Guest Post: 10 tips on baby proofing your home

Baby proofing in 10 easy steps

Today’s guest post comes to us from Crystal Watson at MakeYourBabyLaugh and she writes about how to make your home safe for your baby when baby proofing. This article is very through, from electrical outlets, to owning a gun safe, to pets and even when your baby sleeps, Crystals covers many of the possible ways to make your home safe for your baby.

Enjoy.
– Will

10 tips on making your home safe for your baby

Home is a place where children grow and learn; a place where they find love, care and comfort. It is also a place where they can get to see, touch, explore and also experience the world that is around them, so that their young minds and bodies can develop properly. Home is also a place where children need to feel secure.

However, home injuries are a leading source of accidental death for children. There are Almost 21 million medical visits as well 20,000 deaths each year that are caused by home accidents. Some of the home accidents include your child being bitten by a pet to choking on balloons.

Nevertheless, home injuries can be avoided through education as well as baby proofing prevention in ways to make your home safe for your baby and young children. Parents can put safety measures in their homes and also teach their children a few practical rules. Becoming a parent is a blessing in several ways. However, there are some challenges that come with being a parent, such as protecting your child from harm. Here are some tips to make your home safe for your baby when baby proofing. When it comes to baby proofing your home, leave nothing to chance.

1. Never leave your child alone near water. Children love splashing in water at bath time or when playing as they do not know the possible hazards of water. Drowning is very possible in water that is above half an inch. This makes bathtubs, pools, sinks, as well as pails very dangerous. For your child’s safety, it’s important that you prevent situations that can cause accidents. Therefore, you should never leave your child alone near water.
2. Install safety gates. One of the most popular causes of injuries to children is accidental falls. You should therefore take precautions that can help to prevent a serious problem. The effects of the injury usually depend on the distance of the fall, so you should know the dangers of the heights.

   You must never let your child sit on a bed or even a counter unattended. You should also ensure that the stairs, as well as the hallways are clear and free of any mess that can cause your child to trip and fall. It is recommended that you install safety gates so as to block a child from accessing the staircase.

3. Keep your child safe from household cleaners and chemicals. Most of the many products in our homes are possibly poisonous if swallowed. In order for you to childproof/baby proof your home, you have to think from the perspective of a child. Ensure that you install cabinet guards on every cabinet where you store cleaners, chemicals and garden fertilizers. Also store the products in their containers; don’t store them in containers that your child may mistake them for food.

   Store medicines in a cabinet that is locked or keep them in a place that your child can not access.

4. Cover electrical outlets. Electrical shocks are one of the major causes of deaths as well as injuries. Electrical shocks occur when a child touches an object that is electrically charged, while touching a surface which can conduct the electricity to the ground. Electrical safety devices, appropriate grounding and also avoiding dangerous situations can greatly help to prevent electrical shocks.
5. Keep sleep areas safe. Suffocation is a major cause of accidental injury-related death. About 60% of suffocation cases occur when a baby is sleeping. A child’s nose and mouth may be accidentally covered by fluffy pillows, comforters or even stuffed animals which restrict your child from breathing.

   You should therefore ensure that your baby’s crib is as bare as possible. You should also use a light blanket and tuck its ends below the mattress so as to create a pocket. The blanket should also reach the center of your infant’s chest so that it cannot be pulled above his head. You should dress your child in warm pajamas when the weather is cool instead of covering him/her with additional blankets.

6. Baby safety equipment. When planning for your baby, a baby swing might be low on your list of preferences. After all, it’s a piece of baby gear which takes up a significant amount of space at home. Nonetheless, this is still a very useful piece of equipment for baby safety.

   Although it might be a necessity like diapers, having a good baby swing is one of the most useful pieces of gear in the baby’s first six months of life. As such, you should always choose the best swing for baby. Beyond mere convenience, babies require soothing and the parent’s arms are usually the best places for it. However, all arms do require a break and a baby swing is a perfect option in such circumstances.

7. Install an alarm. In the case of a fire that may break out, you will have little time to escape from the heat, smoke as well as deadly gasses. You can increase your survival chances by installing and also maintaining smoke alarms.

   If fireplaces, space heaters, central heating, furnaces as well as water heaters are not well ventilated or they leak, the hazardous gasses may escape. Set up a carbon monoxide detector and a fire detector, and ensure that they are properly maintained so as to secure your home.

8. Store a gun safely. In case you own a gun, it is your responsibility to ensure that you use it safely. You must ensure that the weapon is not loaded with ammunition when you store it. You must also store it in a safe place that your children cannot access. Locked cabinets, gun safes as well as other storing options that can help you store your gun securely are also available.
9. Keep small items away from your child. Many injuries are caused when children are not able to breathe properly because food or any other object has blocked their airways and can cause choking. Most of the choking injuries happen with food, so should ensure that your child’s meals or snacks are cut into pieces that can be swallowed easily. You should also keep small candies, carrots, hotdogs, nuts, grapes, and popcorn, out of the reach of your children when unsupervised as they can cause choking.

   Ensure that all small household items, such as buttons, jewelry, coins, small balls and pins are properly stored away from your child’s reach so as to avoid unintentional choking. Furthermore, do not select toys that have many small parts until your child is old enough to use them properly.

10. Keep children safe around the family pet. Pets bring love as well as companionship to many families. Nevertheless, more than 155,000 children in the United States are bitten by their pets every year, and most of the bites are caused by a familiar pet. Each and every pet possesses the potential to bite, especially when they are scared, threatened or even when they are over excited. You must ensure that you choose a pet that well suits the lifestyle of your family.

Summary

Children are always curious. They like exploring new things. They also like to put things into their mouth and stick fingers in unusual areas, play with hanging cords, and push/pull over furniture. Bearing this in mind, even the most harmless room at home can be a minefield of danger for them.

Luckily, there are many measures that you can take so as to protect your children from injuries or accident within the house. The above article gives you some safety tips that will help keep your baby out of the harm’s way.