Home is a place where kids spend most of the time during day and night and learn many things. This is the place where your kids would love to explore the things around them. This helps their mind and body to develop and expand. While a home is a safe place, it may also have hidden dangers. Your child might face some accidents like falling down, finger pinching or a choking hazard or even get injured by furniture. Hence it is very important that you make sure to teach about safety at home for kids. Sunshine Preschool & Daycare shares some important safety aspects that you can check at your home:
Preventing Falls at Home : When your child starts crawling, install safety guards across entries to stairs and balconies and supervise your child on stairs and balconies.
- Lock windows or install grill with less than 6 inches gap – particularly for upper-storey windows. This will stop your child climbing out and falling.
- Don’t leave babies unattended on raised surfaces like changing tables, sofas or beds. Babies might roll or wriggle off and fall.
Burns and Scalds: Keep a close eye on your child whenever he/she is near things that can burn like stoves, ovens, microwaves, heaters etc
- Keep hot drinks away and out of reach of children.
- Keep them away from hot water supply in bathroom. Have a geyser with temperature control that delivers maximum of 50°C water in taps. You still need to mix cold water with the hot water and get the right bath temperature for babies and children.
Strangulation and Suffocation: Some of the everyday items could strangle or suffocate a child. These items include soft toys and bedding, blinds, cords and ropes, bags, boxes and packaging.
- Keep stuffed toys, cushions and piles of clothing out of cots and prams.
- Wrap blind cords in cleats attached to the wall at least 5 feet above the floor.
- Keep plastic bags away from children.
Furniture & Door Safety: Children can be seriously injured if furniture tips and falls on top of them. Here are ways to avoid this issue:
- Check that furniture is sturdy and your child shouldn’t be able to pull it down or knock it over. You might need to brace furniture like bookshelves and wardrobes to the wall.
- Do not overstuff any cupboards or store heavy objects on top of it.
- Pad the sharp corners of furniture with foam or corner protectors.
- Make sure your child is not putting his fingers at door lock side or hinge side of doors. It can badly hurt their fingers. You can also put finger guards at doors that is easily available in market.
- It’s easy for them to run into glass windows and doors. Install safety glass in windows and doors or apply shatter-resistant film to windows and doors. Put stickers on glass at eye level.
Poisoning: Often household chemicals and medicine are the reason behind poisoning to children. So, remove potential poisons or store chemicals and medicines up high in a locked cupboard.
Electrical Safety: Keep all sockets at above 5 feet or use power point covers the sockets if they are below 5 feet. Get a licensed electrician to install safety switches, which cut power off quickly to avoid electrocution. Check earthing of all appliances like fridge, microwave etc.