Children bring excitement to our lives. Usually, this is a good thing. On the other hand, it can be disastrous if you haven’t kid-proofed your home. Young children are highly susceptible to being injured by several common household dangers. Some of these are obvious. Others, however, are easy for even the most diligent homeowners to overlook. Here’s how you can kid-proof your house before entertaining young visitors.
IMAGE: PEXELS
Get Down On The Floor To Kid-Proof Your Home
You probably don’t want to be crawling around your living room. But this is one of the best ways to identify potential hazards in your home. When young children come over, they are probably going to be crawling or walking around low objects. You need to try your best to see your house from their perspective. Identify potential trouble spots and find a remedy for them.
Secure Your Furniture
Furniture can be extremely dangerous to young children. They tend to climb on things regardless of stability. This can lead to catastrophe if a piece of furniture tips over onto a small child. Bookshelves and cabinets built with cheap materials are super susceptible to tipping over when pushed or pulled the wrong way. Either find a way to secure tall, unsteady objects to the ground, or don’t let small children play around them. It’s also prudent to keep drawers closed, as children often try to climb up dresser drawers.
Watch Sharp Corners
It’s likely that there are some sharp corners in your home. Coffee tables are one of the most common places to find dangerous corners. You have to cover these surfaces with something, or else kids might severely hurt themselves. Think about what would happen if a toddler was running, tripped, and fell head-first onto the corner of your table. It would be a disaster. They would likely need stitches. No matter how thorough you are in padding corners, you could still miss some hazard. That’s why it’s prudent to compare homeowners insurance quotes before you allow any small children into your home. A fitting policy covers medical bills for people injured on your property—a financial lifesaver after an accident.
Install Safety Latches
Just because you keep a door or cabinet closed doesn’t mean a young kid won’t try to open it. Children are extremely curious. They want to see what will happen when they do things. For example, they might open the cupboard below your kitchen sink and pull out some of the bottles stored there. And what’s going to stop them from opening up one of those containers, possibly drinking poison? Nothing, unless you’re proactive. There are various safety mechanisms that will kid-proof your home and that can stop children from opening cabinets and other doors. Install these locks in all necessary places before you let kids come over.
Toilet Locks
These are also a precautionary measure to make sure small children avoid getting into trouble in your home. It’s actually quite easy for a toddler to drown in a toilet. Just like pool owners take care to cover the water in the presence of children, you’ll want to child-proof toilets. Toilet locks add a level of protection since most children won’t be able to open them on their own. This way, parents or caregivers can safely assist their children if they need to use the restroom.
Above all, you want to keep all visitors to your home safe—including young ones. It’s imperative that you take the time to kid-proof your house before allowing any small children to come over.
If you are interested in even more house-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels then we have a lot to choose from.
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