1. Keep Curious Hands Out
Child-safety locks and latches are an investment, but you don't need to lock every cabinet in the house. In fact, allowing babies and toddlers access to some cabinets stocked with plastic dishes and toys keeps them entertained while you prepare meals. The most important cabinets to lock are those that contain household cleaners, medicine and knives. Don't forget garage cabinets, where you store garden products. Cabinet locks come in a wide price range, and some are more aesthetically pleasing than others are. The best lock for your family is one that keeps the child out.
2. Stopping the Number One Hazard
Falls are the leading cause of accidental injury in young children. Although childproofing products aren't a substitute for adult supervision, safety gates and window guards can reduce the chance of your child suffering a fall. A window screen is not enough to keep a child from falling out the window. You can buy window guards to fit awning, double-hung and casement windows. The guards have an emergency release in case the family needs to evacuate. Also, install safety gates on all staircases to prevent bone-breaking tumbles.
3. A Crushing Danger
When children learn to climb, bookcases and dressers can look as appealing as a jungle gym. Between 8,000 and 10,000 children receive crushing injuries each year from falling furniture, and dozens of fatalities result. Secure all dressers, bookcases and televisions to the wall with inexpensive furniture brackets or appliance straps. If possible, fasten the brackets or straps to a stud in the wall.
4. Shocking Statistics
The amount of electricity used to power one Christmas-tree bulb can cause a fatal electrical shock if it passes through the chest. Parents must protect children from electrical shocks and burns by covering all outlets with protectors when not in use. If you don't like struggling with the covers that plug into the outlet, you can install outlet covers that slide or rotate over the outlet when you unplug your appliances.
5. The Gift of Gab
Parents may not think of a cordless phone as one of the essential items for childproofing your home. However, drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death in children, and keeping a cordless phone by your side means you'll never be tempted to leave a child unattended in the bath or around the pool to answer the phone. Children can drown in as little as one inch of water, so it's never safe to turn your back on an infant or toddler in the bath or kiddie pool. Increase the margin of safety even further by installing toilet lid locks to keep top-heavy toddlers from toppling in.
