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There are tons of child safety hacks all over the web, and you could fill a book with all of them. But for time’s sake, here are some of the most effective ones you can start right now for pretty much nothing, from keeping the baby from climbing to using up leftover bits of playdough.
Pool Noodle Door Stoppers
Kids love to slam doors, and this can be annoying enough. But annoyance is nothing compared to what can happen when little fingers and toes are caught or a baby is trapped. If you have a pool, you probably have safety devices installed like boundaries by pool enclosure companies. But you may also have some pool noodles that the kids play with. You can use these by cutting them in half lengthways and sticking them to door edges for less noise and more child safety.
Crib Climber Child Safety Hacks
Babies grow fast, and before you know it, they are trying to climb all over everything. This includes furniture, tables, and the kitchen counters. But the crib is typically the first place they will begin to develop their climbing skills. There are a few easy ways to ensure the toddler doesn’t escape so easily. Many cribs are higher on one side where the gate is, so you can rotate this to face the wall. Also, ensure the crib is placed away from anything they can use for leverage.
Covering Electrical Sockets
Little fingers are easily placed into electrical sockets, which is a considerable danger to children, especially given how wt their chubby little hands can get. Plastic electrical covers are available, but they aren’t easy to remove, which is the whole point. But this means they can be a bother if you have limited dexterity or fragile nails. Another easy solution that works well to prevent the kids from touching them is simple duct tape. Tape is easy for adults to remove, but not for kids.
Toy Safety Tricks
All over the United States, toys cause over 205,000 injuries per year, and a large percentage of these admissions are children. Choking hazards are among the worst, so here are some tips:
If something can pass through a toiler roll tube, it is too small for kids under 3.
Use over-the-door shoe racks to store away nursery toys after the kids are finished.
Secure potentially dangerous toys inside your old lockable holiday suitcases.
We can all be victims of stray toys, and once you have stood on LEGO in bare feet, you never forget it. But these can also be swallowed by children, so take steps to ensure toys are safe.
Rubber Bands and Cabinets
Cabinets in the home are essential, and we need them for storage, often of dangerous things. Bleach no longer gets accidentally drunk by kids because of the safety caps. But things like laundry pods and dishwasher descaler tablets look like candy to babies. So you need to secure the cupboards. Luckily, all you need are good quality string rubber bands or something else just as elastic, like hair ties. These are easy enough for you to remove but hard for younger kids.
Child Safety Hacks with Playdough
Sharp edges in the home are the source of countless booboos from the beginning of modern history. Door handles, tables, and faucets are among the worst culprits, all of which can ruin playtime and bathtime. Yet they can also cause serious injury to a child in the right (or wrong) place. If you have any playdough lying around, you can stick it to any sharp edges to make them softer and prevent some of the most common injuries to children when they get too excited.
Choose Brands Wisely
You can go out of your way to make your home as safe as possible, but the brands you use have their role to play. And not all brands are as safe as we would like. Certain things, like kitchen and bathroom chemicals, are secured by law. However, safe packaging is optional for most products. Therefore, it helps to carefully select the products you use based on how well they are packaged for child safety. Be aware of sharp edges, easily removed caps, and plastic bags.
Summary
Pool noodles for door edges are great examples of child safety hacks for the home. You should also be aware of toy sizes and choking hazards. And there are many brands that don’t take packaging as seriously as parents would like, so choose your household brands wisely, too.
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