7 Things you Forgot to Childproof
This post was sponsored by SelectBlinds.com as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central.
With 6 kids, I have learned first-hand that kids can get into trouble in only seconds. As parents, we are often good at keeping their kids from the big things ( like staying out of the road and away from poisonous chemicals) but we can often make these common childproofing mistakes.
It never ceases to amaze me how innovative and creative kids can be. If there is a way to get into something, they will do it.
Here are the 7 most common childproofing mistakes I see:
Don’t assume something is safe when it is out of reach. Kids can climb anything! Like any good parent, we try to keep harmful chemicals and prescription drugs up high and out of reach of our kids. I was surprised one day when my three year old climbed on the tub to get over to the bathroom counter where she could stand in the sink and open the medicine cabinet. She then reached to the top shelf, got out my nail polish and began painting her nails. Just because it is up high, it does not mean it is not reachable.
Anchor your furniture to the wall. This is such a common one to miss and it is so dangerous. Every year there are numerous stories of kids dying after pulling a bookshelf or dresser over on themselves. Kids climb things. I catch my kids using the dresser drawers as steps all the time to try and reach stuff I put up high. This makes the dresser unstable and is super dangerous. I teach my kids not to do that, but just in case, all heavy furniture is anchored to the wall.
Watch for the cords of your blinds. Hanging cords can be very dangerous for kids, especially since many cribs and couches are placed under windows. On average, there are 20 cord-related deaths and injuries every year. Cords can be wrapped up and tucked out of the way but if you want to eliminate the risk, you can opt for cordless blinds. SelectBlinds.com is a huge advocate of the #GoCordless movement and this year they became the first blind company to go 100% cordless to help prevent needless deaths and injuries of young children and pets from window covering cord strangulation
Make sure your kids know how to swim. Even if you don’t have a pool or access to the beach, this is an essential skill. We definitely learned this lesson the hard way. I have been amazed at how my daughter even uses her swimming lesson skills of holding her breath in the tub. Swimming is an essential survival skill and you never know when you are going to need it. Every year kids drown in tubs and toilets so even kids without pools at home need to know how to survive around water.
Keep power cords and chargers out of reach. Today’s smart phones and tablets use a lot of juice. Just recently there was a story of a child who put the end of a charger in his mouth and was fatally electrocuted. Most homes have dozens of chargers so that’s a huge risk when you have young kids.
Secure your doors. Many parents assume that if your doors are locked kids can’t get out. My twins have been able to open the front door since they were about 18 months old. I definitely don’t want them wandering around outside unsupervised so we make sure that all doors are secured. We have an alarm system that we rarely use but one feature we do like is we have it set up to beep anytime someone opens a door or window. This helps me keep tabs on the entire house even when I’m out of eyesight. You can secure simple chains or latches to the tops of doors to prevent younger kids from opening the door as well. I try and keep my younger kids right with me but knowing that they can’t get outside brings me a lot of peace of mind.
Always strap them in. Kids are little escape artists. Highchairs and booster seats are high off the ground and a fall from that height can seriously injure a young child. Be sure your child is strapped into his high chair or booster seat every single time. It’s easy to get lax on this but it’s such a huge risk if you let it slide.
A few simple precautions can go a long way towards keeping your kids safe in your home.
Nominate your Friends and Family for the Project Cordless giveaway
Each month, SelectBlinds.com is partnering with Parents for Window Blind Safety for the Project Cordless giveaway to upgrade an entire home, apartment, military housing unit or daycare facility with cordless window coverings at no charge. To nominate, submit a 30-second video to www.selectblinds.com/gocordless.html#ProjectCordless
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