If you’re thinking of having kids and starting your family, you’ve wondered about the many things you have to prepare for the coming of your child. There’s all the new clothes, supply of diapers, baby food, and so much more. But there’s one thing that’s on the top of the list of concerns: our child’s safety. This is all the more important in our own homes. We may not think of our home as a dangerous place, but we’re fully-grown adults. But if you get down and try to imagine a baby or toddler crawling, climbing, and reaching, then you’ll start to see how hazardous our living spaces can be. You probably want to childproof your home. Don’t worry as we’re here to help you out. Here are a few tips for making your home interiors safe for your kids.
Prevent Furniture Tip-Overs
As kids love to climb and turn your house into a playground, one of the major concerns when it comes to kids and furniture is the possibility of a tip-over. Children can pull a chest of drawers onto themselves, or push it over another child. Based on a report from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, an average of 11,300 children were treated for injuries caused by tip-overs from 2017 to 2019. Small children are most at risk as they’re still less aware of their surroundings and its potential dangers. Their less developed bodies also means they have less strength to push furniture off of themselves should they get trapped.
If you’re building a new home or renovating an existing one, it’s a good idea to opt for built-in cabinetry. Because these are secured onto the walls, there’s no risk of them tipping over. For freestanding furniture, such a chest of drawers, you can install anti-tip straps to secure them onto walls. By that same logic, you want your television to mount to the wall instead of just standing on a console unit. Some kitchen appliances, such as the range, come with anti-tip brackets. Make sure these are installed correctly to make your kitchen safer for you and your kids.
If for one reason or another, you can’t fasten furniture to your walls, you still have options. When choosing furniture pieces, try to go for low and wide pieces over tall and slim ones. Make sure these are stable and don’t wobble easily. These don’t prevent tip over as well as a strap would, but it still helps.
Avoid Sharp Corners
Whether it’s a baby learning to crawl or a hyperactive toddler running around, children are prone to bump into something. The more furniture you have, the more likely your child may hit themselves or run into them, and cause injury. You can make your home safer for the little ones by choosing furniture with rounded edges. This doesn’t mean all your tables have to be round or oval. Square and rectangular desks can still have rounded edges. If you don’t want to swap out all of your furniture, you can instead purchase corner guards to cover the pointy spots of your house. With these, you’ll be less worried about sharp corners causing head injuries or poking an eye.
White and wood dining room with oval stone finish table by Wood & Co.
Stops and Locks
Another risk that your cabinets and furniture pose is open doors or drawers. Most especially drawers as they can be pulled all the way out, which may then fall on your child. You can choose to lock all cabinet doors and drawers will some type of lock. There are many to choose from such as latches and magnetic locks. You can also install drawer stops. While these don’t prevent your kid from opening the drawer, it stops the drawer before it gets completely pulled out.
Beware of Open Windows
Now you’ve secured your cabinets and made sure every table corner is safe, you might think you’re done childproofing your home. You’re wrong. Aside from storage and décor, furniture is a great ladder for kids to climb on. Sofas, desks, dressers, you name it –these are all ways your kids can climb. You should position climbable furniture away from windows. An opening as small as 5 inches is enough for your child to fall from. Even if you keep your windows closed most of the time, your little one may learn how to open them over time. Another option is to install window guards, especially on upper floors.
Keep Dangerous Items Away
It’s not just furniture and cabinets that can be potentially dangerous for kids. The items you store inside them can be equally hazardous. How you arrange your belongings is also important. Keep the most dangerous items out of reach on upper cabinets. These things include knives, scissors, medicines, and toxic cleaning materials. It’s best if cabinets holding these items can be locked, as children may still reach them thru climbing. When it comes to heavy items, store them on lower cabinets. Yes, they’re easier for children to reach. However, you wouldn’t want such weighty belongings falling on your children.
Conversely, don’t place things interesting to kids on high places. Placing toys in high cabinets or on top of the TV will invite your child to find a way to climb up and get them. Your child’s belongings should be easily within their reach to minimize the risk of falling.
Cover Power Outlets
As every room in your house is likely to have a power outlet or two, shocks and burns are something we have to be concerned about. Especially because most outlets are low enough for kids to reach. We can’t always look at our kids 100% of the time. During those moments, they may reach for the outlets or try inserting objects in them. There are multiple options for covers. One of the most common types is a rubber cover that plugs into the outlet. They’re the most convenient option, but your child may learn to remove them from watching you do so. It’s also common for adults to forget to plug them back in. Some better options are sliding outlet covers and box outlet covers. These are safer and more permanent options built into the outlet covers themselves.
Whether you’re expecting a baby or you already have a toddler of your own, it’s important to make your home a safe space for your little one. By making these changes in your home and looking out for any potential dangers, you can feel more confident in your child’s safety. A little childproofing goes a long way. We can have a peace of mind knowing we made our interiors safe for our kids.
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