Kiddipedia
First of all, I would like to say that when it comes to child safety nothing replaces adult supervision and by that I mean present, undistracted supervision or as we say conscious care for the growing family. Time with a young family is precious and it goes so fast so childproofing your home means that you can concentrate on making memories with them rather than constantly worrying about what they are doing and chasing after them.
So these are a few of my tips to make the most of your family time.
As soon as your child becomes mobile get down on all fours like a child so you can see the world from their perspective. It’s amazing how quickly you will see the dangers that way including dropped coins and pills (a choking and poisoning danger), sharp corners on low coffee tables and unsecured electrical sockets. Once you have done that and taken precautions to rectify them you will feel a lot better I promise. It will allow you to enjoy all the discoveries your children are making as they learn to crawl and then walk and you can really be at peace with any floor play activities.
Make sure your electrics are up to code and secure electrical sockets with plugs or covers. Children love to post things including into electrical sockets so make sure you take precautions. If you have extensions around the home or out into the garden, use cord clamps as well. They keep plugs and sockets firmly attached, reducing a child’s access to exposed live pins and sockets. Once they know that sockets are off the play list, they will soon find other ways to play all those games that make childhood such a magical time.
Dangerous substances – inside and out This is something I always highlight to everyone. Keep medicines high up and out of reach in a secured cabinet or box. If you have medicines and alcohol in your fridge, store them at the very back and secure your fridge with a latch. Make sure that these latches are out of the reach of your child though.
Outside – keep your children away from potting mix which is toxic and keep a look out for dropped cones which they could choke on and animal droppings. Kids get into everything. I advise blocking off access to outdoor areas with a gate This doesn’t mean children can’t play outside of course – running around outside is part of childhood, just that it is important that you are present when they are playing if they are very young and that you have taken the precautions you need to. That way they will remember you as a happy playmate, not a stressed one!
Cords on curtains and blinds – dangling cords are a choking hazard so it’s important to secure blind cords and curtain cords with wind-ups and wraps. Take the added precaution of moving cots and beds well away from windows.
Stairs! If you have stairs in your house, make sure to install gates at the top and bottom of the stairs and drill them securely into the wall. There are many different types of gates available to suit even awkward spaces such as landings so you will find gates that work for you, I promise. Kitchens bring special challenges as they are full of dangers. The most important thing you can do is to block off the entrance to your kitchen with a gate. Also, use a variety of locks and latches to secure drawers, fridges, ovens and more (any sharps or knives need to be kept out of reach of children completely). Children learn fast by observing you so if you are using a number of locks and latches that work in different ways, you keep children on their toes! You can enjoy your time with children in the kitchen of course – baking and decorating is always a fun and educational way to spend time with little ones just make sure that the kitchen is secured so you can do these activities and concentrate on the fun of it not the danger of it!
Water
Make sure you keep your water at a safe temperature by setting your thermostat to no more than 37-38°C and keep children away from baths and showers by blocking off the entrance to the bathroom with a gate. Remember the water in toilets is also a hazard so secure toilets with a latch. Outside – supervise children at all times around water and water play and make sure if you have a pool it is always properly fenced according to code. These are the best precautions to take so that you can enjoy water play and bath time with your kids which as any parent knows is a truly special time.
Christmas Trees – many families in Australia are getting a Christmas tree about now. Trees can topple if pulled and baubles can break if a crawler or toddler decides to ‘investigate’ them but you can solve this by putting a playpen around the tree. It means you can enjoy the tree and make the most of all the memories you are creating as a family at this important time of year.
For more information on how to make your home a yes space for the kids –visit: https://www.dreambaby.com.au/
Did you know that according to Kidsafe Australia, more children die of injury than of cancer and asthma combined? Each year, over 150 Australian children (aged 0-14 years) are killed and over 68,000 hospitalised as a result of unintentional injuries – the kind often referred to as accidents. Unintentional injuries account for about 88% of all injury-related deaths in children and about 97% of all injury-related hospitalisations. Many of these are easily prevented by simple precautionary methods. This is what I advise to help keep children safe in the home.
By Carolyn Ziegler, Co-founder of iconic child safety brand Dreambaby® and international child safety expert and advocate.
Carolyn’s expertise is focused on proactively identifying and assessing risks posed to babies and young children and developing the solutions to deal with those dangers so parents can better enjoy their time with their little ones.
