As little ones begin to crawl around many parents are quickly caught off guard by the number of hazards their child runs into on an almost daily basis. A sense of adventure and seemingly boundless energy allow little toddlers the ability to find all manner of dangers around the house to the horror of mum and dad who wouldn’t have even considered some of them!
Here’s a list of both well known, and not so thought of hazards which you as parents should be prepared for before your little one even begins to crawl around. From outlet plugs to door safety devices lets look at the things you need to be ready for!
Plug sockets, electrical cables and appliances
A common one to most but needs to be mentioned none the less. Plug sockets should be covered to avoid your little one from putting their fingers or other objects in them. It is advised that you look for lockable covers as adventurous littluns can still pry at ‘blank plugs’ exposing themselves to harm once more!
Loose cables and cords are everywhere, and you might not realise just how many there are! Making sure they are neat and tidy by tying them up and out of harms way is a necessity. This includes your router, TV cables, chargers, lights and other household appliances! We don’t want any bites taken out of cables or your little one getting tangled up.
Doors and Windows
Doors at first can seem harmless, keep them shut and all is well right? Not exactly. Fingers and hands can get trapped, glass doors need to be safety glass if at the floor level, and some areas need to be made of limits.
Door stoppers are a great way to prevent trapped fingers, baby gates are a must to prevent areas from being explored while still being able to keep an eye on them, finger guards can make door hinges a non-issue.
As for windows, restrictors allow you to leave them ajar while keeping them closed enough so no trouble maker can try and make their escape. Also, try to use cordless window coverings, as these are a strangulation hazard, cutting/tying them up out of reach is another alternative.
Furniture
There are a hundred and one hazards surrounding furniture, so let’s cover all the common ones along with some tips to spot more personal dangers in your own home.
Free standing furniture
Securing free standing furniture is a must. This is because once your little one gathers their strength they will, at some point, attempt to pull themselves to their feet by using what they can around them.
This usually means the table leg, the bookshelf or the glass cabinet, so making sure these are secured as to make sure they don’t topple over onto your child cannot be ignored.
Corners
Any and all corners need to be checked to make sure they are not sharp. Corners need to be cushioned in order to prevent bumps.
You can use corner guards to ensure any injuries are avoided. Look out for TV stands, coffee tables, bedside tables, and some chairs.
Glass furniture
Make sure any glass furniture complies with the UK safety standards by looking for the British Standards Kitemark. And get used to it being smeared by fingerprints!
Cupboards
Make sure to install locks on cupboards, especially in the kitchen where you might have appliances or cooking utensils which you don’t want your baby getting their hands on.
However it is still recommended that anything breakable or potentially dangerous like medication be kept high up and out of reach al together.
Head Height
Keep and eye out for anything which will be close to your toddlers head height as they are crawling around and take preventative measures to make sure they don’t become issues. We recommend getting down to the level your child will see at and try to figure out what will and won’t be a danger hazard.
Baby/stair Gates!
Trust us and every other guide when we say, you will need a few of these! It’s not until someone is where they shouldn’t be, or the horror as you catch them making a break for the unguarded stairs that you think, yep, should have bought more!
Making sure your house is safe for you little one can be a stressful and nerve wrecking task as any and all bumps will feel like your fault. So take your time and assess all the possibilities, crawl around and see what they see, get opinions from others and you will get there!