How to Childproof Your Home Inside and Out

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If you have toddlers, then you know the types of dangers that you are constantly trying to keep them away from. Simple things, such as stairs, window wells, and household cleaners, become areas of concern for parents. You can’t take your eyes off a young child for a second because, in just a few seconds, you might turn around and see your toddler about to take a drink of a poisonous chemical or fall down a flight of stairs. If you’re looking for ideas to put your mind at ease, read on and find out how to childproof your home inside and out.

Use Gates at Stairs

Baby Gate

Image Credit: The Bump

Every parent of a small child knows the feeling of panic when they think that their child might be close to a set of stairs without a baby gate. After the infant age, children become mobile very quickly, but they do not understand the potential consequences of falling down a set of stairs. So if you have a baby who is starting to be able to crawl, it’s wise to invest in a baby gate.

Put Locks on Doors and Drawers Where Chemicals and Drugs Are Stored

One of the biggest fears of many parents is their child ingesting a poisonous chemical or drug at a high dose. And there’s a good reason that parents should be aware of what their children are doing. Children under the age of one year old are highly inquisitive, and they have a tendency to put things in their mouths as a way of exploring. That’s why children are likely to try to drink or eat things that could be fatal to them. Cleaning agents are one type of substance that children might try to ingest, but analgesics are the most common substance that children poison themselves with.

Put Grates on Window Wells

Rockwell Window Wells 1

Image Credit: Rockwell Window Wells

One of the functions of a window well is to make inhabitants of a building safer in the event of a fire by giving access to an escape route. Unfortunately, what can be a life-saving feature of a home can turn into something that a child could fall into. Toddlers and small children might not understand the potential hazards that a window well poses. Very young children might simply become curious, and older children might fall under the false assumption that they won’t get hurt. But window wells pose a risk for children to fall into, and the consequences are more severe the deeper the well. For this reason, always put a grate over your window wells to prevent children from falling in.

Use Plastic Electrical Outlet Covers

Electric Outlet Cover

Image Credit: The Spruce

Sometimes we love our toddler’s curiosity, and sometimes it just scares us. Electrical outlets are one of the classic ways that a young child’s curiosity can become a dangerous situation. Their fingers are tiny enough to fit into an electrical socket, and those small holes are interesting enough to small children that they will try if they are left unattended. The socket covers are inexpensive, and they could save your child’s life.

There’s no way to keep your child safe from every potential harm, but you can do a lot to safeguard against some of the most common hazards. Take an inventory of all the potential dangers in and around your house, and you’ll have fewer moments of panic when it takes you a couple of seconds to see what your toddler is doing.

If you need some more resources about safety and children, make sure to check out these other articles! We know you’ll learn something new and helpful for you and your family!

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