A large amount of the stress that comes with taking care of a newborn—or even children several years old—stems from all of the things in the immediate environment that is safe for adults but dangerous for children. Or, in some cases, it’s things that are dangerous for adults—like sticking your finger in an outlet—that young kids are more likely to do that as opposed to your husband or older brother.
This probably seems like scary stuff, but don’t worry—after looking through these helpful ways to keep children safe at home, you should feel much more at ease.
Invest in Outlet Covers
Given the mention of outlets in our introduction, it only seems natural to tackle this common worry right out of the gate. Kids can poke their fingers into large enough outlets or jam a metal piece inside and experience a nasty shock because they don’t know any better. To stop this from happening and causing harm to your child, simply invest in some outlet covers. You don’t want a cover small enough to be a choking hazard, but they aren’t too hard to come by. In fact, you can find packs of 30 or more outlet covers for less than $10 on Amazon.
Cover Those Window Wells, Too
Window wells aren’t uncommon. They bring beauty to your basement but, to use them safely, you’ll need to install a window well cover. There are a number of reasons your home needs a window well cover, including how they improve energy-efficiency in your home and keep debris and water out. However, the most important reason for using window well covers in homes with young children is that they protect kids from falling inside and hurting themselves. This might not be a problem if you have shallow window wells, but if they’re a few feet deep, then covers are important if you want to keep your child from wandering over and accidentally tripping over the top of the well.
Restrict Access to Open Windows
Another big lifestyle change that is also one of the most helpful ways to keep children safe at home is object placement around windows. When your kids begin climbing, they’ll turn into Sylvester Stallone in Cliffhanger and try climbing on anything they have access to. This means that placing any chairs, tables, couches, and other climbable objects near windows can pose a threat for children. Window blinds’ cords also pose a threat, so be sure yours are short, tied down, and don’t have any loops.
Aside from that, you also need to put locks on all your windows. You might think screens are strong enough to keep kids from falling out of windows, but you would be very wrong in thinking that. Investing in some sturdy, childproof locks for those windows will help your young ones stay safe from falling out.