A Childproofing Checklist to Ensure Safety During Indoor Activities for Kids
As we discussed in part one, indoor activities for kids can lead to harm or injury. That’s why childproofing your home is an essential part of everyday child safety.
Read More: Advice from Your Daycare: Everything You Need to Know About Childproofing – Part One
No matter where your children play, whether at home or a child care centre, there are many steps adults can take to ensure child safety without losing the function of the area. From blocking off staircases with child safety gates to covering sharp edges with soft covers, there are endless ways you can childproof in and around your home.
To keep your children safe and healthy, keep reading for more items to add to your childproofing checklist.
8 Bath Time Safety Tips
- You should only give your baby sponge baths until their umbilical cord has fallen off and (if applicable) their circumcision has healed. After that, your baby can have bath time in a baby bathtub that is contoured or has a sling to prevent baby from sliding.
- Don’t overfill the bathtub. For babies, use only a couple of inches of water.
- Babies and children have sensitive skin, so make sure to use lukewarm (not hot) water for baths. If you’re unsure of whether the water is too hot, test the water temperature with your wrist or elbow, or insert a thermometer. The temperature should be 96 to 100 Fahrenheit.
- Keep checking the temperature throughout bath time. And once the water feels cool, bath time is over.
- Before bath time, make sure you have everything you need—gentle soap, washcloth, towel, clean diaper, change of clothes—so you can keep a hand and an eye on your baby at all times.
- Never leave children unsupervised in the bathtub, not even for a few seconds. If you have to leave the bathroom, call in another responsible adult to supervise before you leave, or take your child with you.
- Place non-slip mats in the bathtub and next to the tub to prevent slips and falls. These should have suction cups underneath to prevent the mats from sliding across the tub and floor. Also, cover the bathtub knobs and spout with soft covers to prevent injury.
- To help keep your older baby upright in the water of your bathtub, you can use baby rings for babies and toddlers to sit in.
Change Table Safety
When using the change table, always use the safety straps and never leave your child unattended.
Also keep objects out of reach from your baby, like toiletries.
Crib Safety
Crib safety is important from day one. And as your baby gets older and more mobile, you’ll have to keep childproofing the crib.
Avoid:
- Drop-side cribs,
- Crib bumpers,
- Soft, fluffy bedding,
- Pillows and comforters,
- Sheepskins,
- Mobiles for crawling babies, and
- Toys in the crib when baby is sleeping.
And once baby can pull themselves up, adjust the mattress so it is in the lowest position.
Car Childproofing
When driving with a baby or child, you must follow the laws set out by your provincial ministry of transportation.
These laws include:
- The proper installation of an approved car seat in the rear-facing position in the back seat, ideally in the middle of the backseat.
- Keeping your child in a rear-facing car seat until age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight limits.
To ensure your car is safe for your child, secure unused seatbelts. Buckle the unused seatbelt and pull it slowly from the shoulder portion. When you release the seatbelt, it should retract backward and be locked tight.
Child-Safe Toys
Children’s toys should be in good condition and securely assembled with no loose parts, strings, cords, or choking hazards. Choking hazards include beads, buttons, ribbons, eyes, and any other small pieces a baby can pull off a toy.
Toys shouldn’t be heavy enough to injure your child if it falls. And toys should be appropriate for your baby’s age and skill level.
Lastly, consider ditching plastic toys for healthier, more organic options, like wooden toys. Wooden toys are more eco-friendly than plastic, and they aren’t filled with harmful chemicals like BPA that can cause health problems in children.
Wooden toys don’t require batteries and are much less annoying than noisy plastic toys. And best of all, wooden toys boost your child’s creativity and imagination by allowing them to make the sounds and movements on their own.
Quality-made wooden toys are durable and long-lasting, so they can also be passed down to your grandkids and your great-grandkids, becoming a family heirloom that brings joy for many generations to come.
Highchair and Hook-On-Chair Safety
Babies tend to move around in their highchairs, so it’s important that you only use a sturdy, stable, and wide-based high chair with a safety strap.
Hook-on chairs should be clamped securely to a sturdy table that cannot tip over. Always use straps with these chairs, and never leave your child unattended in their highchair or hook-on chair.
When it comes to your child’s wellbeing, you can never be too safe. By taking these steps to childproof your home, you can ensure these indoor activities for kids and babies are fun and worry-free.