Before children, wood coffee tables (or any other for that matter) weren’t even a thought that crossed my mind. It was just a piece of furniture that was always there. A place to kick your feet up and relax while watching a good show, or a communal place to sit and play cards as children. It wasn’t until I had my first child that I realized what a danger everything from coffee tables to console and end tables, could really be.
When Big Pea started crawling, I suddenly realized that our house was filled with dangerous items. Suddenly, not only was the edge of the coffee table a threat, but so were the corners of walls, the knobs on the cupboards, and more importantly, what was in those cupboards!
According to the CPSC, 2.5 million children are injured or killed each year by dangers right in their own home. That’s a scary statistic for mom’s to read, and had I known then, what I know now, I probably would have hired a professional childproofer (Yes, there is such a thing). A quick Google search may also do the trick, however. There’s literally thousands of articles on the web that can be accessed by parents everywhere and many of the articles are very extensive in nature.
Here are a few childproofing tips to help you along the way:
– Trust your Intuition. Parents know their child best, and after an extensive look at your home, you will be able to identify potential safety hazards that others may have missed.
– Get Educated. Talk to your pediatrician, your neighbor, your sister, your mom’s group and anyone else’s ear you can bend. Many others have walked this path before you and they may just have a few tricks up their sleeve. Don’t forget to do your Google homework. Many sites online offer childproofing checklists that will ensure you have covered most of your basis.
– Make a list and check it twice. Just because you have crossed every hazard off of your list, doesn’t mean that all of your basis are covered. Childproofing is a daily task and parents should take a quick look through their house everyday to ensure that there are no new hazards.
– Invest. You will need to invest in childproofing products and that’s just the way it is! Unfortunately there is no way to properly plug your electrical outlets without purchasing plastic plugs, and without proper and approved childproofing products, your child could be at risk.
– Supervision is Key. Never leave a child unattended, even for a moment. If you do need to put your curious toddler down for a few moments, ensure that you have a safe environment that is childproofed and ok for your child to be while your tending to your business.