Childproofing Made Easy

 Tips on Childproofing a Home

*Free Childproofing Checklist listed below

Childproofing Made Easy for the Grandparents Home is the key to your grandbaby's safety when away from home.

Childproofing Grandparents Home is the key to your grandbaby's safety when away from their parents home.

After reading the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) report on Grandchildren Safety, we realized early how important it is to familiarize yourself in childproofing a grandparents home. We discovered that our house, at that time, was a virtual danger zone when our grandchildren visit.

Also in the report above, a statement caused much fear when discussing their safety: "more children die in home accidents than from all the childhood diseases combined." As you can see "Childproofing Grandparents Home" is essential to protect your grandchildren and mine!

As I discussed this with my daughter, I felt as we began childproofing grandparents home, it was important for her to get on her hands and knees so we could get the perspective of the boys as they crawl around on the floor. (My knees won't allow me to do that now!)

Since both of our twins are now crawling, it is imperative that we begin childproofing our home now!

Since the babies are usually in our Family Room while we babysit, we are using gates to selectively enclose this area to restrict their movement outside this area which includes the kitchen.

In order to decide on what type of gate, we read the guidelines available on How to Choose the Best Baby Gate.

Also remember, no matter how childproof you make your home, babies still want to put everything in their mouths.

Or put little hands where they shouldn't be, so it is so important to think on their level.

Childproofing Grandparents Home:
In their little minds they question

Danger, Danger, Will Robinson!

Danger! Beware!

Remove these items immediately!

"Danger, Danger, Will Robinson!" was a catchphrase that most grandparents probably remember from the 1960's on the television show, Lost in Space. It is a phrase that we need to adhere to in today's world when our grandchildren crawl. Childproofing Grandparents Home is key to their safety when visiting your home!

Childproofing Grandparents Home is probably the most important thing that you can do for the safety of your grandchildren!

25 Tips to Childproofing Grandparents Home:

In Childproofing Grandparents Home, you will find that it will be a minimal investment of money and not drastically change the existing living space.

Please be aware that since we were going to be watching twins, we needed to "twinproof" our home! So here goes! Again, it might be better to have your adult children work with you to childproof your home immediately.

Push to open this plug

Clear plastic that just push into the electrical socket

1) Best if you cover the electric plates with an entire shield. If you plug an unused electric sockets with plastic safety-outlet inserts these items to a location out of their reach. Remember that little ones can work these out and choke on these. They will stick fingers and toys in the outlets that aren't covered.

2) Cabinet and Drawer Locks: This keeps children from opening drawers that might conceal chemicals. Also keeps cabinet from closing on little fingers.

3) Blind cord winder. Curious children love to play with the pulls and cords on blinds, so take care to secure them out of the reach or inside a plastic safety holder to avoid strangulation. Or listen to the Window Covering Safety Council recommendations below.

Window Covering Safety Council Recommendations

Childproofing Grandparents Home:
Tiny pieces....pick up!

4) Make sure that all small items are picked up off the floor. All babies love to put small items such as marbles, buttons, coins, pills, rocks, etc. in their mouth. Put all these items above their reach or in the trash.

Beware: Button Batteries

Just this past week, television news reports explained the danger of these tiny, round batteries that are usually used in watches and hearing aids. However, there are a few toys that use these batteries. Look at all the toys and remove any that use these small batteries.

An increasing number of children are swallowing the button batteries that power everything from remote controls to musical greeting cards and can burn a hole in a child's esophagus in less than two hours. Check this link to a report from NBC's John Yang on children swallowing button batteries and how this can cause considerable damage to the esophagus.

As explained in small children, if this battery is swallowed or put it up their nose, it can cause issues. So beware of these tiny batteries!

If swallowed or inhaled, call the National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) immediately! You can also call the National Button Battery Ingestion Hotline (202-625-3333).

Childproofing Grandparents Home:
Magnets are also an issue

Magnets as shown in the video below are very, very dangerous. Please make sure that children don't have access to any magnets!

