At every stage of your child’s development, from a small baby that you have to carry everywhere, through to crawling ball of mischief, tottering toddler and hyperactive child running around in random directions as if fuelled by a life’s goal to be as crazily energetic as possible – there are dangers of differing kinds in the home.

Keeping your child as safe as you possibly can is no mean feat, so hopefully this article will help you put some simple measures in place to make your home a haven for your child.

Here are some points on how to keep your child safe at home:

1. Furniture

If your child can bump his or her head on a piece of furniture, then you can bet your bottom dollar that they will. Constant supervision will go a long way to being able to prevent this; however the inevitable bumps and falls will happen, so make your furniture as child friendly as possible.

• Avoid furniture with sharp edges and keep all glass covered furniture in a child free zone until your child is old enough to understand the dangers of glass
• Make sure that your furniture is heavy enough that your child cannot move it or have it fall on them – ensure that any lighter items of furniture are kept out of reach of children as much as possible and that they do not climb or play around it too much

2. Windows and Blinds

Windows can represent a major hazard in the home. To safeguard your child, make sure:

• Children play away from windows and, if possible, only open windows from the top
• Windows are kept locked and keys kept out of reach of your child. This is especially important for windows located anywhere above the ground floor in your home
• Pull-ropes are kept tied up and well out of reach of children. Blinds and the string which operates them could be a hanging hazard

3. Kitchen

Kids love to see what you are up to when you are in the kitchen and involving children when cooking can be great for their development and to stimulate them. It is however not always safe to have little ones running around in the kitchen.

• Make sure that all pan handles are turned towards the back of the stove, so that little hands can’t reach up and inadvertently pull pans and pots down
• Keep all sharp utensils out of reach of children
• Consider getting child safe locks and latches for your draws and cupboards. The kitchen can look like a fun playground for your baby, toddler or child, but it’s important to teach them about the dangers of the kitchen

4. General

• Turn your hot water thermostat down to 50 degrees centigrade, so that if an accident should occur, the water temperature is not boiling
• Get power point guards to stop children from putting their fingers or other objects in the sockets
• If you have a swimming pool or balcony, make sure that your child is supervised at all times. It’s also a good idea to install pool and balcony guards to prevent access to these areas without your supervision
• For fires and heaters, make sure that all controls are kept out of reach and that you install a fireguard to prevent access
• Install smoke detectors throughout your property
• If you have stairs, make sure that you have a guard in place at the top and bottom of the stairs to prevent falls
• For any garden or work areas, make sure that all tools are kept out of reach and that your child is supervised at all times.
• In terms of glass in your house, it is a good idea to install safety glass or retro-fit some clear plastic film to your windows (especially those at head height for your child) so that glass doesn’t shatter should they break

This is by no means an exhaustive list; however with the correct supervision and care, it should go a long way towards ensuring your home is a safe, fun and stimulating environment for your child.

Do you have any other tips for safeguarding the home for children?