There can be hidden hazards in a home which parents of a newborn may be unaware of. There are certain precautions which must be taken to keep an infant or a toddler safe. Here is how to ensure child’s safety all over your house.

Bathroom Safety

You can keep the following points in mind with respect to bathroom safety for your child.

• Never make the mistake of leaving your infant unattended in the bathroom even if it is only for a few minutes. Ensure that the infant is always with an adult in the bathroom.

• Bathrooms tend to be slippery. To prevent slipping and falling over make use of non-slip mats in bathtub and bathrooms.

• Keep, detergents, soaps, shampoos and such other cleaning products which may contain harmful chemicals locked in a cabinet in the bathroom out of reach of the infant.

Kitchen Safety

Have a quick look at the points for childproofing your kitchen.

• Make use of electrical outlets that have a sliding safety latch preferably all over your house.

• In case of kitchen appliances which are placed within the reach of an infant it is essential to make use of such outlets only.

• Minimise the use of electrical appliances as far as possible and block or cover all unused electrical points.

• Ensure that blenders, toasters, dryers, and other electrical appliances are always unplugged after every use. By doing so you can be sure that no harm will come to the infant even if she manages to reach these appliances.

• Do not hold any hot food or drink in your hand while your infant is around. Keep these on tables or at a height where your toddler will not be able to reach.

• Even if you are hard pressed for time do not cook on a stove while holding the infant in your hands.

• Make sure that your oven door has an appliance latch to keep it locked whenever required.

• Making use of stove guards and knob covers is another precaution that you must take to ensure child safety in your kitchen.

• Keep knives and sharp kitchen objects like peelers, graters, mixer and food processor blades locked in a cabinet completely out of your infant’s reach.

Door Safety

Door safety is an important part of childproofing your house. Here are some points which you should keep in mind.

• Doorstops and door holders help to protect your child’s hands and fingers from getting stuck or crushed.

• Discourage your child from playing with a door. Opening and closing a door repeatedly is a simple game which most toddlers like to play. However this can at times cause unforeseen accidents and hence is best avoided.

Window Safety

This is one aspect which many parents overlook. In fact children can easily fall out of windows despite screens being installed. There is also the risk of the infant injuring herself on a broken glass window. To prevent such mishaps you can take following precautions.

• Ensure that no window in your house can be opened more than 4 inches. All windows within reach of your infant must be secured with a childproof latch.

• Do not keep any hard or heavy objects near the windows. Older single pane windows easily break if any hard object is banged against it.

• In case of large windows it would be worthwhile to apply a sheet of transparent safety film to the glass. Although this will not stop the glass from breaking it will prevent the glass from shattering into jagged shards which can injure a child. 

Furniture Safety

Here are some things which you should keep in mind in order to make your furniture child safe.

• Furniture which can easily fall over like bookcases and chest of drawers must be fixed to a wall.

• Make use of corner and edge guards on furniture with sharp edges to prevent the infant from hurting herself.

• Make use of furniture straps to secure big pieces of furniture to the wall. You can attach TVs, dressers to the wall by strapping it. This will ensure that the furniture does not slip or fall even if your toddler tries to climb it.

If you have an infant in house, childproofing is a must. Therefore, the above tips will help you to greater extent in order to childproof your house. Apart from these child safety tips, you can also take tips from your relatives and friends who have a little older kid than yours for childproofing your house.