No matter where you are on your baby journey - whether you are already a parent-to-be or are just starting to think about bringing a child into the world - sooner or later the point will come when you have to deal with the safety of your home. According to the AXA Child Safety Report and GfK Financial Market Research, 60 percent of accidents involving children up to the age of 5 happen in their own home or in the home environment.
Most of us have probably heard the expression “childproofing something”… but what exactly does that mean?
The short version: It's a way to make sure that your home is a safe and accident-free environment in which your little one can grow and thrive in peace. And, most importantly, in which you can also do other things without having to keep an eye on your offspring every second.
There is strength in calmness – experts recommend that you baby-proof your home about three months before the baby arrives – and then repeat the whole process as soon as the baby starts crawling.
It may feel like a decade before your little one starts to become truly mobile, but you'll be relieved that you addressed the safety issue early enough. Hey, nobody said parenting was going to be relaxing, but you can add a little more relaxation to your day with some good planning.
Here is your child safety checklist:
Fire extinguisher plus smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
If you haven't installed smoke and carbon monoxide detectors yet, now is the time. By the way, in many Canada they are now mandatory in your own home, and there are even specific rules about how many you have to install where. In most cases, there must be a smoke detector in every bedroom and children's room, as well as in hallways that serve as escape routes in an emergency .
By the way: If you are a tenant, your landlord usually has to ensure that smoke detectors are installed and you are then only responsible for maintenance.
And what about carbon monoxide detectors? Carbon monoxide, which can escape from defective heaters, stoves or fireplaces, is usually very difficult to detect - the first symptoms of poisoning, such as nausea, dizziness or headaches, are also quite unspecific. According to a recent study, 41 percent of participants rated the risk of accidental CO poisoning as rather high or very high. However, only 15 percent even had a CO detector.
Smoke detectors are generally installed high on the wall or even the ceiling, while carbon monoxide detectors should be installed at knee height. Carbon monoxide mixes with the air in your home and does not rise.
A fire is bad in any home, but it's especially concerning when children are involved. Even the smallest amount of fire damage can be devastating, not to mention that smoke is extremely unhealthy for your newborn's tiny lungs. Be sure to buy a fire extinguisher and learn how to use it.
If you're tech-savvy, it's best to get a smart smoke detector. When the alarm goes off, you'll get an acoustic signal - sometimes even one with helpful voice instructions, instead of a simple siren.
These devices synchronize with your smartphone and tell you exactly what the problem is - for example, whether it is smoke or carbon monoxide. Incidentally, Computer Bild has ranked the so-called "Nest Protector" as the No. 1 among intelligent smoke detectors.
Upgrade your home
Do you live in an old building with beautiful historic details? Cozy. However, this can also pose some risks for babies and puppies. In houses built before 1960 and in some areas even up until 1990, you may still find lead paint. This is toxic and harmful if swallowed by the baby. Hire a professional to do a thorough home inspection and to take care of sealing or removing lead or other possible hazardous substances. This is definitely not a do-it-yourself job!
Even old fire pits can be dangerous, so either install a fireproof safety fence or consider shutting down the fireplace for a few years until the kids are out of the woods.
Hot radiators are another source of danger for small children's hands. If you have some time, patience and money, consider getting a radiator cover.
Socket protection and secured cables
Electrical and electronic accidents account for an alarming percentage of all accidents each year. Once your little whirlwind learns to grasp, he or she will love stuffing all sorts of things into the fascinating little black holes of the electrical socket.
Most sockets can be made child-safe quite easily with twist locks that can be installed or glued in, or if you are moving into a completely new apartment, you can have sockets installed with child safety locks already integrated.
Cables that are so tempting to pull on should be hidden as best as possible (out of sight, out of mind) or can be taped to the floor. Gorrila Tape is a super-strong option and comes in clear, black or white. For visible areas, you can also simply buy a cable cover that hides the plug and part of the cable so that it cannot be pulled out of the socket.
Lock everything up!
Once your curious little one has figured out that he/she can open and close cabinets and doors, there's no stopping him/her.
practicalpal.net’s Head of New Channels, Jared Kutner, has some advice:
"Just assume that anything your baby can get their hands on will become a toy, so keep valuables out of reach (ideally on a piece of furniture against the wall that won't tip over). My wife learned this the hard way when her engagement ring went missing, which led to an hour of extreme panic."
And it's not just valuable objects that attract the little ones. They're interested in... well, basically everything.
The 15-month-old child of practicalpal.net's Product Line Manager, Roy Confino, discovered the toilet seat, stuck his arms into the bowl up to his elbows and dismantled the toilet rim cleaner...
The solution to this is to buy dozens of locks and child safety devices, from a toilet lock to door handle child safety devices to magnetic cabinet and drawer locks (which are particularly great because they are not visible from the outside and therefore do not destroy your favorite interior piece). Cabinets in which toxic substances, such as cleaning products, are stored, especially need to be well secured.
