Raising Kids - Is Your Home Safe For Your Child? by:Stella Mak Y.F.

Today's news brought another tragic story of a 4-year-old child who was killed at home

. She was Mike Tyson's beloved daughter who was killed when she was playing on the treadmill at home and somehow the loose cords got caught round her neck and she was strangled to death. My deepest condolence goes to the Tyson family. Raising kids can be a tough and tedious job but losing a kid is like getting a knife plunged into our hearts - it will bleed and hurt forever. Nevertheless, I cannot help but wonder if it should send all parents a warning message that it's time we do a thorough check to see if our homes are child proof?

It is of course impossible to child proof the world as danger is everywhere around us but it will definitely be very useful to check that the risk of injury in your home is reduced to the minimum, especially since your home is where your child will be spending most of the time. Meanwhile, you can teach your child about the safety measures that they should keep in mind. Below is a checklist you can use to ensure that your home is child proof:

1. Install gates for stairways

Very often young children were injured due to falls and stairways are very dangerous places for little children, so parents should ensure that the stairways are blocked with gates on both sides. It is better to use gates that are securely mounted into the walls rather than pressure mounted gates at the top of the stairways as your child might be able to apply enough pressure to cause the gates to give way. Nevertheless, it is always safer to ensure that an adult is around to keep a close eye on the kids when they are near stairways.

2. Lock outlets, drawers and cupboards

If you look around your house, you might find that there are many objects which will cause your children's little fingers to get injured such as when they slam the cupboard doors or drawers. Even the door hinges can cause their fingers to get caught and bleed. Outlets that are hanging loose are a potential danger too so make sure they are safety tied up or hidden in plastic outlet covers. Before purchasing such products, test them out to see how child friendly they are first. If you have to install child safety latches, make sure they are easy to use or you might just end up not using them at all!

3. Remove medicine, cleaners and other poisons from sight

Young children are very curious and they would love to touch and taste everything they can lay their little hands on so make sure such poisonous substances are kept out of reach of your kids. Never keep your cleaners under the kitchen sink or on the ledge of the bathtub as it is very convenient for your little ones to get hold of them. Always ensure that they are safely locked away or placed in a high cupboard where your kids cannot reach. Even the medicine and sharp items at home should also not be within your children's reach.

4. Keep small toys and other choking hazards away

Apart from falls, choking is another is another very common cause for children's visits to the hospitals. Being curious, young children love to put everything that they can lay their hands on into their mouths, for example, small toys, batteries, coins, buttons, etc. So parents have to be very vigilant and keep all these choking hazards out of the way of your little ones. If you have older kids, teach them to keep these small items away from younger children.

5. Be on the lookout for new potential dangers

Your child is growing everyday so you need to be on the lookout for what he can reach up to. What he could not get hold of previously might suddenly be within his reach one day. You do not want to be caught in a situation where he is busy pulling down the table cloth and everything else on it! Get the items out of his way before it's too late!

6. Install window grilles or lock windows

To prevent your little ones from falling out of windows, you can either lock the windows or install guards that can prevent the windows from opening too far out. Alternatively, you can also install window grilles or screens. Your child is never too young to climb so make sure all blind cords, cribs, beds, chairs and other furniture are not placed near the open windows because a young child can easily climb up and reach the open windows.

No doubt prevention is better than cure but it is also a parent's responsibility to teach your child how to behave and to stay away from potentially dangerous places. Your child will definitely get to visit homes that are not child proofed like yours so to prevent any disastrous accidents from happening, teaching them to understand what is not safe is still the best remedy. Anyway, isn't raising kids about teaching our children all about life?

About the author

"Stella Mak is a qualified school teacher with over 18 years of experience and she is also the mother of a pair of twins. She runs an informative blog at www.childrenproblemshelpdesk.com where she shares with you her tips on solving children problems.

To take advantage of this useful information as well as to get lots of FREE children resources such as parenting tips, school worksheets, children activities and teaching strategies, make sure you also check out Stella's website at http://www.essentialsforparents.com"

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