How to Childproof Your House
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Danger lurks all over the place for those inquisitive toddlers! Keep your little one safe by learning what you need to know about how to childproof your house.
Children learn at a rapid rate because they are so curious about everything. The downside of this wonderful fact is that an inquisitive child can get into all sorts of trouble. Homes are full of dangers, such as harsh or poisonous liquids and powders, sharp objects, electical hazards, and much more. And children aren't just inquisitive. They are also extremely creative, pretending and inventing all sorts of activities that are just plain unsafe. By proper childproofing, you can turn those kids loose to learn and have fun!
Minimize the Miniatures: To start childproofing your home, first go through your house on your hands and knees and try to think like a child. Really, if you do this, you will see all sorts of potential dangers that could turn into a safety hazard. If your baby is still little enough to put everything in her mouth, be especially alert to potential choking hazards.
One choking hazard that causes a lot of problems are the little rubber ends on doorstops. Toddlers can easily remove these (and, of course, they pop them right into their mouths.) Simply remove them yourself until the kids are older. Don't use refrigerator magnets either until the baby is older, because they can easily fall off the front of the fridge. On the floor they look like fun little toys.
If you have older children, the problem of choking hazards is compounded, because older children have tiny toys. Legos are extremely popular, especially with boys, but they are horribly tiny and horribly abundant! If your older kids are into little building toys, require them to pick them up when they are not using them. An easy way to pick up a bunch of them is to scoop them into a clean dust pan kept just for that purpose. Store them in a plastic bin with a lid, then keep the bin out of reach of marauding toddlers.
Protect from Poisons: Household poisons can be found in every room of the house. One old rule that bears following as much as ever is to never, never store poisonous chemicals in containers that were previously used for food, or that even look like they may have been used for food. Don't ever put gasoline in a soda bottle, for instance, even if you think you'll remember forever what it is.
Keep alert to all the many sorts of poisons there are, and keep them up high and locked away when possible. Things to be on the watch for include cosmetics, soaps, cleasers, paints, polishes, medicines, insecticides, plant foods, adult beverages, air fresheners, vitamins, and so much more. Remember poisons appear not only in liquid but also in powder and solid forms.
Keep 'em Corralled: Restraining a child to one area is a good way to minimize risk, but you can't use this method too often or your child will have something to say about it! Closing the door to the bathroom, for instance, can keep the little one out of the dangers in there, at least until he or she figures out how to open the door. There are childproof door knob attachments available, or you could attach a hook latch high up on the door.
Gates are also useful for restraining a child to the one childproofed area. Mesh gates are safest, although they can be a hassle for the adult on duty. Whenever possible, if you must restrain your child to one room, make sure it is the room you are working in. That way, you can keep an eye on the baby and the baby will have the reassurance of your presence. Try to have the safest area the one where you are likely to spend the most time.
A toddler can learn to be content in a play yard for short periods of time if you have a few beloved toys to give them. A play yard is very helpful as a place to deposit the toddler while you dash to the bathroom or run to take care of an emergency in a different part of the house. If the child screams in protest, remember that it is more important that he be safe than happy, and be sure not to be out of the room more than a minute or two.
Keep it Tidy: Needless to say, a babyproofed house needs to be a neat house. You can't leave junk around on the floor and have a safe home for a small tot. Plan to devote ten or fifteen minutes at least every day to do a tidy-up and put things away that have been left laying around. In fact, living by the old adage, "a place for everything and everything in its place," can be a real life-saver when you are trying to maintain a safe environment for your baby. If you never learned to pick up after yourself, there will never be a better time to gain good habits than when you have a toddler.
Remember, though, you want the home picked up, not glamorously decorated. This is not the time for museum quality vases and crystal lamps! It is not that hard to put those special breakable treasures away for a few years. Get used to the quaint charm of a few toys as decorating accents and lots of clear surfaces. These special years go by all too fast. Why not enjoy them to the max with kid-friendly decor?
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