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Pointers for Parents - Home Safety Checklist

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By Julie Dikken December 1, 2016
Children are naturally curious, we see it in the way that everything that is within reach goes straight to the mouth. As our children learn to crawl and walk, they have a natural tendency to get into things that they shouldn't. They are quick too, which is why it is ever so important that parents take precautions to ensure that the home is a safe place for our little ones to learn and explore.

Most home safety tips are common sense if you think about it, but with a busy toddler around the simplest things can be overlooked. As babies change and grow, so should your household child proofing. At each stage in your baby's growth, take a new look at the checklist below to make sure that your home is safe for your entire family.

  • Install Child Safety Locks - Kids love to play with pots, pans and plasticware. It is a great learning experience for them as they create musical instruments, or stack them like building blocks. As they play around your kitchen, be sure that locks are installed correctly to keep children out of household cleaning products and away from sharp kitchen utensils.
  • Ensure Liquid Laundry Packets are HANDS OFF for Children - Liquid Laundry Packets are convenient and can make doing laundry easier, but the packets are highly concentrated and harmful if swallowed or if they get into the eyes. Like any household cleaning product laundry packets should be stored up and out of reach.
  • Check Everyday Items for Potential Hazards - How many times have you caught your child going through your purse? Purses and bags could become potential hazards if they include medicines, devices that contain batteries, pen caps, safety pins, even hard candy. Always be aware and keep these items out of reach of young children.
  • Keep the Poison Help Number Readily Available - Accidents can happen in an instant. Be prepared by adding the number 1-800-222-1222 to your cell phone and posting the number at home so it is easy to access. It is just as important to be prepared for an accident involving poisons as it is to take the necessary steps to prevent them.

While these are all great home safety tips to keep in mind, we recommend joining an online parenting community, like CleanandHappy.com, which allows parents to connect on like-minded parenting topics such as sleep, healthy eating, behavior, child proofing and home safety. Available on your browser or in app form, its primary goal is to make safe, clean, happy homes, so that parents and caregivers have time for the most important things: quality family time, new activities and ideas for families with young children, and staying connected to other parents navigating this stage of life.

Get started by logging on to www.cleanandhappy.com or download the app (available on iPhone and Android devices), engage in a conversation with parents just like you with the same goal of raising children in a clean, safe and happy environment.