Home Safety for Kids: 10 Tips

One of the things that we want our kids to know is how to be safe when they are at home. Though, parents and other caregivers may always be at home, there is always a chance of a child having an accident. In fact, at home accidents account for a large portion of emergency room visits and doctor visits. These accidents range from getting burned on stoves to swallowing items that shouldn’t be in the mouth. That is why we have compiled the top 10 safety tips that kids and parents should abide by while they are at home!

1. Parents: Be sure that kids are never left alone near water. While older kids may be able to take their showers on their own, you also must consider pools and the like that kids get in. Drowning accidents affect a huge number of children. So, always be sure that you are nearby to rescue them if there were to be an issue.
2. All cleaning materials such as sprays and the like should be in an area in which kids cannot access. A locked cabinet is often the best choice. This way, you can ensure that no little hands get a hold of these toxic materials.
3. Firearms should always be locked away in a safe place, and unloaded in the event that kids were to get a hold of these. Many parents invest into safes and locked gun cabinets to ensure that these are always out of the way.
4. For children, especially those that are young, try to make their sleeping area as bare of things as possible. Older kids may want to sleep with stuffed animals and the like, but for young kids these can pose a suffocation risk.
5. Always child proof your electrical outlets. Kids are notorious for wanting to figure out things and the outlet is one of those things they like to stick things into, which poses an electrical shock risk.
6. Small items should be placed on high shelves. To young children these small items can pose a choking risk.
7. Ensure that your home is up to date with working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. These detectors and alarms should be on the floor of ever home, and ensure that your older children know what to do in the event that these go off.
8. Windows should always be locked with child proof locks, and ensure that stairs are gated to ensure no falls take place.
9. If you have pets, be sure that they are good with kids. In addition, be sure that your kids know how to approach a pet. Kids should know that they need to be gentle with these pets as we do not want any accidents to happen.
10. Always a list of emergency phone numbers on hand, especially poison control centers in the event that the kids do have an accident. This is important to have if you have other people watching your children from time to time. Most parents place these phone lists on the refrigerator to ensure they can always be found.

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Safety in the home is a huge issue. But, if you take the time to do a little prep work, you can avoid little incidents that could affect your child forever.