It’s no secret that small children are curious about the world and will go to great lengths to explore it. While exploring is healthy and essential for your child, it also means that they will try to get into off-limit places like low cabinets. You’ve taken great care to secure your home, but did you remember to child-proof the following:

Dishwasher, Oven, & Refrigerator Doors

You’ve child-proofed your kitchen by securing cabinet doors, and putting appliances and sharp objects out of reach. But have you remembered to secure the doors to your oven, dishwasher, and refrigerator? Children can easily open these doors and get burned, get into food that can pose a choking hazard, or cut themselves.

Sleep Positioners

Sleep positioners are products designed to keep babies on their backs while they sleep to help reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The CPSC and FDA also stresses that parents not use sleep positioners because not only is there no scientific proof that they work, but children can roll off of them and become trapped against the bolsters and suffocate.

For safe sleeping, place your child in a crib that is free of pillows, toys, and thick blankets. Remember, bare is best.

Hand Me Down Gear

While it will help you save money, using hand me down baby supplies like strollers and car seats comes with their own set of hazards. For example, items like car seats can expire, resulting in weakened restraints or sharp edges. When receiving or reusing baby gear, make sure to inspect it carefully for safety and integrity, and know its entire history.

Open Toilet

While the water in toilets typically isn’t deep, children can still accidentally drown in them. Keep the toilet seat closed and install a toilet seat lock to prevent your child from accidentally falling into the toilet and drowning.

Bottles & Pacifiers

As surprising as it sounds, small children can become injured by pacifiers and bottles. Since these items are generally regarded as safe, parents don’t think about the potential hazards. When small children have these in their mouths and are walking around, they can trip and injure their mouths. When giving your child a bottle, make sure that they sit down while drinking and don’t give pacifiers to children over six months. Also, make sure they don’t run with these items.

Window Covering Lift Systems

Do you have older window treatments with the traditional pull-cord? Older window treatments are dangerous for children in that cords can easily get wrapped around their throats and result in serious injury or death.

Replace your corded window treatments with a cordless lift system or invest in a cord keeper. It’s also essential to keep all cords away from furniture like cribs, beds, and couches. Children can easily climb these and become entangled.

Unanchored Furniture &Televisions

According to The Washington Post, 11,000 children were seriously injured by furniture and televisions from 2011 to 2013—many of them under four years old. Children can climb onto furniture like dressers or bump into televisions, which can easily tip over and fall on them.

Secure furniture and TVs to the walls and get rid of older, heavier TVs like CRTs. In doing so, you’ll make your home much safer and prevent serious accidents.

Learn More About Window Covering Safety

Call Victor Shade Today at (314) 428-7979

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