Parents Guide: Baby proofing your home
The footsteps of your baby taking his first steps are bound to bring out joy and pride in you. However, as he begins to discover the many beautiful things in the home through his little steps of exploration, danger also lurks in a dark corner, ready to pounce.
Keep your home babysafe for your little one.
Blame it on our ignorance or rather, the prism of fake safety that we have built around us and our child that ensures that as long as we have one eye on the child, no harm will befall. Wrong! Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye! A recent study was done in Europe to determine where children were injured the most – home, playground, school or shopping mall. Home came out tops among the rest.
Related: Safety hazards you didn’t think about
1. Bath time hazards
In Asia, we are all too familiar with the big red plastic thing that is dubbed as a child’s tub but in truth looks like a good big pail-like basin to hose the mud off your dog! Buy a bathtub that opens to a full-size infant bathtub and can also be folded away for travel or storage! The foam pad in the tub is slip-resistant and the tub is made in a way that fits even in a sink.
2. Beware of the stairs
Kids can spend hours just running up and down the stairs in your home. The danger of falling down the stairs is of course lost on the young ones. Try to remove clutter from floor or stairs to give your child a better view of what he is stepping on. Alternatively, like our European and American counterparts, we can simply install a gate such as the SmartLight Stair Gate. This gate is ideal for use at the top or bottom of stairs. What’s the grabbing point of this gate? It comes equipped with a motion sensor nightlight which illuminates when someone approaches.
Related: Is your home baby-proof enough?
3. Don’t get shocked
Keep all electrical items out of the reach of curious babies who have started to crawl. They may poke their fingers into lamp sockets or put bulbs or batteries into their mouths.
Related: Childcare horror stories
4. Keep the kitchen out of bounds
Imagine this scenario: You’re showcasing your cooking talent through a tasty pot of Devil’s Curry. Junior is playing with his blogs a couple of steps away. A quick turn to grab something from the other side and the next second, you might witness a scene that every parent dreads – Junior wailing with a pot of hot, boiling curry on him.
Due to the many dangers involved during cooking, toddlers should be kept away from the kitchen
5. Poisons
Ensure all bottles containing harmful liquids such as bleach are clearly labelled and keep them in a cupboard away from children. Medicines such as cough syrup and pills look like sweets to young children, so store your medication in a separate cabinet.
A child’s safety should never be taken for granted. Even a Christmas ornament in a child’s hand can turn out to be a choking hazard that could unnecessarily claim a young life. Singapore is certainly house conscious and that would explain why most homes with young children miss the sight of gates at the top and bottom of stairs or power outlet covers. However, what can be brushed away due to ignorance for a split second can cause a lifetime of regret.
Related: 10 basic supplies in a parent’s first aid kit
For more articles regarding your baby and safety, see:
