7 Ways to Childproof Your Home Part 1

Accidents DO happen at home so read on to find out what you can do to keep your house safe and sound for your munchkins. We all like to think that the home is a haven against outside dangers, but do you know that a whooping 60% of childhood injuries occur at home according to a study done by KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) from 2002 to 2004? For every 700 children it treated, 60 required hospitalisation and one ended in death—an alarming trend indeed. To put things into perspective, even the home can be dangerous to a young child if the proper precautions are not taken or adults are not on hand to avert disasters. To be honest, children are curiosity incarnate. Until they learn to avoid danger zones, children will go to any lengths to satisfy their need to explore. While teaching our children a few practical rules is helpful, setting boundaries with safety measures could help decrease the odds of them getting injured. We look at some of the problems you may face if you have a young child at home.  

Problem 1: You want to keep your little one off the stairs or away from rooms that are not childproof.

Solution: Invest in a baby gate before your child starts to crawl or becomes mobile. This typically means some time between 7 to 10 months so it's a safe bet to look into buying one when your child turns 6 months old. While it's ideal to install gates at the top and bottom part of your stairs, the top part is the most crucial. There are primarily 3 types of baby gates, but be sure not to leave anything lying around that can aid your little one to climb over the gate.

• Wall-mounted These are gates that can be mounted on the walls with screws. The good thing about them is that they're not easily dislodged, but the bad news is that it may leave scars on your walls after your darling has outgrown it. Due to its sturdiness, it's most suitable for the top of your stairs. It also comes with a latch that allows you to swing open the gate when necessary.
• Pressure-mounted Such gates are secured without hardware and can be used to block the entrance to rooms where you don't want your child to wander into. You might want to place the side with the foot pedal away from your child though, or they will use it as a foothold to climb out. While portable, it's not as hardy as a wall-mounted one and seldom comes with a latch. Some retailers do sell auto-close gates that swing two ways though so be sure to do your homework before making a purchase.
• Free-standing For people who have an open-concept home, these gates are perfect as they don't rely on any walls or door frames to be secured. You can simply use such gates to cordon a space off to keep your little ones safe. They are highly portable but are the least sturdy because even a baby can push it down easily. Definitely not recommended for the top of the stairs or doorways to your rooms.

   

Problem 2: Junior loves 'playing' with doors.

Solution: Injured fingers or toes are a common mishap, especially when your child has a habit of sticking their fingers in door hinges or when doors slam onto their hands. In serious cases, the finger may even be severely crushed and have to be amputated (fully or partially). In such cases, it's paramount to put door stoppers and finger guards to prevent such accidents from happening.

  Are you feeling overwhelmed? Well, no worries. Let's continue, click here to read the next part - 7 Ways to Childproof Your Home Part 2.