How Child-Safe Is Your Home?
We concentrate on protecting our children when we are outside of the home. Depending on the age of our child this could range from ensuring that they are strapped securely in strollers and buggies, hold our hand when walking, wear headgear while out on bicycles or skates, don’t talk to strangers; the list is endless.
But what about safety within your home? What can you do to prevent childhood accidents? Above all, your common sense will tell you the obvious things to watch our. We have put a few tips together in this article which we hope will be of help:
Stairs, Doors, & Outdoors
#2 Ensure doors that allow access to exterior areas are not easily opened by young children
#3 Interior doors should be fitted with ‘pinch proof’ devices where possible
#4 Remove the small rubber tips from door stops as these could cause a child to choke
#5 Fit window locks to windows that are within reach of young children
Kitchen
1: Locks
Fit locks to presses that contain dangerous substances such as bleach, detergents and so on2: Storage
These types of products should ALWAYS be stored in their original containers, preferably with childproof lids.3: Cables
Ensure cables for kettles, fryers, steamers etc., are not left dangling where a young child could pull the appliance down and cause an accident or worse again, a scald or burn4: Sharp Objects
Make sure that drawers containing knives and sharp objects are inaccessible to children5: Dishwashers
Ensure that your dishwasher cannot be opened by your child avoiding access to knives, glasses and so on6: Corners
Fit corner guards to sharp corners on tables, chairs and worktops
Living areas
1: Cables
As with the kitchen, ensure cables cannot be pulled by children causing items to fall and injure them2: Heavy Items
Think about securing heavy items (such as TVs) to the wall to prevent these tipping over onto young children3: Sockets
Fit socket covers to prevent little fingers being stuck into sockets4: Firestarters and Tools
Don’t leave matches or lighters or other dangerous items within a child’s reach5: Keys
Don’t leave your car keys around where a young child may get them6: Ropes and Ties
Be careful with curtain ties and cables – these can become hazardous for a child if they caught around their neckBedrooms & Bathrooms
As with kitchens, keep products in your bathroom, such as shaving equipment, out of reach of children. Set the temperature of your water heater not to exceed 90 degrees to avoid scalding, which is easy for children to accidentally cause while in the bath or shower. Check water temperature with your elbow to ensure it is adequate for your child. Do not rely on using your hands as the skin on your hands is far less sensitive than the skin around your elbow. You may want to consider fitting a toilet lid lock, depending on your child's behaviour.
Outdoors
#2 Set a boundary within which the child is restrained ensuring that they can't wander off or be placed in danger
#3 Pay special attention to water - a young child can drown in an inch of water so ensure that ponds, pools, buckets and so on are safe
#4 Barbeques - while these are great fun, make sure that hot barbeques are well out of access for children
#5 When choosing plants and shrubs, try to ensure that they are not particularly likely to attract bees and wasps
#6 Use garden chemicals which are safe for children
#7 Keep garden tools and equipment locked away from children
Medicine & Safety
Wherever they are stored – keep medicines well tout of reach and out of sight of children! In addition to helpful medications for your kids, each household should have 1 First aid kit (and know how to use it!), a Fire Blanket an Extinguisher, and a list of Emergency Numbers, such as doctors, Poison Centres, Emergency Services, and so on!
What if there is an emergency? What do you do if your child is choking, had been burned or suffered an electrical shock? Why not consider doing a first aid course to learn the basic skills you need in an emergency? You could help to save a life or a child or adult if you have the appropriate training.
Article Provided by Help Me To Parent Ltd Who provide a range of classes on parenting and development for children. All courses are 1 full day (Sat or Sun) from 9.30am to 4.30pm View more information on their website www.HelpMe2Parent.ie |
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