Five Steps to Safety

Childproof your Home

Child safety starts at home and most parents are aware of the basics, like smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, gates on stairs, locks on doors, latches on drawers and cabinets, and covers on electrical outlets. The average parent also likely has their hot water heater set to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. household cleaners and poisons out of reach, and the poison center number (1-800-222-1222) by the phone.

A well childproofed home will be also protected against more 'hidden' dangers and have wall anchors to secure large appliances and furniture, window guards, a shield for the stove, and locks on appliances, including the dishwasher, oven, and refrigerator. It can also be a good idea to have a fire escape plan, a ladder if you have a multi-story house, finger pinch guards on doors, and one piece door stops.

Don't wait to be safe

Of course childproofing is important, but it is even more essential that you get things childproofed before your child has a chance to hurt himself. For example, if you don't have doors secured with door knob covers, the first time your toddler learns to open the door may be the day he follows you out of the house and gets run over by the family car. So don’t wait until you see him trying to open the door before you get it childproofed.

Keep your kids safe outside your home

Although most parents are mindful about keeping their kids safe when they are inside, outdoor safety sometimes gets overlooked. In addition to close supervision, you should make sure that your kids:

• use an age appropriate car or booster seat that is installed correctly and is in the right position in your car. Remember that kids aren't usually ready for regular seat belts until they are eight years old and 80 pounds.
• wear a helmet when they are riding a bike, rollerblading, riding a scooter, etc.
• can't get into a backyard pool without supervision
• avoid home trampolines, which the American Academy of Pediatrics is strongly against
• don't have access to your car keys so that they can't get into the car or trunk. Also keep your car locked at all times and consider installing a trunk release mechanism.
• only play on safe playground equipment and away from traffic

Remove unsafe and recalled products

In 2003, there were 256 recalls and product safety alerts from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. This included many toys and infant and child products, including carriers, strollers, car seats, and walkers, that could put your child at risk of injury if you continued to use them.

Do you have any items in your house that have been recalled? If you're not sure, review this Product Recalls Search Engine to search for recalls by manufacturer, product name, or product category. 

And once you locate a recalled item, put it aside until it can be fixed, send it back to the manufacturer, or follow other instructions from the recall announcement.

Understand how childproof other homes are

No matter how childproofed your own home is, your child won't be completely safe if the homes of your friends and family members aren't safe. Are their homes childproofed? Do they have guns in their home that are loaded and not stored in a locked box? Are they taking medications that they leave around with caps that aren't child resistant?

If your child is going to spend time in someone else's home, don't be afraid to ask about safety. And don't assume that they share your own views on safety and supervision.

Remember that although you can't keep your kids one hundred percent safe all of the time, you can take steps to help avoid most common causes of avoidable injuries.

Featured Resources:

• Car Seat Inspector
• Recalls
• How Safe is Safe?
• Stranger Danger Quiz