As you go through your home, childproofing every possible hazard, there are certain areas that you may miss since they hide in plain sight. While keeping knives, medicines, and cleaning products locked away goes without saying, there are many other dangers that you need to address to ensure your kids are safe, even without adult supervision.
To help new parents like you, we will miss a few common household dangers that can protect you and all other family members. From installing door finger protection to checking your furniture’s stability, here are three things you must do to keep your kids safe.
While adding soft corner bumps is common, most people ignore the tipping and falling risks of furniture. Kids are born curious and love to explore their surroundings. However, if your child decides to climb onto or pull themselves up on a large dresser or bookshelf, they can get seriously hurt if it tips over and falls.
Try shaking all large pieces of furniture around your home to see if they are at risk of falling. If you find any serious threat, consider anchoring them to the wall, be it dressers, bookshelves, or your TV stand. We suggest you also try to keep computers out of your child’s reach so they cannot pull them onto themselves.
Thousands of kids are rushed to the emergency room each year because of door and window injuries. While they might not seem very dangerous, doors can exert up to 40 tons of pressure on the hinge side when closing.
This amount of pressure is enough to crush, break, or even amputate a small finger. To prevent this, consider installing door hinge finger guards on all high-traffic doors in your home.
Similarly, ensure all windows accessible to kids are locked and childproof. Several window locks are available on the market that are easy to install and don’t damage your window or its frame.
Another hazard that’s known to hide in plain sight is old paint. If you live in an old property, its paint may contain lead. And it doesn’t take a lot of lead to hurt a small child. If your child ingests even a tiny amount of lead-based paint, it could result in irreversible cognitive damage.
Ensure you have your old walls repainted with non-toxic, water-based paints. Also, refrain from taking the DIY route. A professional painting expert will be much better at ensuring that your child is safe from any lead-related danger.
Remember, letting our guard down can result in a costly mistake. While we do not suggest wrapping your kids in bubble wrap, you should still do your best to make your home a safe haven for your children.