Home Safety Tips Heading Into Spring

There’s no doubt that home is the place where we should all feel safe and secure. But did you know that without taking proper safety measures, your home can also pose a risk of injury to your children? Just like all government approved kindergarten programs and professional child care centres, you should make safety your priority, as your children spend a lot of time at home.

As the cold winter months are behind us and we are enjoying the brighter colours of spring, now is the perfect time to give your home a safety check. For this reason, Eskay Kids – Natural Childcare, has decided to share some practical tips to help you make your home a safe place for children.

1. Reduce the risk of burns and scalds

As we all consume hot drinks during the winter months, the risk of burns and scalds increases. You may be thinking: now that spring is ahead of us, such a risk isn’t common. Although it may seem surprising, kitchen appliances and vehicle exhaust can also cause injuries in children, as well as irons and hair straighteners.

Here is a list of tips for all homes and kindergarten care centres to follow to reduce the risk of burns and scalds:

• Keep hot objects out of children’s reach
• Teach your children to stay 3 feet away from cooking space and vehicles
• Set your water heater to a maximum of 120 degrees Fahrenheit
• Keep fireplace remote controls out of children’s reach
• Unplug and store irons, hair straighteners, and other appliances
• Keep electrical cords out of sight and reach of children
• Store matches and lighters out of reach
• Install smoke alarms and check them regularly

2. Ensure your furniture isn’t a topple hazard

Next, it’s important to check whether your furniture poses a potential toppling hazard. So, go around the house and look for pieces and items that are not secured and can fall easily. Here’s what you can do to reduce toppling risk:

• Secure bookcases and chest of drawers to the wall or floor, just like experienced early childhood education centres do
• Put locking devices on drawers
• Don’t reach items on top of furniture to ensure your children aren’t tempted to climb up on them
• Ensure your TV stand can hold its size and weight, or even better, secure the TV to a wall
• Secure curtain and blind cords, especially those with loops to reduce the risk of strangulation

3. Store poisons in a secured cupboard

Last but not least, spring cleaning is the perfect time to go through all your cupboards and check for potentially poisonous products. Such products include medicines (no matter whether they are prescription or over-the-counter), cleaning products, bleaches, dishwasher liquid, pesticides and fertilizers for garden use, spa chemicals, and cosmetics.

Therefore, when doing your cleanout, ensure you store dangerous products in a secured cupboard high enough to be out of children’s reach. Plus, check their expiry date and safely dispose of any expired products.

At Eskay Kids – Natural Childcare, we ensure maximum kids’ safety. Yet, you should also ensure optimal safety in your home. Luckily, by following the above-listed tips, you can easily reduce the risk of your children getting injured.