What the Experts Say About Childproofing

Many first time parents with little experience with children feel intimidated and inadequate when it comes to childproofing their home. Many people in this type of a situation think it is wise to pay an expert to come in and do what they feel that they cannot in order to ensure their child’s safety.

Not all parents are like this. Some parents come from large families and feel comfortable in their abilities to childproof their own homes. Others feel like they can do the majority of the childproof work themselves but wouldn’t mind an expert’s opinions just to double check and make sure that they have all of their bases covered. The point is that no matter your experience or situation we all can benefit from the advice of experts when it comes to childproofing our homes. Below are some safety issues that childproof experts see most often. These childproofing suggestions vary in their complexity. It is always wise to ask an expert if you are unsure how to apply one of these suggestions to your own home.

1.Anchor down furniture – Many people do not think of anchoring down their furniture as often as they should. A curious child who chooses to climb on a bookshelf or entertainment center could cause the whole unit to fall down on top of them with disastrous consequences. Televisions, curios, console tables, anything with shelves or draws, etc. could be deadly if they were to fall over and crush a child.

2.Cords – In recent years as blinds have become a common fixture in most homes the danger of strangulation from the blind cords has raised dramatically. A simple bracket can be used to tuck the blind cords up and out of the reach of children.

3.Child gates – Using a child gate is a wonderful way to keep curious toddlers out of dangerous areas, but only if the gate is secured properly. It is often times not enough to simply have a gate that closes on a pressure system as children are often able to push them down. Anchoring gates to the wall is really the safest way to ensure that your children stay in the safe places that you designate for them.

4.Locks and latches – Locks and latches for cabinet doors can keep harmful substances out of the hands of your little ones. Additionally locks and latches protect little hands form heavy and sharp objects. The key is to make sure that you are re-securing the locks and latches after you open the cabinets and drawers.

5.Door locks and knob covers – If an entire room is to be off limits to your child make sure that you purchase door locks or door knob covers for the rooms. Bathrooms and offices are generally rooms that children don’t usually need assess to (at least those young children that you are childproofing for).

Of course there are many more expert-endorsed safety products such as toilet locks, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, etc. that were not named specifically but which would be beneficial to learn about.

Many childproof experts offer free consultations and make their money off of selling you products and offering to install them for you. Childproof experts will often be able to point out dangers that need to be addressed faster than you could, especially if you do not feel confident in your childproofing abilities. Feel free to call and receive a quote from an expert. You could even try to buy the products yourself and save some money that way even if you pay for the expert’s installation.

Even the childproof experts will not know your child as well as you as the parent will. You know from experience what areas of your home your child likes to be in and what things that he likes to play with. If you notice that a particular childproof suggestion simply is not working for your situation, have confidence in your ability as a parent to make changes on your own. Adapt to the changing safety needs of your child. Although the advice of experts is definitely wise to consider, there may be times when you as the parent will know best.