How to Create a Safe Home Environment for Babies

How to Create a Safe Home Environment for Babies

A disaster can strike at any time without warning. Such disasters can leave your children injured and traumatized to the point that you must change your lifestyle. Learn how to create a safe home environment for babies and avert the costs and stress associated with common accidents at home. 

Set aside time and resources to handle emergencies and disasters that strike without notice. Before the disaster, you need to identify common accidents at home and ways to avert the danger or baby-proof your home to ensure child safety if the disaster occurs. In situations of unfortunate occurrences or calamities, you need to help the child cope without showing alarm. After the accident, please enable your child to deal with any trauma they may suffer and later create a better system to deal with the cause of the accident in the future. Read on to learn more from this blog post. 

How to Create a Safe Home Environment for Babies

Babyproofing Essentials 

Once your little ones learn to crawl and later walk, you will discover more safety risks and hazards in your home associated with their well-being. Although the dangers may be easy for older kids and adults to navigate, the little ones who just learned to crawl will not recognize the dangers and may easily get affected. These risks include sharp furniture corners, objects, hot stoves, or stairs. Your role as a parent or guardian is to identify them and make them safe for the baby. 

Babyproofing a home should start from the time the baby learns to sit. You must change the babyproofing systems at each growth stage to accommodate the baby’s newly acquired skills. Here is a simple checklist to consider when learning how to create a safe home environment for babies:

  • Ensure the baby’s crib meets the necessary safety standards 
  • Keep all dangerous objects away from the reach of babies
  • Cover all electrical outlets on lower levels where a baby can reach 
  • Keep doors, cabinets, and windows locked when the baby is in the house
  • Install baby gates to keep them off the stairway, kitchen, and bathroom
  • Keep electrical cords out of reach of babies  
  • Keep off furniture with sharp edges or install corners guards 
  • Ensure the furniture is stable for climbing babies 
  • Install knob covers for stoves and keep pots out of reach 
  • Keep slippery floors carpeted 
  • Install screens on fireplaces and radiators 
  • Use cordless window covering 
  • Install safety gadgets for babies, such as smoke detectors and baby cameras 

Each home is unique. You must walk around your home to identify all the safety issues and create remedies to protect the little ones. Your child will still need supervision even after installing the baby gates, locks, and other systems. As they get older, explaining the rules to them will be easy, but before that, keep an eye on them. 

The easiest way to identify risks is to get down to the baby’s level – crawl. This way, you will see what your child sees and determine what could pose a threat. As they learn more, anticipate where their curiosity could lead them. 

How to Create a Safe Home Environment for Babies

Kitchen and Bathroom Safety 

How to Create a Safe Home Environment for Babies

The kitchen and bathroom are wet areas. It is easier to lock off these areas so babies cannot access them instead of babyproofing them. However, the curious young mind will want to know what happens behind the doors. The kitchen has sharp objects, toxic cleaning agents, hot stoves and pots, and a potentially slippery floor. 

As you consider how to create a safe home environment for babies in the kitchen, here are a few tips to have in mind:

  • Keep Sharp Objects Out of Reach – Knives, kitchen scissors, sharp appliances, food processors, and other sharp objects should be in a lockable drawer or cupboard. 
  • Install Latches on Doors – Ensure all drawers and cabinets in your home have latches. These doors, even when the cupboards are empty, can pose a risk to babies. The cabinets should be lockable if they contain dangerous items such as cleaning products and medication. You can install a baby lock on the fridge and oven to ensure babies do not open them. 
  • Install Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Detectors – These inexpensive gadgets can keep you and your baby safe at home. After installation, the devices detect smoke and CO particles in the indoor air and sound an alarm. If you forget to baby-proof the oven one day and the baby plays with the knobs, the gadgets ensure the baby is safe. You can shop for devices that detect natural gas and other particles to keep the indoor air clean. 
  • Keep Kitchen Floor Dry – The kitchen is wet, and the risks of slipping are high. Keep the floor dry at all times, and keep the baby out when washing the floor. Warn the baby from walking or running in the kitchen while wearing socks, as this increases the risk of slipping. You can also carpet the kitchen floor with waterproof carpets.
  • Use Knob Covers – Modern stoves are safer for babies and toddlers, but you still need to be sure. Use knob covers to ensure the kids do not turn on the gas stoves. 
  • When using a playpen, make sure its sides don’t pose a safety risk – The playpen should have small-mesh sides (less than ¾ inch mesh) or closely spaced vertical slats (less than 2⅜ inches apart)

