Did you know there are actual companies that will come to
your home and baby proof your home for you?
I didn’t; and I was stunned that people would pay a several hundred
dollar fee, plus the cost of baby proofing equipment to ‘baby proof’ their
home.
To be cliché and nostalgic- let me refer to a time 30 years
ago where the extent of baby proofing was by today’s standards, at best
negligent. Poisonous or harmful chemicals were kept in plain reach but had a
sticker called, “Mr. Yuck” on them.
Stairs occasionally had gates and electrical outlets occasionally had
covers, these covers were not childproof.
There are some things that are a good idea to have to keep
your child safe- but no gadget or anything can completely prevent
accidents. Kids are accident prone, some
more than others, so an adult needs to be vigilant. However, kids do get injured at times, that’s
just part of life.
Gates:
Stairs can be very dangerous. However, they are also in many homes, and
knowing how to navigate them is a necessary life skill. My advice is to teach children how to scoot
down the stairs backwards or to sit down the stairs as soon as possible. I went up and down the chairs several times a
day for hours in a row. I demonstrated and guided my children down the stairs
over and over and over. When I was not
with my little ones I did have the stairs blocked off. It only took a few weeks for the kids to be
capable, of going up and down the stairs.
Now there are gates that can be made to fit almost any stair
arrangement- sometimes these are only available online, but they can be found.
Electrical Outlet
Covers:
It can’t be argued that electricity is a huge benefit to our
society. It also cannot be argued, that
electricity can be very dangerous.
Electrical outlets are typically located close to the ground at a
perfect height for curious little children.
Because moving outlets is hard, expensive, and expensive- a more
convenient option is to use outlet covers.
There are some that are child resistant, we had a few that I could not
get out- however my 2 year old could.
Cabinet Locks
Cabinets are a treasure trove for little ones. They hold
mysterious and fun things. Pots and pans are fabulous to bang on and pound
on. Tupperware is also great fun.
Cabinets and drawers also have snacks!
They also can have dangerous things in them, cleaning products,
medicines, and other things can be dangerous or deadly to a small child. It is
good to have at least one cabinet in which children can play safely. The
cabinets that are not safe however should be secured. Different types of cabinets need different
kinds of locks. Make sure the ones you
choose are designed for the kind of cabinets you have. Another thing to remember, is that cabinet
locks are not childproof, only resistant.
I like to say that the locks give parents advance warning or an alarm as
to what was going on.
Window guards
Like stairs, windows can be dangerous for kids. They do not get how gravity works. Children fall out of open windows and these
falls can be fatal. Screens are not
sufficient to protect children from this hazard. If windows are at all
accessible to children they need to be secured. Window guards can prevent
windows from being opened at all. Or
prevent them from being opened beyond a certain amount. There are guards available to all sorts of
windows casement windows, double windows, etc.
Most often these are available online.
There are other things that parents should do to help ensure
the safety of their children. One very
important thing to have on hand, easily accessible, is the phone number of the
local poison control. Children explore a
lot of the world by putting things in their mouths. Sometimes this method of
exploration can be dangerous. Poison control can give first aid instruction
that can be life-saving or reassuring for parents.
Parents also need to have a first aid kid prepared. One of the most used items will be adhesive
bandages. These can be used to cure any
number of ills. Children can often be
calmed down by giving an owie a bandage whether necessary or not.
Other things to keep on hand are: Chemical ice packs, fever
reducer/pain reliever and the dosing instructions, sterile gauze, bulky
bandages, rubber gloves, anti-itch cream, eye drops, butterfly bandages or
steri strips, antibiotic ointment, thermometer, bottled water, sterile gauze
pads, medical tape, a first aid manual, and phone numbers for police, fire,
ambulance, pharmacy, and physician. Even
if parents are well trained in first aid if their child is injured or ill, their
reasoning skills can be inhibited.
Even with all the protection in the world sometimes kids get
injured, most often injuries are not severe and can be treated at home. Of course there are times when the injuries
are severe or life threatening being well prepared can make a huge
difference.
There is a benefit to minor injuries, really, children can
learn about cause and effect, learn to pay attention to surroundings or to
listen to their parents- so protect them, be vigilant but not overly so.
