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Childproofing Basics - Practical Tips to Make Your Home Safe for the
Kids
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Whether you’re just now guessing which color to
paint the nursery or whether your wee one is ready to walk, taking preventive
measures to childproof your home against unintentional injuries is essential.
According to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign®, each year more children die
from preventable injuries than from all childhood diseases combined. With
foresight and action, you can help prevent burns, cuts, falls, poisonings,
drownings, choking, and other serious injuries.
Keep in Mind...
Even if you’ve installed products to secure your home, you still need to
remember these everyday precautions:
Don’t allow your child to play in kitchen cabinets. By establishing a
cabinet as a play space, the child may feel all cabinets are play spaces.
When they’re old enough, teach toddlers how to go up and down stairs—on
their stomachs. Make sure you supervise their attempts; when the practice
session is over, put the security gates back in place.
Keep small objects and toys with small parts away from children under three.
Check labels on toy packages for age-appropriateness before letting children
play with the toys.
Remove plastic bags from dry cleaning immediately; keep them completely out of
children’s reach.
Keep your purse – and those of all guests – out of children’s reach.
Stay alert —
remember: nothing takes the place of close adult supervision.
Use Mylar balloons – not latex – to help prevent choking.
Make sure grandparents and caregivers also childproof their homes. No one
regrets the time they spent taking precautions, only the time they wish
they’d spent.
Be Prepared with
Permission Forms
Is your child prepared for a trip to the emergency room? Unless the
situation is life- or limb-threatening, emergency rooms cannot treat a child
without permission from the parents. Therefore, you should sign an
emergency-treatment authorization letter that will give hospitals permission
to treat the child. Other items the letter should include are: emergency
contacts, the name and phone number of your pediatrician, and your child’s
allergies and medications. Be sure to have the letter notarized.
The letter should be carried in your diaper bag or in older children’s
backpacks; make copies for grandparents and any care providers.
Baby-Proofing
Shopping List
As you survey your home, check the items you’ll need
to complete your childproofing efforts.
| What
to Buy |
What
to Know |
|
Cabinet and drawer latches and locks |
Don’t store cleaning supplies
under the sink, even if it’s locked. |
|
Toilet locks |
Lock up all toilets to prevent
drowning. |
|
Covers for electrical outlets |
Help prevent tots from putting
fingers or objects into the outlet. |
|
Security gates |
Use pressure gates only between
rooms. Install permanent gates at the tops and bottoms of stairs. |
|
Car seat |
See the Car-Seat Quiz article in
this guide. |
|
Full-length bath mat and spout guard |
Face baby away from the faucet
when he’s in the tub. |
|
Soft inflated tub-knob covers |
Cover cold- and hot-water handles
to prevent child from turning on water. |
|
Stove guard |
Use to prevent child from
reaching or touching stove. |
|
Colorful decals |
Affix to glass doors to make
glass visible. |
|
Wall hook |
Use to hold long phone cords out
of children's reach. |
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Carbon monoxide and smoke detectors |
See the fire safety and carbon
monoxide stories in this guide. |
HOME
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