Babies would love to explore the bathroom. There is a lot they can do, from splashing water in the bathtub to brushing their teeth and playing with the toilet brush. However, all these activities pose a risk to your babies. Here are points on how to create a safe home environment for babies in the bathroom:

  • Keep Babies Out of the Bathroom – It is safer when babies do not wander into the bathroom. However, when you cannot keep them out, ensure you keep an eye on them at all times. While there, protect them from drowning by ensuring that the bathtub has no water and the toilet lid is closed. 
  • Use Non-Slip Pads in the Bathroom – Non-slip pads ensure that a baby does not fall from the wetness in the bathroom. They also cushion the baby against hard impact when they fall. 
  • Adjust the Temperature of the Water Heater – The baby’s skin is susceptible to temperature. Constantly adjust the water heater’s temperature and test their bath water before they get into the tub. 
  • Lock the Cabinets – The cabinet doors are dangerous for crawling babies or babies who have just learned to walk. Even worse, soap, cosmetics, toilet cleaners, toothpaste, and other chemicals are hazardous to your children’s health. 

General Safety Guidelines 

How to Create a Safe Home Environment for Babies

As a baby grows, the risks they are exposed to keep changing. As such, you must walk the house with a fine tooth comb to identify new dangers and learn how to create a safe home environment for babies. While at it, consider the following common accidents:

  • Falls – Did you know that falls are a significant cause of death at home? At least a third of fatalities at home result from falls. Babies and older people are more affected. Bathrooms and staircases are the most dangerous areas for your babies. As such, keep these areas carpeted or with non-slip pads, install rails for support, or block them off for babies. You also need to ensure enough lighting in the home, the floor is not slippery, and babies are supervised when they climb up or down a staircase.  
  • Poisoning – There are so many chemicals at home. Soaps, cosmetics, cleaning agents, and sometimes farm chemicals may cause deaths or injuries to babies. Babies are curious and will want to access the contents of all containers in the house. Keep these chemicals under lock and key or on higher levels where babies cannot access them. 
  • Carbon Monoxide – You cannot detect carbon monoxide at home with a detecting gadget. The gas has no smell, and it kills silently. Install carbon monoxide and smoke detectors so your babies do not die from suffocation, and learn more about how to create a safe home environment for babies using intelligent gadgets. 
  • Fire – Thousands of people lose their lives from fire hazards. Babies can start fires if the knobs on the stove are not covered. To be safe, ensure a smoke alarm system you test every month for efficiency. You also need to baby-proof all electrical outlets, switch off electrical appliances not in use, and keep cords out of reach of children. Hide matches and lighters out of reach of children, and never leave babies unsupervised where a candle or an open fire is burning. 
  • Drowning – Babies can drown in two inches of water. To keep them safe, do not leave them unsupervised when they bathe, keep the toilet lid down, keep electrical items out of the bathroom, and keep the swimming pool area fenced.  
  • Choking and Suffocation – Babies tend to place almost everything they touch into their mouths. Small items such as parts of toys, marbles, and grains can lead to choking. Minimize the risk of choking for babies by sweeping your rooms to eliminate any small items that can choke babies. When putting them to bed, ensure the crib has no choking hazards. It would help if you also shopped for age-appropriate toys and utensils. 
  • Cuts at Home – Cuts are expected at home – even for adults. Sharp edges of furniture, knives, shards of broken glass, farm equipment, home DIY equipment, and other items are a safety risk for your kids. These items should be out of reach of children. You must still be vigilant whenever the babies are in the house. 
  • Allergies – Your baby may be allergic to mold and pollen. Protect them by removing condensation to minimize mold growth and install an air purifier to remove other allergens and particulates. 
  • Burns – Dishwashers and stoves are excellent but dangerous for your babies. Baby-proof these appliances with latches on the dishwasher and oven doors and use covers for their knobs. Keep an eye on the baby when you are in the kitchen cooking or washing. 

