This is a collaborative post, so I may have received payment for including one or more of the links it contains about safety in the home.
Even if you are currently snuggling a little newborn baby, it’s not a bad idea to start thinking of safety. It won’t be long before they are pulling pans out of the cupboard and you are pulling your hair out. They grow at such a rapid rate, and they learn incredibly quickly too.
Photo by Pixabay from Pexels
When they are finally taking those first wobbly steps, it is time to up the safety. Babies and toddlers will put everything they find in their mouth, and in their mind, everything is up for grabs. They are curious and strangely quick! So here are a few suggestions of things that you might need to keep your little one safe when they turn into inspector gadget.
Cabinets and drawers
The moment they work out how to open them, or can reach the handles, you are going to wish you had put a lock on them for their safety. There are child-guard latches that require an extra step to open the cupboards but it just a bit too tricky for little fingers to manage (for now). You can have someone come and instal them for you, but most often you can find locks that are easy enough to do yourself. It is very important to make sure that the cupboard with cleaning products is the first one to be latched. And if you want to ditch a huge bottle of washing detergent that they could possibly get their hands on, click here to find out more about Earth Breeze laundry detergent sheets instead.
Table padding
Tiny heads take quite a knock when they are first learning to walk. Table corners hurt at the best of times, but more so when you don’t have the balance to curb the fall. You can pick up rubber bumpers that go on the corner of furniture – especially great for fireplaces and anything glass or marble.
Furniture and TV
There have been many videos shared of children pulling cupboards and TVs on to themselves because they are climbing on the furniture. While you hope that your child won’t be trying to climb on everything, they probably will. Case in point – my twins who like to climb everything – including the windowsills. So, if your furniture isn’t already screwed to the wall, then this is the time to do it to increase safety. There should be at least two straps on each piece of furniture and anchor everything else too.
Window guard safety
While your bug screens will keep mozzies out, they won’t keep a child in, unfortunately. Window guards are ideal for any windows that open fully without the need to press a catch. Accidents happen in seconds and windows are a significant cause of that. Most window guards are easy to install, but you should look for some that you can unlatch and escape in the case of a fire. Especially if you’re toddlers are anything like my twins – whose favourite spot for sitting is above the settee on the windowsill!
Car seat safety
Most often, you will have a car seat before you even have the baby. But after a short while, they can grow out of the newborn style, and you might want to check out front-facing car seats that will work in your car or a portable car seat.
Electrical covers
The old-style electrical socket covers aren’t really ideal. The single plugin most cases is easy to get off and pose a risk by themselves. You can get doubles that fit in both, and they are harder for little hands to get off. It is also wise to skip the ones that light up or have cartoon characters on. Rather than make them noticeable and interesting, keep them boring, and you shouldn’t have any issues. You hope!
Toilet lock
There are two issues here. Toilet water, under the seat and the whole thing aren’t exactly the cleanest place that your child could be. And, there is enough water in a toilet bowl for your child to drown. If you have even seen a toddler reach into a box, and next thing their legs are wiggling in the air because they are stuck – this would be the same. A toilet lock, while inconvenient to other family members can be a life saving little safety addition to your toilet. They are simple enough to fit, and most can be opened one-handed.
Oven lock safety
Some ovens don’t need more than a light tug, and they are wide open. So imagine a toddler putting their whole weight on it just to open it. Open flames, hot food, and the inside of the door itself can be scorching. It can be a recipe for disaster. Install a heat resistant oven door lock, and you won’t have to worry about this one again.
Toddlers are the most curious creatures, and if there is something to climb, poke or eat, they are going to do it. If you want to find more hazards in your home, simply get down to baby height and look around the room.
How did I do?
Did you enjoy this post? You might like some of my others, so how about you check out some of my more ‘usual’ funny, relatable posts about parenting in my Mum Life section, or if you need some ideas for a UK holiday with kids, have a look at my Travel Posts.
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