Bringing a baby home is exciting, but it takes preparation. You want to make sure you’re taking your child home to a safe and secure environment. Here are some tips to help prevent accidents involving the newest member of the family and keep them safe.
1. Cover electrical sockets. Children love to poke their little fingers into holes, and sockets tend to be within easy reach. Buying covers for sockets could be a useful solution for this potential hazard.
2. Protect your furnishings. It’s not unusual for children to test out their artistic abilities on walls, so using washable paint can be a good idea. Spongeable fabrics on sofas are well worth considering too – it can protect them from sticky fingers. It might also be sensible to pay more to add additional accidental damage coverage to your buildings and contents insurance to allow for unforeseen accidents like these. If you’re looking for contents insurance quotes have a look at what Lloyds TSB can offer you.
3. Put a lock on cupboard doors. That cupboard under the sink where you keep your household detergents and other cleaning materials may be a magnet to a curious child. Putting a child lock on the door could provide you with peace of mind.
4. Check what is in grabbing distance. As toddlers learn to walk, they sometimes need to clutch at something to help them stand up. If a tablecloth happens to be closest, they could pull a table full of crockery down on top of themselves. Think about what else they could grab and pull down and take precautions. It might be your expensive flatscreen TV…
5. Get window locks fitted. Children love to climb and they may be lured by an open window but you still want some ventilation and don’t want to keep them permanently shut. So get access to fresh air by fitting the kind of safety lock that restricts the window from being opened too wide to help keep your child safe from climbing or falling out. Being vigilant about keeping window cords and window blind cords well out of their reach to prevent them getting tangled.
6. Too many cooks… When you’re cooking, remember to keep handles turned round, so that an inquisitive toddler can’t reach up and pull the contents of the pan over. Make sure boiling kettles are kept well away from the edge of the work surface too.
7. Hide your gadgets. If you want to ensure that your phone, stereo equipment or any other gadgets you treasure remain in good condition, keep these in a place where children can’t reach, find or access them. Keep an eye out for toddlers loading your DVD player with digestive biscuits.
8. Install a safety gate. A safety gate on the stairs is a must to help to stop baby taking a tumble or getting out of the house on their own. Take a good look at carpeting too – you’re going to be carrying an infant around the house so nail or stick down any loose flooring that could cause you to trip.
9. Be clear about glass. Put stickers on glass patio doors, so children can see that they are doors – and don’t run into the glass.
10. Keep reviewing your home as baby grows up. As babies grow up, some safety measures are no longer needed, but others arise. So, while they might no longer need a gate on the stairs, you may need to make sure you don’t leave your mobile phone lying around to be dropped and broken. And don’t forget the mountains of “stuff” that you need with children – so review your home insurance and contents insurance to see if you have sufficient cover.
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