It is also important to keep certain things out of the child's reach. Elske Hartholt, practicalpal.net's Corporate Governance Specialist, found her little crawler stuffing cat food into his mouth and splashing around in the cat's water bowl (what fun!)... Since then, Elske has placed the cat's food and water on a raised surface that children's hands cannot reach.
And to counteract a child's natural instinct to explore and destroy, practicalpal.net's Chief of Staff Adina Eckstein has an innovative solution.
“We bought a bunch of craft kits for the kids to simulate destruction instead of actually ruining our house.”
Secure all heavy objects
Once your toddler starts becoming more mobile and likes to pull himself up on all your furniture, it is advisable to get down on all fours to get a close look at your surroundings from this perspective.
Anything that can fall is a potential hazard for small children, so be sure to start by securing the TV to the wall. Safe Kinds , a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing injuries in the home, has stated that a child is killed every three weeks by a falling TV. You can get anti-tip furniture straps that secure heavy furniture, such as dressers, bookcases, or TV cabinets, to the wall. By the way, while you're down there pretending to be a toddler, be aware of any sharp edges on things like your TV stand. These can be secured with simple corner and edge protectors .
Take a closer look at the outdoor area including the garden
We are often so preoccupied with the inside of our homes that we inadvertently forget about the outside. Some garden features pose obvious risks (ahem... pond), but other sources of danger are often less obvious.
If you spend a lot of time outside, consider setting up a soft, padded play area. Grass provides a cushion, but it still offers a pretty hard landing should your little one take a fall.
You may want to seek advice from someone with green fingers to make sure that your garden is free from poisonous mushrooms, plants, or anything prickly. If you have a vegetable garden and even some berry bushes, be aware that berries in particular are easy to swallow and pose a choking hazard. Consider planting the berry bushes in a raised bed or using a protective screen to shield them from your child.
Back to the pond: According to the Federal Working Group for More Safety for Children, drowning is the second most common cause of accidental death among children under 15 years of age. Any water sources, whether swimming pools, fountains or ponds, should be secured with a 1.5 m high fence including a self-closing door or the installation of a steel grid on the water surface. Rain barrels also pose a potential danger - you should equip these with a lockable lid.
Of course, all of these preventative measures can help reduce the risk of outdoor accidents, but they do not eliminate the need to keep a watchful eye.
Secure your windows
Even more depressing figures: On average, the Federal Working Group records one fatal fall from a window per week during the summer months, with children under 6 years of age mostly affected.
An easy way to avoid these accidents is to make sure that you do not place any climbing aids such as chairs, tables, flower pots, etc. near the balcony railing or window. You can also get window locks or lockable window handles and have them installed on all windows and balcony doors.
Buy a baby gate (or five)
Baby gates are used when you want to close off different rooms, hallways or stairs. So-called stove guards are also really useful, as they keep hot pans and pots and even the stove tops out of reach of your child.
However, many of the gates require hardware to be installed, which means you'll have to drill into your wall or door frame. If you don't want to go through the hassle, just opt for a clamp-on door gate, for example.
If you prefer a more complete enclosure, there are baby playpens that create a safe space around your baby, giving you the perfect peace of mind to prepare dinner in the kitchen without being disturbed.
practicalpal.net's editor-in-chief, Scott Indrisek, discovered that parts of a playpen made it possible to shield his heater from his 11-month-old son, Nico.
"We had a really hard time finding a cheap cover for our radiators. In the end, we simply repurposed parts of a larger playpen and used them as a makeshift barrier. It's not the most elegant solution, but it does the job!"
Prepare your pet!
Babies can be quite a shock to your favorite furry buddy, and even the sweetest and most well-behaved pet can react strangely to a newborn. You'll be spending a lot more time with the "intruder," and your pet may be going through some emotional changes... even before the baby is born.
"You want to make sure your pet doesn't feel neglected and stressed, and even more importantly, that he or she associates good things with the baby," according to Nancy Petersen of the Humane Society of the United States.
Start preparing the furry members of your family before the baby arrives. Take your cat or dog into the nursery and let them smell the baby cream and blankets. Experts even recommend taking the empty stroller with you when you walk your dog!
Audrey Zada, practicalpal.net's Pet Content Lead, made sure her dog had plenty of experiences with children before her son was born.
“Having them both in the same room was great, but we quickly learned that we couldn't leave a bag of dirty diapers by the door. Even the cutest dogs are gross...”
Another tip for living with children and pets comes from Michiel Akerboom, practicalpal.net’s Claims Experience Advocate:
“As parents of a daughter, a dog and two cats, we keep our home safe by vacuuming, vacuuming and more vacuuming.” Robot vacuum cleaner, olé!
Don’t be too hard on yourself
Remember, when it comes to your child's safety, literally no one gets it 100 percent right all the time. Accidents happen. That doesn't mean you're a monster.
But ultimately, baby-proofing your home will eliminate some of the basic worries. That way, you can start to worry about some of the little things—like your baby's odd and changing color stools.
Being a parent… it’s the best thing there is! Along with a hundred other things 😉