Making home safe for your child article by
Milos Pesic
… How would you feel when you find out that your toddler found his way up the stairs?
Would you find it amusing to see your child managing to open the oven door? Let’s face it.
No matter how vigilant we might be, our children are bound to get into some kind of trouble
every now and then. However, the “level” of danger that they get themselves into is our main concern.
Making home safe for your child takes some planning. Child proofing your home may start from
the time your newborn baby comes home from the hospital, until the time your child complains
that you’re treating him like a baby.
By then, he would have been wise enough to flee from the kitchen and avoid cleaning the dishes.
Well, making home safe for a child does not really mean that you put on safety gates or fences
till your child reaches puberty. Actually, parents would know when it is safe to let him wander
off anywhere in the house.
Experts say that the most common mistake that parents make is to underestimate the development
of their children. Some parents never expected their children to have already learned how to go
up the stairs until they fell down the steps.
Had the parents anticipated the development of their children, they would have installed gates
to keep them off the “risky” areas of the house.
Making home safe for a child should not mean that you confine them in spaces that would not allow
them to explore and play. No matter how thorough your childproofing is, there will eventually be
instances of tumbles and falls.
The important thing to remember is that no amount of childproofing can take the place of parental
supervision. A child-safe environment cannot be measured by the presence of child gates, fences,
and other child-safety equipment.
Childproofing is not a one-time deal. It is a continuous process. It is constantly monitoring your
child’s development so you can implement the proper measures according to what he is capable of doing.
Kids are naturally playful and curious. Thus, it is downright harsh to lock them up in places that
will not allow them to express themselves. Making home safe for a child means educating him regarding
what is safe and what is not.
Parents should make sure that they build a good relationship with their children so that there will
be an open line of communication. This way, kids will believe their parents more and the things that
they have to say.
Parents who have a deep understanding of their children will find it less difficult to figure out
what they’re thinking, making it easier to keep them safe.
