Baby Proofing Your House – (Includes a printable checklist)
Click Here to Print High Resolution Check list
Are you worried about your child getting injured despite your best supervision?
Let us tell you one thing
You are NOT being too paranoid. By worrying about your child, you are being a responsible parent, and here is why;
Every half hour, a child visits an emergency due to an unintentional accident.
Its good to be cautious and prevent any injuries by completely baby proofing you home.
Here is a step by step guide on understanding what your baby is capable off and the baby proofing solutions.
(For the downloadable check list, scroll down to end of the blog)
First of all, it is important to overview the most common accidents in babies
Other reasons include :
Burns, poisoning, Drowning, Suffocating during sleep, Furniture tipping over.
Now that you know the most common reasons for injuries, lets come to quick and effective solutions.
Avoiding Choking & Poisoning Accidents
Every 5 days, A child in US passes away due to a choking or incident
The reason why your toddler is at risk of putting something hazardous in their mouth is simply because they have access to something that they can put in their mouth. Every parent knows that the first thing a child will do after picking up something is putting it in their mouth.
The solution is simple, everything that can fit in your child’s mouth goes in baby proofed cabinets.
Avoiding Electrical Hazards
Toddlers are inquisitive little daredevils and they make the best of their sense of touch and taste to understand how things work. As great as it is for learning, it often leads to unpleasant accidents.
Every parent has at some point freak out over their child putting their hands in the switch.
Get rid of this problem permanently by installing outlet covers (Insert link) and protect your little one from any electrical hazard.
Accidents from Impacts, tripping & falling
Children love to stand up using a piece of furniture, run and explore. They often bump into furniture which is a part of growing up. The frequent falls are not avoidable but the nasty bruising and a dreaded visit to an emergency room definitely is.
Install corner protectors(insert) on the furniture so you toddler is able to explore his little world without your heart jumping in your throat every now and then.
Accidents from furniture tipping over
Keep ALL your furniture securely screwed into a wall because your child will try to climb on all of the furniture the moment the learn to start walking.
Drowning accidents
Always keep your pool covered and fenced properly. Keep all your tubs empty at all times and make it a habit of draining them them in your presence. Keep the water clogs away from the reach of your children and never leave them unsupervised around any water body. It takes a child seconds to drown.
Avoiding Suffocation
Accidental suffocation is the number one cause of death for children in the U.S. who are under 1-year-old
You do not need to baby proof your apartment to avoid suffocation. All that needs to be done is to prevent all unsafe sleeping conditions that include the baby sleeping in the same bed as their parents or sleeping under heavy quilts and blankets.
Burning Accidents
Make a policy of not allowing children while you are cooking. Leave the door closed in the event of a hot dish present in the kitchen or put in safely in the baby proofed cabinet until you return.