Your home needs to be well-lit during the day and equally at night. This is basically the first step to creating a safe home environment for your babies. Have a plan of install the necessary safety devices, from baby monitors to alarm systems, to stay ready for emergencies related to babies insecurity.  

Emergency Preparedness 

How to Create a Safe Home Environment for Babies

How prepared are you to protect your family, specifically the young ones in case of an accident? Even as you focus on creating a safe home environment for babies, you must still be ready for negative eventualities. Here are a few things you need to have handy for this struggle:

  • Fire Extinguisher – A fire extinguisher helps prevent severe burns and catastrophic damage to your property by extinguishing fire. It is a requirement for property owners to have a fire extinguisher, but even if you live in a rental space, it is your responsibility to keep your family safe and not rely on the apartment owner. To that end, ensure that the extinguisher on the premises is in good working condition. Place the extinguisher within easy reach. This means it should be near high-risk areas such as the kitchen but not next to the stove or any source of fire. Better still, ensure a clear escape path in the kitchen and other fire-risk regions at home. Once in a while, perform a fire risk assessment to develop plans to protect your home. Buy On Amazon
  • First-Aid Kit – Do you have a well-equipped first-aid kit at home? In case of an accident, the contents of a first aid kit will help you save the baby’s life, prevent bleeding, reduce the risk of infection, and relieve their pain before taking them to the hospital. It would be best to be ready for accidents like choking, burns, cuts, and drowning. Stock enough pain relievers, bandages, surgical spirit, cotton wool, surgical gloves, first aid manual, scissors, tweezers, cold packs, wipes, thermometer, and many more in your first aid kit. Buy On Amazon
  • Knowledge of First Aid – You can save your baby’s life in case of an accident with basic first aid skills. Most of these skills are easy to learn, even as you learn how to create a safe home environment for babies. For starters, you should be able to perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). Performing CPR on time helps preserve brain function and facilitate breathing and blood circulation. Next, you must learn the Heimlich maneuver – a simple first aid for choking babies. Learn how to treat a burn, identify signs of a concussion, stop bleeding, treat a wound, support a sprain, and set a splint. Check out the Red Cross online resources on how to perform different first aid procedures and what items you need for the procedures. 
  • Emergency Contacts – After learning how to create a safe home environment for babies, you must be ready for any eventualities. When an accident occurs at home, you need the police, ambulance, or fire department. You can get these by dialing 911 from your mobile phone. When you call 911, be ready to answer questions such as the nature of the accident or injuries, the location of your emergency, and any other questions the person on the line may ask. 
  • Emergency Exit Plan – Commercial buildings have emergency exit plans, but you need one for your home room. A good plan ensures a safe evacuation in case of a fire. Let everyone in the home know what is in the plan to help avoid panic and lead everyone to safety. Older kids can help you with babies when you are not at home during an emergency. 
  • Set Some Money Aside for Emergencies – Besides learning to create a safe home environment for babies, you must save for emergencies. Accidents can be costly whether the baby gets poisoned or fire brings down your kitchen. Set aside money to care for the baby in case of an accident. 
  • Home Safety RulesYou can learn all tricks on how to create a safe home environment for babies, but if other family members do not observe the safety measures, your baby might still be in danger. To avert that, create a list of rules everyone must follow. This is especially important for older kids who can follow the rules but may not understand the grave danger of home accidents. Some of the common rules include:
  1. Keep the doors closed at all times. 
  2. Keep windows closed 
  3. Do not play with the knobs on the stove.
  4. Close the toilet lid.
  5. Wipe spills on the floor immediately after they occur. 
  6. Keep the baby supervised at all times.

These rules will help you avoid a disaster because the older kids will help you baby-proof the house. 

How to Create a Safe Home Environment for Babies

Conclusion 

You cannot baby-proof your home alone – other family members have to be in on it. Older kids, especially, have to understand why there are covers on the knobs on the stove and why they have to wipe any spills on the floor immediately after they occur. Even after you baby-proof your home, you still need to keep an eye on them. Again, keep learning how to create a safe home environment for babies as they face new safety challenges as they grow up. Keep re-adjusting the baby-proof gates and other systems and assessing the safety of your home

 

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