Welcoming little ones into your heart and home is one of the most beautiful things you’ll do in life, but it’s also the most terrifying. To first-time parents, every nook, cranny, and corner in your home suddenly looks like a dangerous object of death and destruction in the hands of small children, and you fear for their safety every moment. As a parent, you want to do everything in your power to protect your children from the dangers of home and what lies outside the home. It’s impossible to protect them every moment of every day, but taking some simple steps can help you enjoy peace of mind through your children’s younger years.
Cover Up Outlets
Why do children feel instinctively compelled to stick things in the socket? We may never know. But you can protect your children from painful and dangerous electrical shocks by covering outlets with plastic covers. If you teach your children well, by the time they are physically able to remove the covers, they’ll know better.
Pad the Corners
One of the most common childhood injuries is cuts and bruises from table edges and island corners. When toddlers begin walking, they will almost certainly find something to fall into face-first, but if sharp corners are covered with foam pads, hopefully the bumps will be amusing tragedies, rather than emergency room visits for stiches.
Practice Kitchen Safety
It’s as simple as removing knives from drawers or countertops and placing them at the top of cabinets or shelves so kids can’t reach them. It’s keeping pot and pan handles facing backward and away from the hands of little ones who see them from the ground and want to pull hot items off the stove. Your kitchen habits can make your home safer in no time.
Install A Security System
Despite what the news would have you believe, violent crime is not a very likely scenario for most Americans, but it’s not unheard of. A home invasion is a parent’s worst nightmare, but most of these can be discouraged and prevented with door locks and alarm systems. The cost of ADT monitoring is minimal, but the security and safety it provides is priceless. In addition to letting you know if someone is trying to break into your home, parents can set their chimes to alert them anytime an exterior door is opened. This helps keep your kids inside, safe, and unable to sneak out.
Hide Poisons and Medications
Your home is far safer when your medications, cleaning products, and other dangerous items are well hidden and out of reach. If you must keep these in the laundry room cabinet above the washer and dryer with a door lock on the cabinets, do it. All it takes is a moment for your child to ingest something like this to cause serious damage.
Your kids are far safer in a home with cautious parents. Gates, outlet covers, and hiding your kitchen utensils might be inconvenient and often unsightly, but the safety these things provide is priceless. Look around and ask yourself what you can do right now to make your home 5x safer for your kids. It takes minimal time, but results in maximum safety.
We have added these tips to our Baby Gift Guide– they are something everyone needs to know when bringing baby home!