Parent's Guide to Home Safety for New Parents

With that in mind, here is a guide you can use to protect your home:

Install Door Knob Covers

One lesser-known home safety accessory and equipment is the door knob cover. However, they are just as important as other home safety items. When children can reach door knobs, it is easy for them to close and open doors on their own. The danger lies in the fact that their limbs can be injured if a door slams into them. Or they might accidentally lock themselves in a room.

Don't forget about this warning that many parents may not think of. You can find a variety of door knob covers online or in baby departments at your favorite department stores.

Keep Candles and Matches Out of Reach

Candles are pleasant to have in any home. Aromatic candles are a form of aromatherapy. For many, they are used to make the house smell better and promote relaxation. As parents of young children, you might want to refrain from using candles and matches for now. You'll have more opportunities for this later when children grow older.

Preschool-age children can accidentally light matches regardless of how developed their fine motor skills are. When children chew on wax, it can be toxic. If you really need candles at home, store them at least on the top shelf, out of children's reach.

Secure Dangerous Items

By 'secure' we mean covering any potentially dangerous items that can be found in the home. Walk through each area of your house and check these zones:

• lighting – place protective covers around those within children's reach
• outlets – cover with special childproof caps
• areas near radiators and hot pipes, such as heating pipes – cover with protective materials

Check Your Water Heater Settings

If you are not yet familiar with your water heater settings, now is the time to do so. Where possible, keep bathroom doors closed so that children don't linger in this area.

Then take additional precautions by setting your water heater’s maximum temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Children can burn themselves by accidentally turning the shower or water heater handle. Depending on the water temperature, burns can be serious and potentially life-threatening for small children.

Store Fragile Items High and Far Away

Fragile items such as vases and frames should also be placed high up where running children won't accidentally bump into them. If your child accidentally knocks over frames and other fragile items, glass could cut him.

Equip Your Home

Equipping your home means purchasing common child safety items that can be found in any hardware store or baby section of a department store. There are many different child safety products available. Here is a guide on how you can use more protective equipment to safeguard your home:

• Install curtains or cordless blinds on windows to avoid accidental strangulation
• Install corner and edge bumpers on sharp corners, such as dining tables, coffee tables, buffets, TV stands and others to prevent injuries from them
• Install safety gates if you have stairs at home to prevent children from falling down the stairs

Store Cleaning and Laundry Supplies Out of Reach

Some of the most toxic products in the house are bathroom cleaning supplies and laundry detergents. They contain bleach and other toxic chemicals that help remove dirt and stains. When these products are within reach of small children, poisoning can occur.

If your laundry room is a separate room, keep the door always closed. You can also place cleaning supplies in this room to keep them out of children's reach. If not, at least store these products on high shelves, also out of reach.

Conclusion

For new parents, home safety can seem like a burdensome task. The larger your home is, the more you'll need to cover. Then comes the dilemma of what and how much to protect. There are many home safety products on the market that can often leave you confused. This guide can help ease those concerns. It covers most areas of the home that require child protection and offers ideas on how to make these zones safe for children.