Next to school, children spend a lot of time in their homes, which means these also need to be safe places. The sad news is many of them develop injuries or even life-threatening conditions here. How can parents further improve their childproofing strategies?
1. Install a Barrier around the Pool
Summer is one of the best times to swim in the pool. Unfortunately, it can also be a dangerous activity for children. According to the data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 300 kids below five years old drown annually. Many of these incidents occur right in the backyard pool.
It doesn’t mean the pool area is already off-limits for the little ones, but it may be necessary to install barriers such as metal fencing. It may be a few feet high with a lock only adults can open.
2. Use Motion Sensors in Restricted Areas
Children, especially those with learning disabilities and autism, can wander off. To significantly limit or avoid these problems, parents can install passive motion sensors in specific areas of the house. These include the gate, doors, and windows.
Sensors can work in many ways. They may emit infrared impulses, or they may detect body heat. Either way, they can trigger an alarm to help notify the parents if someone is in these locations.
3. Ensure the Screws Are Tight on Battery-Operated Toys
Toys are excellent learning materials for the children, and they can also keep them entertained. However, they may also pose significant risks, especially when they are battery operated. Many of them contain button batteries that little ones can ingest quickly.
These batteries can already burn the child’s esophagus within two hours. They may also damage the stomach lining even when the kid doesn’t show any symptoms. All of these can result in months of challenges in feeding and, worse, irreparable tissue injury or death.
Parents who give battery-operated toys to children may need to check the screws are tight. The child must not be capable of removing them.
4. Keep the Bedroom Safe
The bedroom is a sanctuary for the children, but it may not be a safe place in a lot of ways. Many of the unintentional childhood injuries involved falling out of bed. It may lead to sprains, fractures, and even traumatic brain injuries.
Parents can make the bedroom secure for the kids with these tips:
- Install a railing or add a soft mattress at the bottom. They may also place the bed directly on the floor.
- Keep the windows securely locked in the evening.
- Add a baby monitor and a CCTV to help track the children’s behavior at night.
- Use strong ties to secure furniture to the wall, or install shelves instead.
5. Supervise Children When Playing with Pets
Pets may be affectionate to children, but it doesn’t mean that the kids are already immune to dog bites and cat scratches. There are many reasons why this happens. One of these is the kid’s lack of knowledge on how to handle these furry companions properly. Toddlers, for instance, can be rough, impulsive, and hyperactive. These behaviors may be so much for the pets to take.
Parents can avoid these animal-related injuries starting with proper supervision. They may observe how both parties interact with one another. Along the way, they may teach the children the techniques to play with their animal friends gently.
Children will meet accidents at home, but many of these are preventable. The ideas above are just some of the many strategies to ensure parents can maintain a safe space for their kids.
