Every new parent comes to realize that their house poses a lot of dangers to curious kids – they could pull open your kitchen drawers and grab the sharpest utensils stored there – so it’s critical to Babyproof Your Home’s Windows and Doors.
They could open cabinets under the sink and find the cleaning products.
They could climb up bookcases and slide down steep staircases when you’re not looking.
Babyproofing is crucial for keeping your kid safe at home.
Childproof locks will stop them from opening up drawers and cabinets.
Tethers and anchors will keep your bookcases from teetering and falling over.
Baby gates can block staircases and prevent your kid from stumbling down the stairs when your back is turned.
What else do you need to babyproof to keep them safe?
If you haven’t babyproofed your windows and doors, you should get on that chore right away.
Credit: Tatiana Syrikova via Pexels
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Natural Wood Doors:
Are your entrance doors made of natural wood?
Natural wood doors can be very heavy, and they pose a serious finger injury risk for young children.
The heavy door will swing back quickly and in full force — and if their fingers are in the way, they could get hurt.
How can you make your entrance doors safer?
You could upgrade to a fibreglass door.
Fibreglass is a strong, resilient material, but it’s much lighter than natural wood.
If you love the look of wood, fibreglass can help.
It can mimic the look of natural wood with gorgeous stains like golden oak or mahogany.
Where do you get one?
Look into a company that does professional window and door installations and see what entrance door options interest you.
They’ll have entry door systems in a variety of styles and colours, so you’ll find the door that suits your home best.
You should also add childproof locks, doorknob covers and pinch guards to every door in the house.
Sliding Glass Doors:
Your spotless sliding glass doors can be a nasty hazard for your young kid.
They might not notice the glass barriers in front of them and run full tilt at the doors.
A simple solution is to decorate the doors with stickers or washable paint.
Then, your kid won’t be as likely to rush into the glass.
Windows:
Unfortunately, once your kid gains the skill of climbing, they could try to climb up to a windowsill.
If the window is open, they could push open the screen and fall out.
What can you do?
You should think of replacing your windows with styles that can be difficult for your child to climb up to on a whim — like a double-hung window.
A double-hung window has two sashes that can operate separately.
You can open the top sash, letting in some fresh air while keeping the bottom sash completely closed.
These are some other things you can do to stop your child from getting to the windows:
- Don’t put furniture directly under windows so that your child can climb up it.
- Add window stoppers to your windows.
- Lock windows when you’re not in the room.
Window Blinds:
Your windows aren’t the only hazard — the window coverings could be a problem, too.
Kids can accidentally strangle themselves with cords attached to window coverings.
Health Canada has made strict corded window covering regulations for manufacturers to minimize the risks of this tragic situation.
However, you can avoid these risks by choosing coverings that have no cords at all.
Many blinds companies supply cordless roller blinds, or even motorized blinds.
You can also opt for very elegant plantation shutters which will feature no dangerous cords, the slats are just opened by hand and they’ll make your area feel more warm for the baby.
Shutters are great insulators.
These tips will help you make your windows and doors much safer for your kids.
Keep in mind that children will benefit from more sunlight!
They’ll be completely babyproof!
