The National Safety Council states that over 2,500,000 children are hurt, injured, or worse each year around the home.  Studies show that the greatest number of these accidents result from falling down stairs, choking, strangulation, poisoning, electrical burns, and drowning.                                                              

By simply having your home childproofed, you can lower your child’s chance of getting hurt by 1/3, and should an accident occur, very often the extent of injuries are diminished by effective childproofing.                                                                                                                                             

What is effective childproofing?  First of all babies, toddlers and small children are all unique to themselves so there is no “one way” to do it.  Childproofing really evolves with your baby.  The more he/she explores, the more prepared you want to be.  There is a good basic plan of preparedness for your baby’s safety.  Start by addressing the common causes of child injuries around the home.                                                               

1.  To prevent your little ones from falling down stairs, have safety gates installed.  Pressure gates can be pushed over by aggressive toddlers and should not be used at the top of stairways.  They are a good solution at the bottom of stairways and to fence off rooms.  Installed gates however, offer great durability and safety and should be the only consideration when it comes time to install a gate at the top of your stairs.                                                                                                          

2.  Conventional doorstops have a tip that can be removed by babies and then choked on.  Have a one-piece doorstop installed to prevent such an occurrence.  The doorstop is an easy target for babies and should not be overlooked.                                                                                                                                                   

3.  Window blind cords are the leading cause of child strangulation around the home.  There are various styles of cord wraps available that will keep the length of the cord out of your child’s reach.                                                                        

4.  Have drawer and cabinet latches installed to prevent access to dangerous household products.                                                                            

5.  Use electrical outlet safety plates and covers to prevent electrical burns or worse.  The plastic cap inserts are not recommended as they can pose a choking hazard if your baby gets a hold of it.                                                                       

6.  Most drownings occur by toddlers dropping a toy into the toilet and then climbing in to try and retrieve it.  Toddler’s are top heavy and don’t yet have the strength to push themselves back out.  Toilet lid locks are a great solution to keep your child and toilet safe.                                                                                                                                    

These simple measures are a great way to start the childproofing process.   

Most of the above mentioned child safety products can be purchased at your local baby stores.  Some of them can’t.  Oven door locks, refrigerator door locks, powerstrip safety covers, table padding, fire place padding, the list goes on and on.  There is a product for every concern.  Where do you get these hard to find products?                                

A professional childproofer can be the all-around solution to your childproofing needs.  Not only do they carry the hard to find safety products, they offer a home consultation to address all your concerns and point out any other potential hazards awaiting your child.  If you’re handy, you can buy all the needed products and install them yourself.  If your short on time, and what parent isn’t, you can have the products professionally installed for you.  They can have most homes completely childproofed in just a few hours as compared to days if doing it yourself.     

Be careful if choosing a childproofer.  Do your homework.  Ask if they offer a free home-safety evaluation.   Are they addressing your concerns or just pushing products?  Are they insured?  The International Association for Child Safety is a good place to start your search.   They offer a directory of childproofers by state and also provide various safety topics concerning children.  Do your shopping and compare prices.  I guarantee some childproofers charge more than others do, and you'll find in some cases, your local stores are charging more for identical products than a childproofer is offering.

For room by room safety tips, detailed descriptions of available child safety products, or to schedule a free home-safety evaluation in the Chicagoland Area visit   www.protectiveparentschildproofing.com