Kids instantly become the most precious things in your life when you become a parent – many of us will do anything to keep them safe. Whilst many things are out of our control, there are some things you can do to keep them safer. For example, consider installing a monitored alarm system in your home – this will deter kidnappers from coming anywhere near your home as your kids play outside in the front or back garden. Obviously, you should always keep young kids supervised, but there are of course moments when, say, the phone rings and you have to run into the house to pick it up. Especially if you have a toddler at home, things like CCTV or baby monitors (to know more, check https://www.safebabymonitor.com/cheap-baby-monitor/) might help track every movement of your baby when you can’t, helping to keep them safe. Here are some other ways you can keep your kids from harm in their early years.
Splurge on a good quality car seat
You may be able to find a cheap used car seat online, but buying this could be dangerous – older car seats are likely to be less safe and may not even conform to modern safety requirements. Buying a new mid-range car seat will ensure safety. Guides such as this one https://parentingpod.com/best-safest-convertible-car-seats/ can help you to choose the best convertible car seat for your needs. There are some seats out there that can attach to prams and others that come with add-ons allowing you to use them from newborn infancy right the way up to childhood – this convenience can be worth paying extra for.
Side Note: Just a quick side note while we’re talking about cars. Car insurance is now more important than ever. If you get into an accident and don’t have the right type of coverage and therefore can’t afford the repairs, your kids aren’t going to be able to get to school/practice/wherever it is you want to go. Make sure you look into allstate insurance reviews and remember that the cheapest option might not necessarily be the option that provides the fullest coverage.
DIY your own baby bath
Bathing a baby can be scary for new parents and many will buy a specialised baby bath to put in the tub to make the task easier. However, in most cases there’s no need to buy a specialised baby bath. In fact, you can easily DIY your own by using a plastic laundry basket or a tub – it could be much cheaper and just as effective at keeping them contained if they’re still not old enough to bath on their own. Some new parents even bathe their newborn in the sink in a washing up bowl.
Watch out for sharp corners
You’ll soon realise how many sharp corners there are in your house and they all seem to be designed at toddler head height. This includes tables, desks and countertops. Whilst you can buy corner protectors, there are many cheap DIY fixes such as cutting up a foam pool inflatable and sticking it along sharp edges or using cut up tennis balls. This could help to cushion these sharp corners and edge if your child happens to run into one of them, potentially preventing a nasty injury. On the topic of sharp corners, you can also add fingerguards to doors – these can be DIYed in a similar way.
Tuck curtain pulls away
Hanging items could be an asphyxiation hazard. Most parents forget about the likes of curtain pulls and blind pulls which often hang at infant height. Go around your home tucking these away on window sills or behind radiators so that your kids won’t be able to play with them. You should also be careful of hanging cables. In order to be fully safe, put a stairgate on the top and the bottom of your stairs.
Shop around for stairgates
If you have stairs in your home, it could be worth installing a stairgate in case toddlers go wondering and accidentally have a fall. Whilst many stairgates are very secure, not all are convenient. Some can be overly fiddly whilst some only fit staircases of a certain width. The likes of this comparison guide http://www.bestreviewer.co.uk/10-best-stair-gates/ could help you to choose a stairgate for your needs.
Buy some non-slip socks/shoes for hard surfaces
Kids can easily fall and hurt themselves on a wooden or ceramic floor when running. To help offer more grip, it could be worth buying some non-slip socks for your infant. Your local clothes retailer is likely to sell these, but you may find that there’s more choice online. This guide https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/ offers some information on some of the best non-slips socks on the market.
Rearrange cupboards so that hazards are out of reach
Curious children are likely to want to open cupboards and explore the contents. Whilst adding baby safety locks for cabinets is always an option, you should also move potentially hazardous items out of reach. This could include cleaning chemicals, DIY tools, sharp objects and fragile objects. High shelves, high cabinets and surfaces on top of cupboards are all great places to store these items.
