Keeping a Safe Home: For You and For Baby

Having a safe and healthy home is what all parents want for your child. And if you have little ones, infants or toddlers, keeping things in order may get tough at times. Tots do tend to get a few bumps and bruises every now and then, but there are a few things that can be done to make sure that injuries aren't life threatening.

With much smaller children, everything around them is open for exploration. And exploring often means putting things into their mouths. Always keep cleaning products and hazardous materials away from your baby. Keep them locked away or outside in a separate buliding. The same goes for your medications, presciptions or over-the-counter(OTC). Not all lids are child-safety protected. Even if they are, they may not be sealed correctly or you may have an Einstein on your hands who can figure out how to open the bottle. Keep the phone number for the National Poison Control somewhere close by. And don't be afraid to call them even if you are not sure if your child has ingested any chemical or medicine. Babys and toddlers love to pick small items off of the floor. It would be a good idea to sweep or vacuum regularly. And constantly do a run-through of the rooms in your home to make sure there are no small toys, coins, jewelry, or buttons lying around.

Fires and scaldings are a rising number in injuries to children. Always keep lighters and matches at a far distance for little hands. Never leave a small child unattended near candles or open flames. Don't let them run near fire places or grills. We are taught to turn our pot and pan handles away from the front of the stove for a very good reason. It can only take a second for a child to grab the handle of something cooking and bring it down over themselves. If handles are turned away from them, then they may not be able to reach them. Or if they still can, it may spare you enough time to pull them away. Children are also getting burned more while they are in the bathtubs. Firstly, never leave a small child unattended while in a body of water. Children can drown in any amount of water. To prevent burning, set your water heaters to 120 F or even less. If your water heater does not have a digital setting, then make sure to put it below the medium markings.

Other precautions that should be taken in the home are to always have more than working smoke detector in your home. Always replace batteries when needed. It will probably take about twice a year for these types of replacements. Cover up all outlets that are not being used. Little ones have a curiousity about sticking thems into them. This can cause a major shock to them and major burns. You can purchase outlet covers at most retail or hardware stores. And they are not very expensive. Make sure that all oversized furniture in your home is bolted down or to the wall. This will help prevent anything from toppling over on your child if they climb or have a tendency to want to pull things down. Also, put some sort of cushion or covering on the corners of your furniture. Little ones can be prone to running into them or leaning down into them.

The most important thing to do for your children, when they are old enough and can understand, is to safety drills and teach them important information. Have regular fire drills often. This will get your children into a routine and teach them what they need to do in case of an emergency. They won't feel as panicked when they know what to do. Make an escape plan and have a meeting place outside of the home. Teach your children to never go back into the home once they are out. Teach them to use a fire extinguisher if you have one. Very importantly, teach your children how to dial emergency numbers and 9-1-1. They will need to know their home address and other important information that emergency responders will need. If you have a trusted neighbor really close by, teach your child how to correctly go their home if they need help.

Keeping your love ones safe doesn't have to be time draining for you. Even if you feel that it is, the time spent in keeping them safe will be worth the trouble in the end. It could save you hundreds and thousands of dollars on hospital bills. But most importantly, it will save the life of your child.