Watching your child begin to crawl or walk is a special moment for parents. Unfortunately, this stage of self-discovery and development for a child also means their exposure to elements that can harm them has increased. The average Indian house is not always a safe environment for a child to grow up in. Where you see a normal living room with furniture, your toddler probably sees a jungle gym. Everyday items in a house have the potential of harming the child. These avoidable incidents can result in minor to extremely fatal injuries. A great gift you could give your child is ensuring they have a healthy and safe environment to grow in (tips for child-proofing your home). Please read our blog post on child-centric homes.

Make Plug Points and Wires Inaccessible

Toddlers stick their tiny fingers into anything and everything, especially sockets. This could result in several scenarios where your toddler can get harmed. Cover all outlets with socket cover guards so that they cannot pull out the socket and stick their fingers in it. When it comes to wires, conceal them with a wire guard or place them at a height that is out of the child’s reach. Remember to charge your phones or any other electronic devices at a height that they are unable to get to. 

Secure your Furniture

Another potential risk that children may be exposed to is furniture that is tall and heavy or has sharp edges. A child while playing around the house can topple over furniture and be majorly injured or run into the corner of a table and get hurt. Protect your children from future accidents by using corner guards for any sharp corners you find across tables, cabinets, beds, cribs, and so on. Child-proof locks are another essential, especially if you have a medicine cabinet. Looking, grabbing and tasting are the ways toddlers discover things. Additionally, drawers can be child-proofed with drawer locks. 

Moreover, there are several options available in the market used to anchor furniture. Furniture straps are one such option that can be used to help secure bookcases, shelves, chests, or cupboards to the wall. You can also use anti-tip kits shaped as L brackets where one side is fixed onto the wall and the other side onto the top of the furniture. This makes your furniture more secure and prevents any injuries that could have occurred. 

The crib can also be a potential hazard for children. Parents need to ensure that the crib, new or old, is assembled in a proper manner and does not contain any small objects the child can choke on. Since children love climbing things and jumping off them, place a thick heavy carpet below the crib. Make sure the rail guards are permanently installed and check the toys you place in the crib. Read our blog post on how to choose furniture for your new house.

Avoid a Potential Fall

Windows are another dangerous area for young children. A fall from a window will result in bruises, broken bones, or other terrible injuries. Invest in window rail guards to install on your windows. In case your house has sliding windows or a sliding glass door, use a sliding door child lock to prevent your child from opening it. Install a hinge protector on windows with hinges. If a child tries opening or closing the window, they will not get hurt by this mechanism. 

Tuck Away your Fabric

It is best to avoid using long tablecloths that children can access. One tug and everything on the table will come crashing down. These items are sure to land on your toddler, resulting in your child getting hurt. Heavy objects like a paperweight or sharp objects like a scissor, when pulled off the table in the same manner, will lead to your child getting cuts and bigger bruises. 

The same goes for bedsheets. It is best to tuck the corners into the bed and avoid any possible casualties. You may also want to pack up any light floor rugs. This is another potential hazard that may cause a child to slip and hurt themselves. Utilise silicone double-sided tape or anti-slip mats or avoid rugs until your child grows up. Let your parental instincts take over. Keep a list of emergency numbers handy. 

Take notes for childproofing from a perspective similar to your child’s height. Parents are sure to leave no stone unturned when caring for their children and childproofing the house is one of the key steps. Tips for child-proofing your home is a continual process with regular intervals till at least your child turns 5 years of age. It also helps if you have a home in one of Goa’s upcoming villages such as Reis Magos or Moira where kids have the freedom and space to run, play and be kids.