Child-proof your home

No one is as adventurous as a toddler. They move around the house in the hope of discovering new and amazing things. If your home is not child friendly, this journey of discovery can easily turn disastrous. As a parent with a toddler you need to be careful where you place things such as pills because a child can easily think they are sweets and indulge. A careless mistake like this could have devastating consequences.

Common causes of accidents and poisoning

Although poisoning data in South Africa is lacking, one study found that the most common cause of accidental poisoning in SA children is pesticides. However, the list of potential poisons throughout our homes is extensive; here are just a few more:

• Medications
• Household cleaners and disinfectants
• Cosmetics and toiletries
• Insect and rodent repellents
• Weed killers and other outdoor chemicals
• Swimming pool chemicals
• Flea and tick shampoos and other products for pets

Above poisoning, there are accidents in your home that can easily happen if you are not careful. Common accidents may include:

• Shock from electrical appliances
• Drowning in the pool if it is not covered
• Falling off the stairs when there isn’t adult supervision
• Burns from a heater or hot water
• Suffocation from plastics lying around

 Tips for keeping your home safe

Here are useful tips to prevent accidental poisoning and accidents in your home. Some of them may seem fairly obvious but it is easy to forget. It may be a good idea to identify what potential hazards you have in your home. Do a check of every room in the house, including your garage, and make sure that your home is safe.

1. Do not transfer all potential household and other hazardous products into cool drink bottles or old lunch tins. Keep all of them in their original containers.
2. Make sure that seals of potential hazards are tight and secure before locking away. Please note that child resistant packaging of medications is not childproof.
3. Keep potential hazards locked away where a child cannot reach and with a childproof lock. The cupboard should even be high for you to reach, as little minds can get quite creative with boxes and stools and climb up onto counter tops.
4. Keep potential hazards out of reach of children when in use and never leave bottles or buckets unattended. A toddler can easily drown, even in a bucket with water.
5. Never call medicine sweets or candy. This is a common mistake parents make in order to get their kids to take medicine when sick. This could lead to a child one day consuming an entire bottle of ‘sweets’.
6. Never leave your handbag lying around and be extra cautious when you have visitors over as many people keep painkillers in their bags.
7. Alcohol is often overlooked and is very dangerous to your little ones if consumed in excess. Keep alcohol out of reach of children, especially when hosting parties.
8. Keep remote controls and other battery containing devices away from children. Any kind of battery can be dangerous if leaking or ingested
9. If you are unsure about whether or not a household item is hazardous, assume that it is and keep it locked away. Things that seem harmless are most often extremely dangerous.
10. Make sure you are around when you child walks up and down the stairs as they can fall and hurt themselves.
11. Keep plugs covered as toddlers tend to put their fingers inside and can get an electrical shock. Speaking of plugs, rather make sure they are not exposed. For example, place a couch in front so that the plug is at the back.
12. Keep plastics far away where the child can’t even reach or simply throw them away after use.
13. Make sure the pool is covered and that there is an adult around the child when they are at or near the pool,
14. Keep the bathroom closed at all times as toddler may play with hot water or even run a bath and end up drowning.
15. Make sure you monitor your child’s movement when the heater is on.