Hazards to Children in the Home

By Elaine

In the average family home there are many precautions we all need to take when our children are small.  They are curious and want to be into everything and taste, feel and experience it, especially once they are mobile and crawling.  Then everything is a target to be mauled, chewed, and pulled apart.

Almost Mobile

Before your baby can get around, you need to make your home as hazard free as you can.  Get down and lie on the floor and really look from a baby’s eye view.  It will amaze you all the things you will see that you didn’t before.   The electrical plugs, a marble that rolled under the desk and you did not see it; little toys that belong to the three year old your sister has that were forgotten under the furniture.  You didn’t see these things before but rest assured your newly mobile explorer will find them and they will have them in their mouth and could possibly choke on them.  Look out for the electrical cords that could be pulled and lamps brought over or for the empty sockets just waiting to zap little fingers.

Walking Age

When your child can walk, you have to now add the first set of hazards to the new ones your child will find as he/she is walking.  To the toddler, this is yet another new world that they did not see a few months ago when they were crawling.  Now they are taller and can reach up as well as pick up things on the floor so your territory has expanded that needs to be looked into for anything not baby proofed. This will only be temporary though; as they get older the learn how to climb!  So the entire home must be looked at from a little person’s sight to see all the hazards that they might eat or choke on or get stuck in. Cords from shades they can get tangled in or recliners that they might go under as a hiding spot are all potential hazard for a child. You need to be careful with your little ones; anyplace they can find adventure, they will – and it usually means trouble!

Kitchen Hazards

Your kitchen may be a haven for you but it is a dangerous playing field for a little kid.  Pots and pans are OK, and make lots of noise, as long as none of them are glass. If you have any glassware, put it up out of reach before your little one goes exploring.  Maybe you have a cupboard you can put certain pans and plastic things in just for your little one to play with while you are busy with cooking.

Put childproof locks on drawers with sharp things and under sink cabinets where soaps and cleaners are kept.  Have the poison control number posted by your phone or on the refrigerator, just in case of emergencies.

Buckets with water in them are a hazard when you are cleaning and have them out to use for the floor or walls; a toddler can actually fall into the liquid and drown.

Make sure your hot water is set to a lower temperature at the hot water heater; if your child happens to turn on the hot water they can be scalded easily.   Do not let them bathe  without supervision until at least age 4 and even then if they want privacy, don’t go out of listening distance so if something goes wrong you are there to help. Also teach them not to jump or stand in the tub since they could slip and be hurt.

Stairs

Use baby gates on all stairs until the child is old enough and steady enough to hold a hand railing when going up and down the stairs. Also don’t allow playing or running on stairs for the same reasons.

Garages

Most people don’t let their kids play in the garage or basement because of the hazards there with auto chemicals like antifreeze.  That’s a pretty good guideline.

Toys

Toys should be age appropriate; a one year old will only put small parts in their mouths and choke on them. Never buy a toy smaller than a tennis ball for a toddler, or a toy that comes apart in small pieces. Toys with pull strings can be used with supervision.

Babysitters

Should you need to hire a sitter and you don’t have family members around, interview your prospects carefully.  Even the best should be scrutinized, after all this is your child in the care of someone else.  Nanny cams are a good idea too, just for peace of mind.

Outside the Home

Vigilance is needed outside the home too in your yard. Even if you have a fenced in yard don’t leave your child unsupervised.  Too many things can happen, including kidnapping.  Even a safe neighborhood can quickly be unsafe in the right circumstances.  There are also safety concerns in the car; have the right restraint or car seat for the age and weight of your child. Having the wrong seat can be as bad as not having one at all.  Fix your seats firmly in the back seat. This is important, especially in the new cars with air bags in them. If an airbag goes off it can hurt or kill a child. They are not made for kids.

A Word about Daycare and Doctors

Daycare centers should be checked out thoroughly for their reputations and they should be listed as a business with the Chamber of Commerce.  Ask around; talk to some of the parents who go to it now, see what they think of the care their child gets. Find out how many adults there are to kids in the center so one person isn’t overwhelmed with toddlers.

Likewise if you have had your child’s doctor since birth that is great, but if you relocate to a place where you need to find a new one, check them out with the medical board association, and ask other parents, or the daycare providers, what they think of doctors in the area.

We can never be too careful when it comes to raising our children in a happy and healthy environment.  It is up to us as parents and caregivers to see that they are protected and loved so they grow up secure, confident and able to handle themselves as young adults and, later with their own life paths, no matter what they will be.