Children who can crawl or walk are very active and curious. For this reason, you should keep the environment of young children largely free of hazards. Children at this age are not yet able to recognize dangers and avoid them. It is not until around the age of four that children increasingly develop an awareness of dangers – through learning from their own experiences and educational advice from their parents. However, it still takes a long time before they can recognize risks in advance and avoid or ward them off through appropriate behavior.
How do you secure the kitchen and living area?
For children, the kitchen is certainly one of the most exciting, but also one of the most dangerous rooms in the house. Several measures can help make the kitchen more childproof:
You can secure drawers in two different ways: a stopper prevents the drawer from being pulled all the way out and then falling on the child. Other systems prevent the drawer from opening. They are better than stoppers because children easily get their fingers caught in drawers.
On kitchen cabinets, for example, small hooks prevent children from opening them. This is especially important on cabinets that contain chemicals such as washing powder, detergent, kerosene, turpentine, barbecue lighter, drain cleaner or flower fertilizer.
You can secure the stove with a grid that keeps children’s fingers away from hot stove plates and pot and pan handles. Always turn the handles backwards and use only the back plates if possible.
Don’t leave knives lying around in the open.
More tips for keeping kids safe in the kitchen and living spaces:
- Tables with hard corners and edges at child head height are dangerous. Rubber corners are available to mitigate these hazards.
- A pinch guard on the door prevents the child from pinching their fingers or hand. It is either placed on the door leaf or hooked into the hinge.
- Close doors to rooms you do not want the child to enter.
- Shelves sometimes make exciting climbing structures for children. To keep them from falling over, secure shelves to the wall with angle irons.
- Loose rugs and mats are dangerous for unsteady steps. Rubber mats keep larger rugs from sliding and wrinkling. Small runners and mats are best banished from the home until the child is older.
- Electrical installations must be secured throughout the home. This applies to electrical outlets and junction boxes. Special plastic attachments provide good protection. Loose connections, inadequate device covers and uninsulated cables are life-threatening – and not just for children.
- Secure the windows in time before the child starts to climb. You can obtain systems from specialist dealers that prevent windows from opening more than a few centimeters. In addition, there is – as for doors – also a clamping protection for windows.
What should you secure in the bathroom?
- Store medications, cleaning supplies and cosmetics so your children can’t get to them, for example, in a lockable cabinet.
- Never leave your child alone in the bathtub! A toddler can drown in water just a few inches deep.
- Use tub and shower liners to prevent your child from slipping on the wet floor.
- Remove all electrical appliances such as toothbrushes, hair dryers or razors from near the sink and bathtub.
- Install thermostats on water fixtures or reduce the temperature of hot water throughout the house. This will prevent your child from getting burned if you accidentally open the faucets.
- Remove the key from the bathroom door to prevent your child from locking themselves in. You must always be able to open the door quickly in case of an emergency.
