Kids are kids, they like to explore, and they will get into everything, it goes with the territory. Every year there are loads of preventable accidents in the home where kids can get hurt, or even killed, and often by taking a little bit of time to assess the home these accidents could have been prevented. As parents and carers of our little people it is up to us to make sure that the risks of harming themselves are reduced so that they are safe, even if we are in another room. Here are 5 tips for creating a kid-safe environment for our kids.
Fence All Water
Drowning is one risk that is really preventable, simply by doing a few things to ensure that the place is safe. The most important thing to do is make sure that all water around the home is fenced, or that there is a shield over it (if it is a pond or small body of water). Pools need to be fenced by law, but its up to us to ensure that the fence does not have any places where it is going to give way, or where kids can sneak in and get up to mischief. Teaching your kids to swim is another way to ensure that they have some sense of water and can follow basic methods for saving themselves should an accident occur.
Lock Up Chemicals
Household chemicals are dangerous for kids to be around and they need to be locked in appropriate places to ensure that they are not accessible for children to get into. Having locks on all kitchen cupboards or storing chemicals in a child-proof room is an important part of being a parent, and will help to keep the little ones safe from harm.
Cover Up Electrical Outlets and Wires
Playing with electrical outlets and wires could lead to electrocution, so its really important to be mindful of all electrical wires and outlets in the home. You can buy plastic plug covers for the wall outlets, and using a zip tie and keeping cords behind furniture or up high can prevent an unpleasant accident from happening.
Keep Small Items Out of Reach
Choking hazards are some of the most horrible ones of all, so it is really important to ensure that all small objects are kept away from small children. If you have older children who have toys with small parts then make sure that you discuss with them the importance of keeping this stuff away from their sibling and have appropriate storage areas for their things.
Safety Shield on Beds
For smaller children the risk of falling out of bed and hurting themselves is definitely a possibility, especially if there are bunk beds in the house. Having a safety shield on the bed is one way of preventing this sort of accident from happening. Check out http://www.bunkers.com.au/ for ideas on shields for bunk beds.