Keep your children safe from these 9 dangers lurking at home

You expect your children to be safe at home. You have done everything you could to make your house comfortable and secure for them. But little children have an uncanny ability to turn anything into a hazard for themselves. Even a button can put your baby’s life at risk!

While it is impossible to predict and prevent every accident, there are many things you can do to reduce the most common dangers. Given below are some of the most important precautions you need to take to keep your children safe.

How to keep your children safe at home?

1. Little things:

Babies and toddlers may not like eating food, but they all enjoy putting random things in their mouth. They will pick up things from the floor and swallow them. This puts them in danger of infections. Worse, it puts them in danger of choking. Things like buttons, coin batteries, small magnets, beads, etc can be a serious health hazard for little kids. Ingesting of magnets and batteries can prove fatal if the child swallows them. When a coin battery is broken down by the acids in the stomach, it can cause alkaline poisoning. And if the child ingests several magnets, they can stick together in the stomach and cause perforation.

• Keep your floor clean of litter.
• Keep anything that can be swallowed out of the reach of children.
• If any toy uses coin battery, seal it off with thick tape.
• Remove all magnets from your child’s room and toys.
• Don’t put fridge magnets where your child can reach them. Do the same with other tiny things that your child might swallow.

2. Toys:

Be very careful while buying toys for your children. Toys with many little parts can be a hazard. Children can pull those parts out and swallow. Some toys might have sharp edges that might cause cuts. Some might have magnets and coin batteries. An older child’s toy can prove harmful to the younger sibling. Even soft toys can prove dangerous.

• Examine a toy carefully before buying it for your children.
• Tell your older kids to keep their toys away from the younger siblings.
• Make sure your older kids are not using their toys in a dangerous way. For example, flinging a heavy toy high and trying to catch it can cause serious injury.
• When you put a toy in your baby’s crib, make sure there’s no danger of the baby suffocating on it.
• Children can use their toys in many dangerous ways. So be very careful of the toy you give them, and how they play with it.
• Children can also make toys for themselves. A cardboard box, a wrapping paper, a kitchen bowl — kids can use anything to play. Make sure nothing dangerous comes within their reach.

3. Water:

Drowning is one of the biggest risks for children. A child can drown even in a bucket of water. So, you need to be very careful about keeping your children safe from drowning.

• Never leave your children unattended near water.
• If you have a swimming pool, make sure your children can’t enter it unattended.
• Don’t let pool toys remain scattered near or in the pool when you are not nearby. Attracted by these toys, your child can fall into the pool.
• Keep your bathroom door closed.
• If you have a toddler or a baby old enough to crawl, never keep a bucket full of water anywhere in your home.
• Keep your toilet seat covers down.
• Never leave a child unattended in a bathtub. Never put the child in a bathtub without first testing the water temperature.
• Remember that your bathroom can be the most dangerous place for your young children. You need to be very careful.

4. Windows:

Windows attract little children a lot. And this can be very dangerous. Unsafe window blinds with dangling cords can prove hazardous. Children love playing with ropes. But it’s best to keep these out of their reach.

• Try to install safer window treatments like cordless or motorized window blinds.
• Children can also climb on the windowsill to look out. These can prove fatal. Try to secure your windows with safety grates. Make sure there’s no climbable furniture near the window.

5. Chemical substances in the house:

You may not realize it, but your home is full of chemicals. Medicines, cosmetics, cleaners can be commonly found in homes. Insecticides, pesticides, paints, and polishes are often present too. A young child can ingest any of them out of curiosity. And the results can be grievous.

• Keep all such chemicals away from the children. Better to lock them in secure cabinets.
• Keep the child safety caps on medicines engaged.
• Never leave pills within the reach of the child, even if you are stepping away for just a minute.
• Keep your cosmetics, perfumes, deodorants out of a young child’s sight too.

6. Falls:

All children fall now and then. It is a normal part of growing up for kids. But some falls can be life-threatening. And it is upon you to look out for them and prevent them from happening. The danger is not just in children falling from a height. Many serious accidents occur when things fall over them. For example, a child trying to open a tall cabinet can make it topple over him or her.

While it is impossible to foresee all such accidents, there are many precautions you can take.

• Secure the stairs by installing safety gates at their top and bottom.
• Secure the windows with safety grates.
• Keep the floor free of litter to reduce the risk of tripping.
• Don’t let children climb on the furniture.
• Keep the height of cribs set to lowest.
• Make sure all heavy furniture like dressers, bookcases, tall stools, television sets, etc. are wall-mounted or secured to stop them from toppling.

7. Electricity:

Look around and notice how many electrical appliances you have in your home. How many electrical outlets and cords. Each of them can put your child in danger. You can’t remove these from your home. But with a little precaution, you can minimize their danger.

• Never leave a child unattended near an electric appliance.
• Switch off and unplug the electric appliance when it is not in use.
• Secure all electric outlets with well-fitting safety caps.
• As much as possible, keep electric wires and cords out of the reach of children below ten years of age. If that is not possible, check them regularly to make sure they are not frayed or have any other fault. Replace the wire immediately if you notice any such thing.

8. Weapons:

Even a sharp pencil can be dangerous for a little child. Can you imagine how hazardous an unattended weapon can be? If you have a gun or any such weapon at home, your child might get curious about it and pick it up for play.

Every year, many children get injured from the weapons kept at home. You might be able to keep these away from little kids. But if a ten-year-old decides to play with your gun, he or she will devise a way to reach it. It is up to you to make sure your weapon does not harm your child.

• Keep your weapons under lock.
• Teach your kids how dangerous the weapons can be and why they should never touch them.
• Never handle or show off your weapons in a way that tempts your children to play with them too.

9. Sharp objects, and other such dangerous things.

• You also need to be careful about things like a kitchen knife, screwdrivers, electric drills, nails, etc. Keep all such hazardous things away from children. These can cause serious injuries and even death.

Conclusion:

For a little child, anything can prove dangerous. You, as a parent, need to be watchful and alert. As much as possible, remove all hazardous things or lock them up. Try never to leave your young children unattended. With care and precautions, you can make your home safer for your children.