Inexpensive Ways to Childproof Your Home

Having a baby is definitely going to strain some family’s finances. There are a lot of added expenses that accompany the birth of a baby. Some parents simply cannot afford to buy the latest and greatest gadgets for their children. This does not make them bad parents. There are plenty of more cost effective ways to childproof your home that involve spending very little or no money at all. Here are some examples of inexpensive ways to childproof your home:

Close the door – One of the easiest things that you can do to keep your little ones away from danger is to deny them access to certain rooms all together. Bathroom doors should remain closed at all times and plastic knob covers can be purchased for just a few dollars and used to keep toddlers out who may have learned how to open those doors. All parents need to do is remember to close the door behind them.

Move dangerous object up high – If something is sharp, fragile, heavy or otherwise dangerous for your child simply move it out of their reach. Keep your Tupperware, plastic cups, wooden and plastic utensils in the lower cupboard of your home so that if your kids do get to them they won’t be in any serious danger.

Wrap up cords (electrical and blinds) – Electrical cords should be wrapped up tightly and stored away directly after use. Little hands may be curious and want to tug on those cords sending heavy appliances down to the floor and onto your small one. Eliminate this threat entirely by keeping the cords out of their reach. This rule applies to the pull cords on the blinds in your house as well. There is the threat of strangulation of your kids have access to these cords so either cut them short or wind them up and put them up high and out of reach.

Keep the floors free from clutter – Have you ever heard the term, “A clean home is a happy home?” Well it just so happens that a clean home is also a safe home. Clearing away clutter and objects on the floor eliminates many hazards associated with tripping over items. Children who are still gaining confidence with their ability to walk are especially in need of a clear floor to walk on.

No standing water access – Did you know that children can drown in as little as one inch of water? By keeping that in mind you may re-evaluate how and what kind of access you give your kids to water. Never leave them alone in the tub; never have standing water in a bucket or even the toilet if you are going to leave it unattended.

Block stairways until child learns stair safety – Children are not born with the sophisticated depth perception that most adults have. Although children may be able to tell that the bottom of the steps involves a steep decline they do not understand that unsteady footing and inexperience will lead to a painful fall. Until your child is able to learn how to go up and down the stairs safety it is best to block off these areas of your home entirely. This means purchasing a baby gate which may be a little expensive for some, but the elimination of serious dangers such as head injuries is worth the investment.

Move objects with sharp corners out of high traffic areas – Coffee tables and side tables with un-rounded corners should either be padded or moved to an area where your child is unlikely to have an accidental collision with them.

Secure your shelves and storage units (make them bottom heavy not top heavy) – There are many sad stories of child fatalities that resulted from book cases, curios, and TV tipping over and falling on top of children. A simple set of affordable straps can be purchased and used to anchor heavy objects like this to the wall so that threat of having them tip over is eliminated. Also, make sure that you are further preventing the likelihood of a fall by arranging your belongings so that the heaviest items are located towards the bottom of your unit rather than the top.