5) Table edges should have protective padding on the edges of the table.

6) Use child-proof gates to secure staircases. Whether to keep the child from crawling up the stairs or coming down the stairs.

7) Use gates to keep babies confined within one space so they don't have access to all the house. Close all doors to other spaces to keep the babies corralled. In Childproofing Grandparents Home, it is difficult to "corral," but we will use a form of gates and fencing to make sure our babies stay in one part of the house.

Childproofing Grandparents Home:
Anchor all furniture

8) Anti-Tip Furniture Lock: Must anchor all large pieces of furniture (cabinets, appliances, large screen televisions, and shelving units) to the wall with either brackets or bolts. All kids are climbers.

9) Sliding windows and door Locks: Children wander off and try to get out of the house. Secure all doors and locks.

10) Toilet Lock: Secure the cover. Keep toilet seats down and bathrooms secured when not in use, to avoid accidental drowning.

Danger! Lock up or remove all these items! Remember to lock up or put them up high so children can't reach these toxic chemicals!

Childproofing Grandparents Home:
Kitchen Issues

11) Cabinet locks or latches should be applied wherever there are chemical products; i.e., under the kitchen cabinet, utility room, bathrooms, etc.

12) Keep all small electrical appliances (mixer, blender, toasters, carving knives, etc.) out of reach. Lock these up.

13) Always turn the handle of a pot toward the back of the stove. Little hands can climb and pull off pots of scalding liquid. Also, when childproofing Grandparents home, be very aware of your surroundings when carrying large pots of boiling liquids. Little ones can be underfoot and cause you to trip or splash the liquid all over you or them!

Beware of Hot Liquids

14) Keep all knives and sharp instruments out of reach at all times.

Childproofing Grandparents Home:
Pool Safety

Measuring for pool cover

15) While thinking about Childproofing our home, I've always been concerned about our swimming pool area.

You never can have enough security when it involves water and children!

Monitor used in Grandchildren's Room, but we will also be using a system like this for monitoring the pool!

A professional recommended that we consider other choices including:

• a security alarm on all doors that lead to the pool area
• special locks or latches on the inside doors
• a wrought iron fence that would divide off the pool and yard area with gates

Other recommendations can be found in Pool Safety!

16) Lock up all doors, cabinets, gates, and other areas where dangerous items reside so babies can't open and crawl in!

17) Remove fireplace tools and install a fireplace barrier for the surround.

18) Remove any lamps or torche lighting from rooms where the babies crawl. Too easy to pull up on the lamp base. Remove all lamp cords where babies could grab on to the cords.

19) Put all breakable (glassware) up high so they can't reach them.

20) Don't use tablecloths, use place mats on the table. Kids can pull things off the table on to the floor.

Childproofing Grandparents Home:
Additional Tips

21) Since we have a twin crawling, we have had to move down the mattress in the Pack and Play and in their bed at home.

22) Make sure that there isn't a picture, shelf or a plug anywhere near the bed.

23) Never leave a baby alone in a bathroom. Never leave your baby alone in any room. To assure their safety, keep your eyes and ears on each child wherever you may be....all day long!

Childproofing Grandparents Home:
Car Safety

24) Lock all car doors when you are driving 25) Always check your backseat prior to leaving your car. Never leave your child unattended inside your car! Never leave your child outside on the driveway near a street!

Suggestions to check in your home

Whether your grandkids come to visit often or occasionally, look around your home and make sure you create the safest environment possible for your most prized possessions--your grandkids!

*Free Childproofing Checklist below

In Conclusion when Childproofing...

In conclusion, when Childproofing a home, remember to check with the Consumer Product Safety Commission for the most up to date information on protecting children in the home.  Don't overlook the 5 topics listed below, as well as the almost 30  concerns listed above on this page!

How to Choose the Best Baby Gate

"twinproof"

swallowing button batteries

Magnets are dangerous

Pool Safety

Find more grandparenting ideas online at our Home Page Grandparenting Essentials 

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