There are times when we'd love to wrap bub in cotton wool and hold them tight to protect them from danger - but alas children love to explore. And when they do, it is essential that you childproof your home.
As stated in our Childproofing Your Home article - don't settle for a degrees of safety. Your home is either safe, or it isn't.
Here are five great products to get you started with your plan to child-proof your home. It is worth mentioning that a large number of unintentional injuries occur at regularly visited homes, such as Grandparents' house, so make sure their house is up to scratch too.
Essentials Childproofing Kit
There are so many little things you need to child-proof your home, and without this little things, major injuries can be sustained. You can pick these 'Essential childproofing' boxes up from baby stores and they contain: power plug protectors (30), grip latches (12) to keep curious kids out of drawers and cabinets and four 'grip 'n' twist' door knob covers which keep kids out of bedrooms and bathrooms (or whatever room you like!).
Additional items we recommend include: corner edges for tables, finger pinch guards to stop little ones jamming their fingers in doors, bath tap & spout covers, fridge/oven locks and DVD shields (although the damage here is more likely to be sustained by your DVD player).
Oven Guard
Featured in our Editor's Picks this month this product is great. Although it's best to keep kids out of the kitchen, where possible, this isn't always feasible. The Lee Beau Oven Guard recently won the 2008 Kidsafe award. Constructed from flame-retardant heat-resistant material the guard protects small children from serious burns. With oven doors reaching temperatures of 80 degrees it can take less than one second for a child to receive a third-degree burn as their reflexes are not quick enough to pull their hand away. It is also worth investing in stove cover knobs, if they are in reach of your child.
Gates
To add another level of safety to your home, use your Essentials Box but also use a gate to reduce your child's exposure to potentially dangerous rooms. There is a vast array of gates out there however previous tests by Choice magazine have shown many to fail safety standards that they claim to have met. In determining what gate is best for you see if they open in both directions, close automatically, have no small parts and no footholds that a baby could climb. See Choice for more info.
Cord shorteners
Curious toddlers love pulling on cords and cables, and it can be hard in today's modern home to have all of these out of reach. You can get cord/cable shorteners which can prevent your baby from pulling an item such as a lamp, or laptop down on them. You can also get cord shorteners made for blind and curtain cords, these are vital as such cords are a strangulation hazard. Never have your cot near blind or curtain cords.
Smoke detectors
These are a legal requirement in all new Australian households, and within existing homes in NSW, QLD and Vic. And with good reason, early warning with a house fire can mean the difference between life and death. Make sure you change your batteries once a year. Read the Choice article about smoke alarms.
To discuss safety and your Kids talk to other Essential Baby parents.
