Childproofing Defined
What is "baby-proofing" and "childproofing"?
Baby-proofing and child-proofing is installing child safety devices into the home so that the safety hazards are taken care of, whether they are gates, locks, latches, padding, alarms, or any type of safety device that will make the home environment safer for the child.
Why is making your home childproof important?
Making your home childproof is so important. We have millions of children that have to go to the emergency room every year. Unfortunately, we lose many children. About 5,000 children a year end up dying because of accidents that have occurred in the home. And the great news is that 90% of these accidents could have been prevented by childproofing.
What is the most common unintentional injury for children?
The most common unintentional injuries in a home are falls. Unintentional injury from a fall can happen when the child falls from the second or third story window, or from the top of the stairs, or even a child crawling up the stairs and then falling down.
When should I consider childproofing my home?
Considering baby-proofing and childproofing your home when your pregnant is a wise idea, because, although Mommy hasn't yet given birth to the baby, Mommy is still carrying that baby in the home. So, making sure that the home is safe for that baby by taking childproofing measures such as installing a carbon monoxide detector, and a smoke and fire detector kept in working order with charged-up batteries. Fire safety ladders in every single bedroom in the home is an extremely important childproofing measure. Then, when you're creating that wonderful nursery for your baby, whether you're buying the crib or the changing table, and you're making everything look just cute and wonderful, you also have to make sure that everything is childproof and safe. If you're using some special hand-me-downs--maybe it's a bassinette that grandma and you and all of the cousins brought down from generation to generation-- that's wonderful, but you need to make sure that it's up to JPMA standards, so that it's childproof and safe for your child.
How do I explain danger and home safety to young children?
Baby proofing and discipline really crossover with each other. As a new parent you need to explain danger and safety to your child when you are in the kitchen " hot hot", "no touching", "not for baby". When explaining danger and safety, use a vernacular that you are comfortable with, but stick to it, and let your child care provider know the language that you choose for explaining danger and safety. Also tell your husband, so you're all using the same language. If you go over to an outlet cupboard and you see your baby playing with it, let them know that it's a safety risk, "no no, not for babies, danger". Even if they're tiny, you will be saying "no no not for babies, danger" probably hundreds of times before they understand the safety risk. So you have to also ensure that child care devices are installed to slow your child down. To give you the time to get there, pull them away from the danger and at the same time explain that it is dangerous. You don't want to give your child time to sit there with a locked cabinet, for example. To figure out explaining home safety and danger right? You want to be able to walk over and say, "no no this isn't for you," and pull them away.
What behaviors can I change to keep my child safe in the home?
Installing child safety devices is one way to baby-proof your home. But being educated and thinking about the ways you can change your behaviour, or maybe how your older children, and grandma and papa, who live in the house as well, can change their behaviour to make the new baby more safe. The top few ways to change behaviour to ensure safety are, when you're walking down the stairs and you're holding your child, even if the home is baby-proofed from ceiling to floor, you need to make sure to hold onto the hand rail to keep the child safe. You're wearing socks, it's the middle of the night, you're tired, you're holding the baby, and you can slip and fall. So, always hold onto the hand rail, no matter how sure-footed you think you might be. If you have guests that are visiting your home, it's your responsibility as the parent to change your behaviour and make sure that the razor is taken off the guest bathroom tub. If there are some pills or some waste in the waste bin, you need to make sure that that basket is emptied and set aside, and that your child doesn't have access to those things, that the guestroom is not left wide open if your company has some dangerous things in their luggage. When grandma comes for a visit, make sure that grandma's purse is hanging high, maybe on a peg rack near the entry, so that her medications or her candies or coins, so any choking hazards that are available to the child are out of reach, to ensure safety.
