Childproofing Your Home

As the proud father of a 15-month old little girl, I have learned that children can be more mischievious than you can imagine. They will get into things you never even imagined they would, so childproofing your home is vital. Most of the child safety products we use are fairly inexpensive, and quite frankly when your child's well-being is at stake saving money is not always the first priority. But I will share with you some inexpensive and easy to use childproofing products and suggestions.

The first thing you should do is get down on your hands and knees and look around your home. It may sound silly, but this will give you a whole new perspective on how your little one sees the world. Their point of view is much lower to the ground and they may see things that you wouldn't notice. So crawl around for a few minutes and see if you can determine what would tempt your child the most. Is it safe? If not, lets find a way to childproof it!

All posionous cleansers, medications, sharp objects and small objects that could pose a choking hazard should be stored where baby can not get at them. Preferably in a room they can not access or behind lock and key.

Any cabinets and drawers within baby's reach should be locked. Their are different styles of childproof latches and locks that can fit just about any kind of drawer or cabinet door. They are inexpensive and easy to install.

Childproof gates should be installed near stairways or other areas that pose a hazard. Some are pressure mounted, while others actually attach to a wall.

Childproofing electrical outlets is extremely important. You can get plastic piece that plug into the outlet when it is not in use or a childproof switchplate that automatically covers the outlet if the plug is pulled out. Hide or secure electrical wires to the wall so that baby can not play with them.

If you have a door that you keep open, get a doorstop to keep it open so baby doesn't close it and crush his fingers or hands.

Make sure the drawstrings on venetian blinds are cut short. If they are left free to dangle, baby could accidently be strangled on them.

Install a toilet lock and use it to prevent a curious child from falling in and drowning. Childproof toilet locks cost only a few dollars and take a just minute to install.

More Child Safety Tips

Install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors and test them every month. You should have smoke alarms on every floor of the house and in every bedroom. I also recommend placing CO detectors on every floor as well.

I take CO poisoning very seriously because we had an incident in our house once. The CO alarm in our hallway went off at 2:30 in the morning. My wife and daughter both slept through it but I woke up and got us all out of the house before calling the fire department. Fortunately we were all ok, but I learned my lesson and installed additional carbon monoxide detectors throughout the house.

If you have a pool, make sure it is gated off with a childproof gate and lock. Many children die every year after falling into their own pool and drowning.

And last but certainly not least, take a CPR and first aid course. Because despite all the childproofing you do, there is always a chance your little one will be injured and if they do get hurt you need to know what to do.

Investing in a few inexpensive child safety products and spending an afternoon childproofing your home may just save your baby's life.