Tips to get you started childproofing your home

Whether you’re a first-time parent, a third-time parent or even a grandparent, childproofing your home is a must-do anytime a child will be in your home. While you may look around your home and feel overwhelmed by everything you have to put away, install or change, we wanted to give you a head start in thinking of how to childproof your home.

Safety latches and locks

When childproofing your home, you’ll probably be thinking of safety latches and locks for drawers and cabinets for your kitchen, bathrooms and other areas where chemicals, cleaners and other injuries may occur. When starting this, take careful inventory of what is on low shelves and in cabinets that could be harmful to a child, including but not limited to knives, sharp objects, medicine, household cleaners, matches and lighters. Be sure to think on a child’s level. Anything that might be dangerous to a child should have a home on higher shelves or cabinets. Even then, make sure you’re locking those items away using sturdy safety latches and locks.

Safety Gates

Next on the list is safety gates. Utilize these for childproofing to prevent children from climbing up stairs, falling down stairs or entering rooms that aren’t childproofed. When using safety gates for stairs, get gates that screw into the wall, rather than those that rely on springs, and meet current safety standards.

Door Locks

The next step for childproofing your home is ensuring doors exiting the house have door knob covers and door locks. You’ll also want to use these to restrict access to rooms you want to keep little ones out of. Make sure these knob covers are easy for adults to operate in an emergency but prevent children from leaving the house or entering rooms.

A few other important items:

• While looking around your home, take notice of any sharp corners or edges on furniture, fireplaces, hearths and more. To help prevent injuries from falls on these objects, utilize corner and edge bumpers.
• Another important thing is to ensure all outlets are covered using outlet covers or plates to prevent electrocution or electrical shock.
• The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends using cordless window coverings to prevent strangulation. Children can wrap window covering cords or pull cords around their necks or become entangled in the loops.

If you’re interested in understanding your options for cordless window coverings, call our window covering experts at (801) 692-2490 or visit one of our showrooms in Lindon or St. George, Utah.