How Can I Make My House the Safest for Kids

Keeping your child safe is one of the top priorities in any parent’s life. Here’s how to create a safe environment for your child to learn, grow, and explore safely.

child safety in the house, young boy holding onto baby-proof gate
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[INTRO]

kk: From the Parents Club, I’m Karsen Kolnicki

vp: And I’m Vincent Phamvan. This is a Quick Tip episode. Each week, we talk about how to become a calmer, more relaxed parent, and what the research has to contribute to help your family learn, grow, and thrive.

[TOPIC]

kk: Keeping your child safe is one of the top priorities in any parent's life. Everyday items in the house you don't think twice about can pose a serious safety risk for young infants. As a parent, you want to be thorough in babyproofing the house so your kids can safely learn, grow, and explore. Today, we'll look at how you can create a safe environment to have peace of mind.

vp: Children's safety is absolutely a priority for parents. While not every accident can be prevented, babyproofing has been shown to cut the risk significantly. According to data from Safe Home, 39 percent of parents they surveyed reported accidents happened that could have been prevented with proper childproofing. And of those accidents, 33 percent were extremely or very serious.

It can feel overwhelming trying to think about everything you need to adjust, so the household is safe. But we'll try to make it simple in this quick tip. Instead of thinking about the entire house simultaneously, try to take it room by room. This can reduce any potential overwhelm and help you be more thorough.

kk: Exactly. For example, start somewhere like the baby's room. This is where they'll spend a lot of time, so it's a critical space that will need to be secure. Create a checklist of things to check or adjust so there's nothing you forget. Start big, like babyproofing door handles, safeguarding electrical sockets, and ensuring any large furniture, like bookshelves, are anchored to the wall and can't tip over.

vp: Once you hit the big things, you can start checking for the less obvious safety hazards. Think of small toys that could potentially be a choking risk. Make sure no electrical chords are running underneath rugs. To be extra thorough, a good rule of thumb is getting on your child's level and seeing things from a new perspective. When you're on your hands and knees, what do you see around you that could pose a risk to a toddler? Then, repeat that process in each room of the house, like the living room, kitchen, bathroom, and so on. Like Karsen said, a checklist can be a great way to make sure you don't miss anything.

If you're unsure how to create your own, great lists are already out there. Some are even broken up by age, which is awesome because there are new risks and prevention requirements as children develop. I'll [link to one](https://www.childproofingexperts.com/childproofing-checklist-by-age/) in the episode show notes.

kk: That's such a great point. There are definitely changes that happen over time as your baby reaches new milestones, like crawling and walking. Plenty of resources are available to make babyproofing and emergency prevention easier and more effective.

vp: For sure. While these safety measures are the best way to prevent emergencies, no home can ever be 100 percent accident-proof. So, it's important to have a plan for what to do if an emergency should arise. Is the emergency equipment in the house working, like fire alarms? Do you know how to perform CPR? These are essential things to consider so you have everything you need in case of an accident.

[OUTRO]

kk: That's it for this quick tip episode. I'm Karsen Kolnicki

vp: and I'm Vincent Phamvan

kk: We'll talk with you again next time.

Keeping their child safe is one of the top priorities in any parent’s life. Everyday items in the household you don’t think twice about can pose a serious safety hazard for young infants. As a parent, you want to be thorough in baby-proofing the house so everyone in the family can safely learn, grow, and explore. Today, we’ll look at how you can create a safe environment to have peace of mind.

Take it room by room

While not every accident can be prevented, baby-proofing has been shown to cut the risk significantly. According to data from Safe Home, 39% of parents they surveyed reported accidents happened that could have been prevented with proper childproofing. And of those accidents, 33% were extremely or very serious.

It can feel overwhelming trying to think about everything you need to adjust, so the household is safe. But we’ll try to make it simple in this quick tip. Instead of thinking about preventing accidents in the entire house simultaneously, try to take it room by room. This can reduce any potential overwhelm and help you be more thorough.

What to check for

Create a checklist of things to check or adjust so there’s nothing you forget. Start big, like baby-proofing door handles, safeguarding electrical sockets, and ensuring any large furniture, like bookshelves, are anchored to the wall and can’t tip over. Once you hit the big things, you can start checking for the less obvious safety hazards. Think of small toys that could potentially be a choking risk. Make sure no electrical chords are running underneath rugs. Are windows locked?

To be extra thorough, a good rule of thumb is getting on your child’s level and seeing things from a new perspective. When you’re on your hands and knees on the floor, what do you see around you that could pose a risk to a toddler? Then, repeat that process in each room of the house, like the living room, kitchen, bathroom, and so on.

And on another note, a home without a firearm is generally safest for children. If you do have firearms, it’s important to keep them locked away in a safe so no accidents can occur.

Use a safety checklist

If you’re unsure how to create your own safety checklist, great lists are already out there. Some are even broken up by age, which is awesome because there are new risks and prevention requirements as children develop.

There are definitely changes that happen over time as your baby reaches new milestones, like crawling and walking. Then there’s worrying about stairs, putting childproof locks on doors, and all kinds of things. Thankfully, plenty of resources are available to make baby-proofing and emergency prevention easier and more effective.

Stay prepared

While these safety measures are the best way to prevent emergencies, no home can ever be 100 percent accident-proof. So, it’s important to have a plan for what to do if an emergency should arise. Is the emergency equipment in the house working, like smoke detectors or alarms in case of a fire? Do you know how to perform CPR? These are essential things to consider as the adult of the family so you have everything you need in case of an accident.

Making Your Home Safe for Children. (n.d.). Saint Luke’s Health System. Retrieved June 22, 2022, from https://www.saintlukeskc.org/health-library/making-your-home-safe-children

Rairdon, T. (2015, February 5). Annual Childproofing Report: 2022. SafeHome.Org. Retrieved June 22, 2022, from https://www.safehome.org/family-safety/home-childproofing-report/

I. (2014, September 3). Childproofing Checklist by Age | ChildproofingExperts.com. ChildproofingExperts.Com |. Retrieved June 22, 2022, from https://www.childproofingexperts.com/childproofing-checklist-by-age/

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