Childproofing Your Home is Not Always an Easy Task

As soon as you have a baby in the family (or maybe even before they are born), childproofing your house becomes a seemingly never-ending task. ?As a baby grows into a toddler, more and more changes need to be made to your home to ensure your child is safe. ?It's easy to forget some areas of the house which need attention when it comes to child-proofing, especially as we are looking through adult eyes. ?We all know the benefits of safety gates and childproof locks, but it's also important to think of the other areas in your home which need attention.

One of the best techniques to check your child-proofing handiwork is to crouch to the eye-level of your child and see what they can see. ?Curiosity is an intrinsic trait in children, so even the most mundane of items is an opportunity for them to explore. ?With this in mind, there are a few important areas to make sure you childproof effectively, in order to provide a safe and healthy environment for your children.

Even before babies start walking, there are lots of hazards around that need taking care of. ?An area that is not always obvious (but are entirely reachable by crawling babies) are water pipes under radiators. ?Most homes nowadays have some form of radiator in at least one of the rooms, so it's important to make sure the pipes are covered up to prevent little hands from touching them when they are hot.

Once your child starts walking, they tend to want to follow you around everywhere. ?So, it's a good idea to make sure no fingers are trapped as you go through a door with a little one toddling behind you. You can get special hinges or door stops which make doors close more slowly than usual, ensuring your child follows you without any trapped fingers! ?This is especially useful if you have older children, who might not give much thought to slamming the door, regardless of who is behind them. ?This line of thinking is also applicable to any cupboards or drawers you have which are in your child's reach; you can get special hinges and child-proof locks which either prevent the drawer from shutting quickly, or prevent your child from opening it in the first place.

Unfortunately, a problem that has been frequently reported on in recent months is the danger that blind cords present to children. ?The best option is to get rid of these types of blinds completely, as there is always a danger when you have dangling cords and loops present near a child. ?A great alternative for your home are roller blinds which can come ready made or made to measure. ?This means you don't have to worry about the choking hazards that are present with a lot of other types of blinds and curtains.

A feat that a lot of children like to undertake is climbing on anything and everything. ?There are quite a few hazards associated with this, but the most frightening thought is that a piece of furniture they are climbing could fall on them. ?Items such as drawers and chairs should be weighted down to make sure they are stable, so if your child does want to climb, there's little chance of the furniture falling over and on top of them. ?

When thinking about childproofing, the list could go on forever. ?And it would be impossible to achieve a completely childproofed home unless you kept your child in a bubble. ?Children regularly get themselves into accidents, inside and outside the home. ?So while it is important to take the right safety precautions, not everything can be childproofed. ?As long as you protect your little ones from the serious dangers, your child will learn and develop from their mistakes.

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