe inside our homes:
Kitchen
- Install quality safety latches on drawers and cabinets that are within a child’s reach.
- Keep all sharp utensils, wastebaskets, and household cleaning products in a latched drawer or cabinet.
- Appliance cords should not dangle from the counter-top. A curious child could pull on that cord and bring a heavy appliance onto his head or body.
- Cook using the back burners of your stove and turn pot handles toward the rear of the stove so your child can’t pull hot food on himself. Remove stove knobs to prevent curious little fingers from turning on the knobs. If you remove the knobs, keep one handy to use while cooking, and store in a drawer when not in use.
- Don’t use tablecloths or placemats – your baby will pull them and what’s on them down.
- Prevent access to pet bowls of food and water. A child could drown in the water or choke on the food.
Bathroom
- Never leave standing water in the tub or sink. It takes very little water to create a drowning hazard.
- NEVER leave your child unattended in the bath. A good rule of thumb is to keep one hand on your child at all times while bathing. If you must leave the room, wrap your child in a towel and take her with you.
- Reduce your hot water heater temperature to 120 degrees. A baby’s skin is more sensitive than an adult’s. What is warm to us can scald a small infant.
- Install a spout cover to protect from falls.
- Use a non-slip mat or use non-slip stickers in the tub to prevent falls.
- Remove items from around the tub ring (shampoo, conditioner, razors). When bar soap becomes small enough to fit into a toddler’s mouth, it becomes a choking hazard.
- Install a lid lock on all toilets. Toddlers can drown in just a few inches of water. In addition, lid locks will prevent children from flushing valuables down the toilet.
- Install safety latches on bathroom cabinets and drawers.
- Put wastebaskets under the sink and latch the cabinet door.
- Ensure that the bathroom door doesn’t lock. If privacy is required, install a flip lock at eye level to prevent people from entering.
- While using your bathtub, keep all electrical appliances such as electrical razors, toothbrushes, hair blowers, curling irons, radios and especially electrical heaters unplugged and locked in a cabinet, away from the reach of children. Water and electricity are a fatal mix.
Living Room
- If any piece of furniture seems unstable, it should be anchored to the wall. Not only can a toddler climb on large pieces, but an earthquake can send unstable furniture crashing down.
- Coffee tables should have rounded corners to avoid split temples and lips. If glass tabletops are used, the glass should be 3/4″ thick and should be made of tempered glass or replace the glass with Plexiglass. Never use pedestal type tables. A child who climbs on the edge of an unsecured table could suffer a serious injury.
- Install padded toddler shields on your tables to protect your children when they fall.
- If you have a bar in the family room, lock away all alcohol.
- Remove small objects from lower shelves. These may pose a choking hazards.
- Staircases have provided both adults and children with bumps, bruises, broken bones and other injuries. Keep stairs clear of clutter that may pose a tripping hazard while carrying your baby.
- Safety gates at the top and bottom of the stairs should be securely mounted to the wall and have a locking handle that can be operated with one hand. Never use a pressure gate on stairs.
- Banister posts should be no more than four inches apart. Larger openings permit children to slip through or become lodged.
- Do not place furniture near a balcony. A child could climb on the furniture and fall over the balcony.
There are still a lot of ways to keep our kids safe. Just try to be mindful all the time and never ever let your kids play around unattended.
