How to Make Your Home Kid-Safe

How to Make Your Home Kid-Safe

For parents, the idea of a meticulously clean home with trendy furniture and modern decor may sound fabulous, but let’s be real: when you have kids, it’s about safety (and sanity) first. There are many ways, however, to turn your adult place into a child-friendly space! Here are a few tips on how to make your home kid-safe!

Is your home safe for your toddler?

Childproofing is a must

Especially for those with babies beginning to walk and curious toddlers who love to get into everything (and we mean everything), childproofing your home is absolutely necessary! Children will put anything in their mouths. Medicines, cleaning agents, garden products, makeup, and even plants cause most home poisonings. From cabinet clips to refrigerator locks, and even toilet lid clamps; these safety devices save smashed fingers, major messes, unnecessary accidents, and lots of time!

Also invest in electrical outlet covers for every outlet in the house, corner guards for sharp edges, and door-knob & handle covers! In bathrooms, keep all electrical appliances (hair dryer, curling iron, radio) out of a child’s reach. Electrical items can cause a serious shock or even death if they are plugged in, pulled down, and fall into water.

Storage is everything

If you really want to know how to make your home kid-safe, invest in storage. Children accumulate a ton of toys; many of them are small, odd shaped, and usually noisy. By investing in closed storage containers and bins of various sizes, you keep unnecessary items off of the floor which saves everyone from tripping accidents. Storage bins also help keep small items hidden from tiny hands and mouths. Make sure they are closed containers, and if you’re lucky, you can even find many furniture accent pieces that incorporate extra storage into its design.

Give them room

Set aside an area within the home that is exclusively for children. This can be their bedroom, a playroom, or a fenced-in backyard play area. By allowing children their own personal space, it keeps their belongings picked up and out of the way of others in the household. You can also customize the children’s areas with hooks that are lowered to kids height, shorter tables or counters, and things that won’t make it difficult for them to access. Of course, make sure the space is child-proofed using the tips from above. Having a dedicated children’s area cuts down on falls from climbing on counters, tripping over toys, and knowing your kids have their very own safe space to flourish in.

Guard-gated

Safety gates should be installed at the top and bottom of all stairs, especially if you have babies or toddlers in your house. Use only gates that bear the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) certification and make sure that your gate is secure enough that it can’t be pushed down by toddler force. There are various types of gates such as pressure mounted, or hardware mounted (the kind you have to drill into door frames) but either way, baby gates are a necessity, and they can be used for years to come for many other purposes… like corralling dogs, cats, and other pets, too!

Another type of gate to mention are those specifically intended for a homeowner with pools. Always make sure that pools and hot tubs are gated on all sides and have a safety cover when not in use.

Safety first

We could go on with more tips on how to make your home kid-safe, but the main point to remember is ‘out of sight, out of mind.’ Kids are curious creatures and the more you have available for them to reach, the more they’ll try to reach it.

Also note, that in any case of emergency or accident, always call 911 for medical help.