Studies show that domestic incidents are the number one reason why children visit the emergency room. This means that childproofing is of enormous importance, as you will provide a safe environment where your kids can grow up and play without putting themselves at risk. Here are several helpful tips that you can use during your childproofing project.
Protect your infants from getting burned
- Matches and candles should out of reach
Do not assume that toddlers and infants cannot accidentally light a candle or match and start fire. This is why you should take the necessary precautions to store these items out of your children’s reach. If necessary, install shelves in the upper portion of a wall. By doing so, you and your spouse will have the peace of mind that your kids cannot burn the house or worse themselves. You can also opt to purchase flameless LED candles, just in case you need a light source during a blackout.
- Framed photos should also be store up high
Photo frames have a glass front that can break and cut your children when knocked over. To prevent this from happening you can either mount the photos on the wall far from your children reaches or replace the frames with ones that have a transparent plastic front.
- The fireplace should be covered constantly
Toddlers crawl everywhere and this includes the fireplace. The best way to protect your infants from the fire is to place a heat-resistant gate. This will stop them from putting hands into the fireplace and from getting burn by touch the outer walls of the inglenook. Even if you are using the fireplace, keep the cover as your infants may get stuck in the chimney.
Wall plugs are a big hazard to kids
- Wall sockets should be hidden
Your child can easily pull out a cord and stick a metal object into the wall socket. Needless, to say that this can lead to severe consequences, which is why childproofing wall plugs is of primordial importance. It is best to keep all sockets hidden behind massive furnishings. If this isn’t an option, you should replace all traditional wall plus with their covered counterparts that have a childproof locking mechanism.
- Install window guards
All windows should be able to open for no more than three inches (approximately the height of an adult’s fist) when the children are wandering around unsupervised. In addition, all windows should be fitted with a guard, this is especially relevant for floor-to-ceiling windows. Once you are done childproofing your windows, contact professional rubbish removal contractors that provide waste clearance services in London and have them collect and dispose of the accumulated garbage.
- Gate the kitchen
The kitchen is arguably the most dangerous room for a child, as it contains sharp objects and appliances that are used for heating and cutting. By building and installing a gate at the kitchen’s door, you will stop your kids from entering into the room without your knowledge. If this isn’t enough for you, you can mount locks on the cabinets, dishwasher and oven, remove the stove knobs and keep smaller kitchen amenities such as microwaves, toasters, coffee grinders and more out of your children’s reach.
