How Can I Make My Home Safer for Children?

Children like to run, open cabinets and generally explore their surroundings with little regard for their health or safety. For the most part, children are prone to get hurt simply because they don't understand how harmful their actions can be. Therefore, as a parent, it is important to take steps to ensure that your child remains safe while at home. 

Secure Heavy Furniture

It is critical to secure any sofa, recliner or chair that could tip if a child sits on it incorrectly. It is also important to secure dressers, closets or anything else that could fall if a child tries to climb on it or takes something out of it. You can secure an item with a zip tie or by securing it to the wall with brackets and screws. If your child spends time in the kitchen, be sure to secure the stove as it could tip when excess weight is placed on it. 

Keep Electrical Wires Out of Reach

Child proofing everything electrical is an absolute necessity. There are a variety of appliances and electronic devices that are powered by wires plugged into an outlet. Ideally, you will keep wires out of your child's reach by placing a cover over them or bundling them together with zip ties or similar materials. Bundling wires together makes it less likely that your child is able to chew or stretch them to the point that they break. It is also a good idea to cover outlets when they aren't in use so that your child can't stick their fingers or other objects inside of them. 

Put Rugs on Hardwood Floors

It is easy for a child to trip and fall while running in the hallway. Children may also fall while trying to make it to the bathroom during the middle of the night. Falling on a hard surface could increase their risk of getting a nasty bruise, breaking a bone or experiencing a concussion. Rugs are ideal because you can easily remove them when your children are older and more coordinated. Furthermore, they can protect the floor from being damaged by your kids, which can be helpful if you ever decide to put the home up for sale. 

Secure Doors and Windows 

Door and window sensors, common features in basic home security packages, can be useful in keeping tabs on potential comings and goings around the house. You may also want to consider using security systems that automatically call the police or other first responders in the event of an emergency. This can be helpful because you may not be able to make a phone call or talk to a dispatcher without giving up your location to anyone who is in the house. 

Use Baby Gates to Limit Their Movement

Placing a baby gate in the living room or kitchen can limit a child's movement when you can't necessarily give that child your undivided attention. For instance, it may be difficult to keep an eye on your child while trying to cook dinner or while trying to pick up toys in the living room. Knowing that your kids can only be in a specific location in the house allows you to control their environment and reduce their risk of getting hurt.

Use Monitors to Help Supervise Them

Children must learn to sleep through the night, get dressed, and perform other basic tasks on their own. However, it's also important to balance their need for independence with a need to know what they are doing at all times. Baby or child monitors allow you to take a peek into their rooms while they are sleeping or playing to ensure that they are safe. If they fall, start crying or get too quiet, you can figure out what is going on and render aid if necessary. 

There are many steps that you can take to ensure that your kids don't get seriously hurt in their own homes. While it is impossible to fully prevent an accident from happening, safeguards can help to ensure that a child's injuries are minor. If a child does get hurt, he or she will hopefully learn from the mistake and not make it again in the future.