Important Safety Tips for Every Home with Kids

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When it comes to the safety of our kids, we can never be too careful. Not just when we take them out or when they’re outside riding their bikes or playing in the park, but even inside our homes.

You may look around and think your home is a safe environment for little ones to run around the place, but there’s every possibility that you may have overlooked a couple of potential hazards. But don’t worry; you’re not the only one. We’re here to share some of the most obvious and not-so-obvious home safety measures that parents need to have in place to ensure that their kids are never at risk of danger within their dwelling.

1. Goodbye Sharp Objects, Hello Rounded Edges

It’s hard to keep an eye on a toddler all day long; sometimes it only takes two seconds for them to make a run for it when you look in the opposite direction. Hence, instead of solely relying on supervision, take a close look at furniture, objects and other parts of your home that may have sharp edges or cause cuts and scrapes. Common hazardous areas and objects include kitchen counter corners, table edges, knives, forks, glass curios, etc. For sharp corner, you can round off the edge with corner guards, and for sharp objects, simply store them on higher shelves so that they are always out of reach of kids.

2. When the Heat’s On, Keep the Kids at Bay

There are a number of hot surfaces/areas in our homes that can cause burns and scalds to the sensitive skin of our little ones. Stoves, heaters, microwaves, ovens, toasters clothing irons, and hair straighteners or hot curlers are some of the most common heated appliances found in most households. On top of that, hot beverages and hot running water can cause serious burns if children accidentally come in contact with them. We can’t stress on this enough; when using any hot appliance, keep your kids out of the room and ensure that they don’t come in until all the surfaces have cooled down. It’s also safer to mix hot and cold water in a bucket or tub to ensure that the water is at the right temperature to bathe your kids, as opposed to adjusting both taps for warm running water (the temperature can fluctuate as the geyser heats up). Lastly, never leave a hot beverage unattended or within reach of a toddler.

3. A Trip and Tumble Free Home (As Far As Possible)

You may not be able to eliminate every possibility of trips and falls, but you can certainly narrow it down. For example, running in a home with thresholds between rooms home are trips and tumbles just waiting to happen! They can be avoided, however, by placing a thick rug or carpet over them to create a gradual slope. You can even install safety guard gates in front of them if you don’t want your child entering a room without supervision. Protruding table legs or stands can also cause dangerous falls so try to angle your furniture in ways that won’t cross your child’s path. Staircase entries, bay windows, two storey windows, balconies and backyard doors (that may be left open during the day) should all have safety guard gates for all-round safety of kids in the home.

4. Remember, Kids Will Put Anything in Their Mouths!

That cute little Lego man or Barbie doll hat can lead to an unfortunate choking hazard because (as you know) kids will put just about anything into their mouths! Make sure that toys and other small objects are kept out of reach from children unless they are being watched. This includes curios, crunchies, hair clips, jewellery, etc. Even things like telephone cords, wires, rope, string and other such lines should not be left lying around for your child to access. Similarly, plastic bags can also pose the risk of suffocation so tie them in knots or store them at a height.

5. Unless Given to Them, Medicines are Not for Kids!

You often read warnings on your meds that say “keep out of reach from children”; and for good reason! Adult medicines are not meant for kids; moreover, their own medicines are to be taken in tiny dosages, so it’s important you don’t run the risk of your kids self-medicating themselves! The case is the same where cleaning agents or chemically based liquids are concerned; they must not be kept within the reach of kids as some of them maybe poisonous. You may even want to keep your liquor cabinet tightly locked to be on the safe side!

It’s hard make a list of safety measures and other home-related tips for kids when you’ve already got so much on your plate. That’s what we’re here for; at Simply Maid, we share simple tips to keep your home safe, clean and organised! We also offer a wide range of excellent cleaning services at affordable rates. Have a look at services and pricing page for all the relevant information you need.

Karen Saunders

1 COMMENT

  1. Thanks for the great tips! My wife follows your blog and pointed this post out. It’s been an eye opener since our son has started walking. We’ve done a huge reshuffle of our house to remove anything he can put in his mouth, pull down on top of him, trip over, bang his head on, put things into… It’s been an exhausting learning curve but your post has made it a bit easier. Thanks 🙂

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