A house with children needs to go through a series of adaptations to become safer, avoiding accidents and risks for the little ones who like to explore the rooms which, in turn, can be quite dangerous. According to surveys, more than 70% of accidents involving children occur where least expected: at home.
Within this statistic, burns, falls, asphyxia and poisoning are considered the main causes of death among children aged 0 to 14 years, indoors.
Therefore, it is necessary to redouble the attention and reinforce the security of furniture and spaces that can become real weapons and cause serious accidents in the face of the least distraction of parents or guardians.
In addition, it is essential that the child is constantly supervised by an adult, as they do not yet have the discernment to understand that a simple game, the result of their constant curiosity, can be dangerous.
Learn how to make your home safe for children
1– Magazine of furniture corners such as tables, shelves and shelves
Children usually run around the house and don’t have much sense of direction, especially the younger ones, who are just learning to walk and tend to have the same height as furniture such as tables and shelves.
Therefore, to make the house safer for children, place rubber protectors on the corners of all furniture that do not have rounded corners.
2– To make the house safer for children, cover the outlets in all rooms
Children are fascinated by outlets and tend to stick their fingers in them, which can lead to dangerous electrical shocks.
The solution, in this case, is to put protective caps on all outlets in the house, even the highest ones. Also pay attention to replacing bare wires.
3– Keep all medicines and cleaning products out of the reach of children
To prevent your child from confusing medicine with sweets or cleaning products and insecticide with juice or soda, keep all chemicals well out of their reach, preferably in the highest cabinets in the house.
4– Place security bars on gates, stairs and doors
To prevent falls, especially on stairs, and make the house safer for children, install security bars on all gates and doors leading to the backyard or rooms with stairs. This way, your child is safer and you are less worried.
5– Nail large furniture to the wall or floor
One of the biggest causes of domestic accidents are cabinets, tables and shelves.
This is because children often climb furniture to pick up objects, which can cause the furniture and the child to fall, causing serious accidents.
Therefore, it is most recommended that all furniture be attached to the floor, wall or other surfaces, in the case of table tops.
Relocating the furniture so that the lowest ones do not serve as support for climbing the highest ones, in addition to removing the curtains from the windows, are also resources to reinforce safety.
6– Cover buckets, bathtubs, pools and toilets
Houses with swimming pools, to be safer for children, should remain covered with canvas and have a fence.
The same goes for bathtubs, tanks, sinks, buckets of water. The toilet must have a seal installed to prevent drowning. In the case of buckets and bathtubs, keep them, preferably, empty and upside down. If the child is using the bathtub, under no circumstances, leave him alone.
7– Keep electronic equipment out of the reach of children
Irons, blenders, fans, air circulators, flat irons and other electronics should be placed at a height that children cannot reach. The stove and microwave oven must be turned off when not in use and with safety locks throughout the day.
8– Leave the pans with the handle inside the stove
When seeing a pot on top of the stove, the first thing children usually do is to pull the handle, which can cause serious burns. Therefore, when cooking, keep the pan handles facing the inside of the stove and never towards the outside.
9– Cutlery within reach of children should only be spoons
Forks and knives are bladed weapons and can cause serious domestic accidents. Therefore, keep kitchen drawers locked or keep forks, knives and other sharp or sharp objects well out of the eyes and hands of children. The same goes for glassware and mirrors.
10– Use door trims
To prevent your child from getting their fingers caught in the doors of the house or in furniture doors and drawers, install sideboards on each of them.
In the case of doors, keep them locked or with a padlock, whether in the bathroom or kitchen, including the refrigerator.
11– Beware of the wet floor
As we’ve said, kids love running around the house. Therefore, wet floors, especially in the bathroom, can be a risk. Make sure the floor is always dry and free of rugs. Putting on children’s non-slip socks will also help.
12– Put protective screen on doors and windows
A big risk for children’s homes and apartments is in the doors and windows. When trying to look outside the house or pick up something, the child may slip and fall. To avoid accidents and make the house safer for children, install protective screens on all doors and windows and do not leave benches or chairs nearby. If it is possible to install iron bars, even better.
13– Toys and small objects are left out
As children tend to put everything they find in their mouths in their mouths, toys with small parts or objects such as lighters and matches can be very dangerous and cause choking or other accidents. Hide them or get rid of them all.
14– Caring for plastic bags
When you return home with your groceries, don’t forget to keep the bags in safe places so that children don’t make them into toys and end up being suffocated.
15– Change the tablecloth for placemats
As with cooking pots, children may also pull the tablecloth off the dining table out of curiosity, causing hot food and heavy objects such as pots or vases to fall out. So, replace the big towels with placemats.
16– Assess the origin of the plants you have at home
When playing in the garden or indoors, children can ingest the plants, which can be very dangerous. So make sure they are not poisonous.
17– Care in the crib
The crib is where small children spend most of their time and, for this reason, they deserve special attention in terms of safety. Avoid leaving toys and stuffed toys in the crib when you’re not around. The same goes for blankets and pillows. Another important issue is the bars.
The distance between one bar and another must be, at the most, 5 centimeters and, the older the child, the lower the height of the mattress and the bars in relation to the floor, to avoid falls.
18– Leave the garage locked
Whether because of the car, or because of tools and objects, the garage is a place that should be prohibited for children. Always leave it locked and don’t forget your car keys nearby.
19– Surround gym equipment
Treadmills, stationary bikes and other exercise equipment should be insulated with fences, such as those used in swimming pools.
20– Keep watch
Even with all the care, it is impossible to predict what the child is imagining for their daily adventures. Therefore, it is essential that there is always an adult nearby to supervise.
Never leave the child alone, as this is the only way for you to have time to react more quickly if something happens and you will be able to better anticipate possible accidents.
