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Baby’s first steps: is your home safe?
When a baby crawls, crawls on all fours and no longer wants to be confined to the playpen, exploring the house is the next adventure. This makes the seemingly harmless furniture and objects within a babies reach a hazard and can be dangerous for a baby. Even without taking your eyes off of your baby, an accident can happen. With a few simple adjustments, you can avoid many common household accidents. So that your toddler can take his first steps in a safe environment.
When a baby crawls, crawls on all fours and no longer wants to be confined to the playpen, exploring the house is the next adventure. This makes the seemingly harmless furniture and objects within a babies reach a hazard and can be dangerous for a baby. Even without taking your eyes off of your baby, an accident can happen. With a few simple adjustments, you can avoid many common household accidents. So that your toddler can take his first steps in a safe environment.
Create a safety perimeter with gates
You can’t be behind your baby all the time! So, to make it easier for you to keep an eye on your baby, consider installing gates to block off dangerous areas of the house. In particular the top and bottom of stairs, and especially the bathroom and kitchen, where most accidents occur! Gates should be compliant, secure and age-appropriate. This will allow your baby to explore at will within a secure area.
Fix and seal furniture and cupboards
Your curious toddler will grab onto anything they can find to sit up or climb, and will not hesitate to look into cupboards. Some adaptations are necessary:
- Buy corner protectors for your furniture, tables, fireplaces… Simple and cheap, they will prevent many injuries!
- Fix furniture to the wall. If baby can grab onto it, your baby could easily tip it over. There are also anti-tilt devices for screens and TVs.
- Install locks or latches on cupboards and drawers, especially if they contain sharp objects, glassware, lighters, matches, etc.
Secure doors and windows
How many little fingers get stuck in a door, or falls from a windowsill? Don’t be careless:
- Install door wedges to prevent pinching.
- Keep furniture and objects away from windows that they can climb on.
- Secure blind and curtain cords.
- Balconies and low windows: secure a protective grille to the wall and install a system to prevent them from opening or accessing windows.
Ovens, cookers, stoves… Beware of burns!
Burns are a classic first injury. However, you can easily protect your little one with a few prudent measures:
- Stoves and fireplaces: fit them with a special fireguard for children.
- Oven: Ideally, place it high up. If this is not possible, fit the door with a protective insulating grill or a “cold door”. Place the microwave oven out of reach.
- Cooker: install plate guards (electric) or flame guards (gas). Beware of ceramic hobs that stay hot after use!
- Taps: fit them with thermostatic mixing valves that lock the water temperature. Set the water heater temperature to a maximum of 50°.
- Electrical sockets: prefer sockets with shutters (closed openings) and install socket covers. Rely only on CE or NF certified electrical equipment.
Domestic poisons: beware of toxic plants and products
Vigilance is required: intoxication is not uncommon among toddlers!
- Store dangerous products in a locked place to which they do not have access. We usually think of medicines and toxic products such as paints, varnishes and other motor oils. But we often forget that cleaning products such as washing powder and even hygiene products are sometimes just as risky!
- Some plants, even very decorative ones, are toxic. Find out more.
