by Marjorie Wrenn
It’s no mystery that children are curious and as soon as they are able to scoot, crawl, pull up and move, they can easily get hurt or into things to which they shouldn’t have access.
Be Aware of the Risks
Sadly, preventable injuries are a top cause of death of children (approximately 2,700 annually), and the majority of preventable injuries occur in the home. More alarming, around 120,000 children are permanently disabled from these preventable injuries, with 70% of those children being under the age of 4. With this staggering statistic, you have to wonder what kind of condition they are in if they are permanently disabled.
When children first begin to crawl and explore, their curiosity about the world around them triples.
Preschoolers and toddlers develop motor skills, but they have poor impulse control and judgment. Children don’t have the strength, coordination nor maturity to avoid injury, and their curiosity is a powerful force. As a result, they enter one of the most dangerous times of their lives when they are at the highest risk for injury.
There is no greater devastation than losing a child and certainly that devastation is compounded when the loss is due to a preventable accident.
Your question should not be whether or not your child will find hazards in the home, but how soon and where will they find them.
When Should You Evaluate the Safety of Your Home?
It is recommended that you make your home safe before your child is even born, or at least by the time they are six months old. This will give you time to personally adjust to the changes and to develop new habits of closing gates and doors, latching cabinets, etc.
A good habit checklist to start with includes the following:
- Latching cabinet doors (especially those near the floor/arm’s reach for a little one)
- Using safety knobs on any door you don’t want them using (i.e. garage, outdoors, basement)
- Using safety plugs in all outlets that are exposed and unused
- Securing the television and any other furniture that may be at risk of being pulled over (i.e. dressers, bookcases, etc.)
A new “evaluation” of your home and surroundings should be done every four to six months. Of course, as your child grows and develops, changes will still need to be made, so always keep their safety in mind. For additional safety information and recommendations in your home, visit Child Proof Advice online.
As Founder of Child Proof Advice, Marjorie pursued various directions until developing her own entrepreneurial dream became a driving passion. A perpetual volunteer and always an advocate for children, Marjorie found herself involved in community service activities, all of which centered around helping children. She had a desire to protect this most valuable asset, our children.
