How childproofing keeps your children safe from harm at home?

Childproofing may involve putting up restrictive devices to contain children in safe areas or installing gadgets or devices to prevent access to children. This may be done by the parents themselves or by childproofing experts. Childproofing is fast gaining prominence since parents have more sources of information. Childproofing is considered to be of importance that even hotels and resorts are now offering childproof rooms giving you peace of mind that they went through these that keeps your children safe at the end of the day

Provide electrical safety.

Childproofing your home will keep your child safe from electrical injury. Electrocution can cause serious injury to a child. It is actually horrific how easy this could happen. A simple thing like a paper clip or a key can result in grave harm when inserted into an electrical outlet. Childproofing devices serve to block access to the electrical outlets when not in use. There are some devices that are made of plastic, which plug into electrical sockets. Once removed, however, parents tend to forget to reinsert or worse, the plugs become a choking hazard. The best type of childproofing device to prevent electrical accidents includes sliding outlet covers that are quite easy to use for the parents and hard to manipulate by the children.

Restrict physical access.

Most childproofing strategies serve to restrict physical access to children by moving potentially hazardous objects to a higher place, where a child will not be able to reach. Things that should be out of reach to children include small objects that may become choking hazards, sharp things that might cut your child, breakable items, and long flexible objects like ropes and cables that can easy strangle your child. Playpens are also a good way to keep your child in a safe area, where minimal supervision is required. Portable playpens are helpful for when you and your child go out for a visit to a home that is not childproofed. Installing safety gates around your house also helps prevent your child from going into areas of the house you would otherwise want. Such areas may include the stairs or the kitchen.

Restrict water access.

Childproofing limits your child’s access to water. Kids love the water. It is irresistible to them. They are just naturally drawn to them. Water is fun. It is also dangerous. In the United States, one of the leading cause of accidental deaths in children 1 to 4 years of age is drowning, mostly in their own swimming pools at home. One way to prevent this from happening is by installing a safety barrier such as a pool fence. For scenarios inside the house, never leave water in the bathtub. Make sure to completely drain your tub since only a small amount of water is needed to jumpstart an accident.

Restrict chemical access.

Potentially dangerous and harmful chemicals can be found all over the house including the bathroom, the kitchen, the laundry room, and the garage. Common household items such as drain cleaners and chemical polishes are among the leading cause of accidental child poisoning. Childproofing ensures that these chemicals are not accessible by your child. Place the potentially harmful agents in hard to reach latched storage cabinets. Special latches are now available that require a set of actions in order to be opened, making it hard for a small child to open.

Restrict medicine access.

Childproofing has gained much prominence that even the pharmaceutical industry has recognized its importance. Childproof and child-resistant packaging are now enforced in order to prevent children from accidentally swallowing medicines that are not intended for them. Such packaging materials need specific actions to be opened. The opening mechanisms are easy to perform by an adult while being difficult for a child. It is still safest to keep medicines in latched cabinets in case your child is able to overcome such child-resistant packaging.

Provide fire safety.

Fire safety is every bit as important to protect your child as well as the whole family. Having a smoke detector at home should be a default. Smoke alarms should be placed on every level of the house, including the hallways and bedrooms. Get smoke alarms that are linked to one another so that when one alarm is triggered, the rest of the alarms will also sound. The best kind of smoke detector is the one that has both ionization and photoelectric sensors since each sensor can differentiate and detect different potential fire accidents. Smoke detectors and smoke alarms should be regularly inspected and tested. Be sure to change the batteries at least once a year.