Every parent wants to raise their children in a safe, happy, and healthy environment. However, your home could be filled with potential safety risks or hazards, which could pose a threat to your kids’ well-being.
While your home should be a haven away from harm, small problems could lead to a big health issue for both you and your little ones.
To ensure you create a secure environment for your children each day, make sure to read these six top tips for making your house both healthy and safe.
1. Test Your Water Temperature
The last thing you will want is to scald your baby or toddler during bath-time. While 140 degrees F might be fine for an adult, it could burn a child in as little as five seconds. For this reason, you must ensure your water heater is set to no more than 120 degrees F, and you should always test the temperature before you place your child into a tub. If you are unsure how to control your water heater or suspect there could be a fault with the temperature, you should go online and search for “best plumbers near me” to have a professional review and repair the system.
2. Protect All Electrical Outlets
Children are inquisitive by nature. As a result, they might be tempted to play with an electrical outlet. Rather than allowing them to place their fingers into an open socket, you should install plastic caps onto all unused outlets to protect your kids at all times. You also should keep electrical items out of your child’s reach, such as curling irons, hair dryers, space heaters, and radios, especially when they are in the bathroom.
3. Install a Smoke Detector
The thought of a fire breaking out in your property probably chills you to the bone. For this reason, you must install a dependable smoke detector on every floor, especially outside sleeping areas, which will notify the whole family in the event of a fire.
You also need to check that the smoke detectors are in working order at least once per month, and you must replace the batteries once per year, even if they are seemingly working. It will provide you with peace of mind that you will have enough time to evacuate your family and ring a fire department should the worst happen.
4. Install Safety Gates on Your Staircase
If you are raising young children, it is wise to install safety gates at both the top and bottom of your staircase. Kids might be tempted to walk or crawl up or down the stairs when your back is turned, but the gates can prevent them from gaining access and can, in turn, prevent an accident within the home. It is a must-do if your children are starting to walk or crawl.
5. Monitor Carbon Monoxide Levels
Carbon monoxide (CO) can have serious and fatal health repercussions if left unrecognized. If you have low to moderate CO levels within the home, it is possible you or a loved one could develop flu-like symptoms, but you will unlikely develop a fever.
For this reason, you must install a carbon monoxide alarm outside your loved ones’ bedrooms, which can prevent poisoning. You also should have your heating system inspected at least once per year, and you should contact a plumber or the gas company if you suspect a leak.
6. Lock Away Cleaning Products and Medicines
Young children often don’t think twice about putting an item into their mouth, as they will not know what is unsafe or tastes bad. As a result, they will be more than happy to add makeup, cleaning products, and medicines into their mouth, if they can. To prevent them from consuming the hazardous items, you should lock away all potentially dangerous items your children might be tempted to consume.
You also should purchase cleaning agents and medicines with child-resistant tops and install a safety latch onto all low cabinets and drawers your kids could access. Don’t forget to hide away any small objects your kids could potentially swallow, such as marbles, jewelry, safety pins, coins, and small toy parts.
Conclusion
While it can be difficult to monitor your children every second of every day, there are actions you can take to increase their safety within the home. It is a wise idea to walk throughout the home to identify potential health hazards and to follow the above tips to create a safe and healthy environment for your nearest and dearest.
