One of the foremost priorities of any new parent is to baby proof their home. Along with the excitement of bringing a new baby in one's family comes the tremendously important responsibility of creating a safe environment for them. Each year, families face tragedies caused by preventable accidents of this nature around the home.
There are many options and products that can help any parent childproof their home. The most common tool you will first want to examine is the baby gate, an expandable barrier that can be used atop stairwells to prevent an exploring child from falling down the stairs and injuring themselves. Stairs, ledges and landings should be taken into account when looking for a new home, be it in a downtown townhouse or a new Scarborough home for sale. Make sure to measure any doorways in your home before making your purchase, ensuring that it will make a solid, snug fit against the door's frame.
You will have to make sure to keep all small and/or dangerous objects out of the child's reach. Do not your leave nail file on the bed, fork on the coffee table, or forget to return your cable cutters to the garage. A great benchmark for size is anything that can fit into a toilet-paper roll is a hazard for the child. As are any dangling cords, such as for window blinds and curtains.
Boxes and cases with lids must be kept open; if they are not, you must drill holes in them for air in the event your infant climbs in and gets entrapped. Dangerous liquids, such as cleaners and alcohol, will need to be under lock and key or far out of reach. All of your houseplants should to be out of reach as most are toxic. You also might want to pad any sharp corners and edges on furniture, tables especially.
Other straight-forward safety measure include placing outlet covers over open wall sockets, anti-scalding devices and the like, all of which are available at your local baby retailer and/or hardware shop. New, sterile bottles, spoons, fabricated strainers and toys should be purchased. Ensure that the home has a new, working smoke and carbon monoxide detector near and/or in the child's room.
When looking for a crib for the child, always avoid models made before 1992; cribs made before this time do not meet contemporary standards. You should always use new, appropriate bedding in the crib. Never use heating pads or electric blankets. In the crib or pen, avoid putting in pillows, stuffed animals or loose bedding at all cost with infants under 3 months old. Look on the packaging to ensure that these, too, meet standards.
A number of newer homes, such as those found in the booming Newmarket and Mississauga real estate markets will have a number of innovative safety features built into them.
If you are renovating your home before or soon after the child's birth, larger precautions can be taken, such as including fire-retardant paints and high temperature insulation in and around the child's room. Once the baby has begun exploring, in addition to the solid gate you've installed, you will have a number of considerations to make about your entire house.
Make sure to keep any cords for small appliances wound as they could easily dangle and be pulled off of the counter or shelf and land on the infant. Larger appliances and electronics will need to be positioned so that they cannot be pulled over and onto the child. Similarly, any freestanding furniture, such as bookshelves, will need to be fastened-down to prevent toppling.
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