Let’s face it, to a child, a house is a playground with everything in eyeshot seen as a possible toy! With this idea in mind, parents and guardians should be diligent in going through every room with the focus of child proofing the house. This includes the exterior of the property as well.
Consider taking a tour of your home from a child’s view. Let’s start in the kitchen.
This room alone will keep you busy with child proofing. Though once you get in the habit of looking for, seeing, and fixing potential hazards in the home, you’ll find yourself doing child proofing tasks as a habit; not even thinking about it.
So, standing in your kitchen, what will you find? Countertops, cabinets at kid level, drawers, utensils, cooking gadgets and accessories, drinking glasses and virtually anything not attached to the floor is fair game. With so many temptations for a little one, the kitchen is a pretty important room to child proof.
In the most general sense, start at one spot in the kitchen and move in a complete 360 degree circle. Look at everything from the floor to about a kid’s tippy-toe height. Everything in this view is likely a possible attraction.
Be sure to:
• Move any loose items away from the edge of tables and counters
• Secure the pulls from blinds in the kitchen area and appliance cords so they don’t become a dangerous rope swing for the kiddies
• Cabinets and drawers can be an exciting treasure trove for a child. They can easily be secured using safety latches
• Keep cleaning products and other hazardous materials out of reach or in a latched cabinet
• If you have a kitchen island, you might have some exposed electrical sockets within reach. Be sure to add socket protectors in every socket in every room that isn’t already occupied or covered.
Another room filled with hazards and imaginary scenarios for a child is the bathroom. For instance, an open toilet seat can be seen as a wild water ride for a stuffed animal in the eyes of a kid.
Child proofing the bathroom and securing a few things are necessary to help keep kids safe. Closing the toilet lid could certainly help to avoid the temptation of taking stuffed animals a bath. And if the child can move the lid, consider getting a toilet lid guard.
Be sure anything jagged or hazardous is placed high and away from a child’s reach. Keep cords like from a portable heater or hairdryer, secured. Avoid having any cleaning products or small objects on the floor. Avoid keeping anything sharp in the wastebasket or put the trash in a cabinet with a latch. Remember, anything really is fair in the child’s game of imagination.
With the two big rooms done, go through each of the remaining rooms. Look for anything that could be grabbed, pulled, or otherwise create a hazard. Again, check that all open or exposed electrical sockets are covered. Also be sure that all wires from things like lamps are secured. And be sure that no sharp objects are lying within reach.
Moving to the outside, there is a whole other realm of excitement and danger lurking around.
Be sure that all chemicals and tools are locked away and are out of site from a child. If you have a garage, consider having an additional storage unit that can be locked where the chemicals can be stored. And, if you have an electric garage door opener, check that the door stops and/or reverses if there is an obstacle in the way.