When looking after children one of the most important things parents and guardians focus on is making sure they are safe. Your home is your sanctuary and held in high regard, and we also like to make sure that it is decorated and designed to suit our needs. However, there are can be a variety something which is often looked over when decorating our homes are the potential hazards when young children are around. The following tips will help when you are trying to make sure that your home is safe for a young child and that it is child proofed.
Think Like a Child
Thinking like a baby may seem somewhat ridiculous – but the idea is to try scout out your home and think about what you would want to pull at or try climb on if you still had the playful mind of a child. Young children often have very inquisitive minds, and if they see a cupboard door which is slightly open they would be inclined to try open it and see what is behind it. Therefore, you should try to put a stopped on the cupboard which prevents them from being able to open it.
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Have Designated Safety Areas
It may be quite difficult to have the whole of your house completely safe for a child – so a good thing to do can be to assign a specific area in your home where you know there are no potential hazards that can hurt your child. This can be done by either getting a little play-pen area for your child and you can fill the edges around with cushions or soft sponges so that they will not harm themselves if they fall on the floor.
Photo by Neil Dusheiko Architects – Discover contemporary kids’ room design ideas
Secure Windows and Doors Cabinets
Having your windows, doors and cabinets secured is something which is very important when you want to make sure your home is safe for a young child. The reason for this is that the majority of windows can be easily pushed open – which is clearly a big danger for a young child – therefore, you want to get a clip fitted onto it so that the child won’t be able to put their body weight onto it and open it. With most doors, you can get a gate fitted so that the child won’t be able to walk through them, this can be especially important if it is a door which leads to a flight of stairs. For the cabinets you want to make sure they are secure so that there is no chance of them falling onto the child.
Photo by Emerick Architects – Browse Victorian kids’ room ideas
To Sum Up
These are just a few of the important steps to follow when looking after a young child, but if you are somebody who is in the position where you are fostering or adopting a child, then these are all something you will certainly need to do. This is because if you foster a child, then a full check will be done on your home to make sure it will be safe for a young child to live there.
Photo by Suzanne Nichols Design Group, Inc. – Search contemporary kids’ room pictures