It is great joy to have a baby, however, the little bundle of joy needs protection even at home. Some appliances or items that look harmless to us may cause great danger to your little ones even without you knowing it. Here’s a list of 10 basic things that you need to be careful about when getting to the task of protecting your kid.
1. Hanging Cords
A typical hanging cord may wrap the child’s neck causing strangulation. If your kid likes to hang on it, he may easily fall down and this might expose him to imminent danger. Avoid tying your toys with some string or hanging cord. You may also want to shorten any loose cords around your home so your child does not reach them.
2. Cabinets
Cabinets can hide dangerous objects such as knives or even shut on your kid’s fingers, resulting in injuries. When cabinet doors are slammed constantly, the child might find it entertaining and therefore want to mimic it. Avoid opening cabinets in front of your child and most importantly, do not keeping small objects and poisons in there.
3. Electrical Outlets
There is something about electrical appliances that fascinates kids. So, be sure to cover all outlets with safety caps before your kid finds his or her around them. Also, keep electrical cords out of the kid’s way so he doesn’t end up pulling or even chewing them.
4. Household Chemicals
You use common household chemicals every day, but they can still be dangerous if they come into contact with the skin or if swallowed. For this reason, it is advisable to remove all cleaners from within the child’s reach. Also, avoid storing cleaning detergents together with food so your kid does not mistake one for the other.
5. Stairs
A kid goes to the hospital every 6 minutes for stair-related injuries. For that reason, you need to be extra keen to employ safety gates at the top and bottom side of your staircase to lock your kid out of danger. Also, keep the staircase clear of clutter and other items to avoid accidental trips or falls.
6. Hot Water
If you have hot water outlets around your home (or any other direct source of hot water), you need to be extra cautious. Keep your child out of such areas and make sure they are accompanied by a responsible person whenever they go inside the bathroom. Also, remember to check baby’s bathwater with your wrist before bathing them.
7. Small Objects
Even the smallest objects in your home can cause serious injury to your kid. We’re talking about small magnets, button batteries and balloons etc all of which are made from dangerous chemicals which if ingested cause serious damage to the digestive system. Always keep such items tucked safely away from young ones.
8. Sharp Corners or Angles
Interestingly, children are more attracted to sharp angles than rounded ones and this makes the prone to accidents at home. If you have furniture or any sort of equipment that is designed with sharp corners, it is high time you fit it with some rubber cap (or at least do something to reduce the extent of danger exposed to your child). Also, train your children to play away from the source of danger.
9. Baby Crib
You must be vigilant about the safety of your baby’s crib. With statistics from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) showing that more than 11 million cribs every year, it is imperative for parent to consider some basic safety measures especially when buying a used crib. Ensure the crib mattress fits perfectly as well to prevent your baby from falling in between the gaps.
10. Countertops
Don’t think that just because your kid is small he can’t reach what you place on the counter. So be careful what you place on the countertop lest your kid grabs it and causes harm to himself. Move all fragile and unstable items from the countertops as sometimes these may fall and break thereby causing danger to your child.
Final word
It’s the little things we do that help protect our children from the biggest sources of danger in life. And while we may not know the value of such actions, it is clear that kids whose parents go the extra mile are saved from harm 90% of the time. Keep these 10 pointers in mind and make your home safer for your little ones.
Author Bio:
Derek Fraser is an Online Blogger for Nanny Poppinz which provides Nanny Service, Childcare Service, Newborn Specialist, Emergency Nanny Service, After School Nanny, Live in Nanny Services, Part-Full Time Nanny Service etc. You can Follow Him On @derekfraser84.
