Baby- proofing and child- proofing conjure up the idea of an environment where a baby and child can never be hurt. That is wishful thinking! The reality is, that even in the safest of environments, children can still have tumbles or falls and get hurt. Children can be safest if we accept that child- proofing is always a work in progress. As a child grows and learns to walk & climb and look for materials to manipulate, new unexpected hazards can suddenly be within reach.
Along with all of our other responsibilities, as parents and caretakers of young children, we tend to worry about children’s safety. However, the key to a ‘safe’ house is supervision, as well as maintaining a safe environment. To begin with, it is important to understand that a young child passes from different stages of growth and development & subsequently have different needs and urges. In order to design a safe environment for children of a broad age spectrum, it is important for caregivers to understand the needs and growth patterns of children in 3 separate age groups; Babies (birth to 1 year olds); Toddlers (1 to 3 year olds); and Pre- schoolers (3 to 6 year olds).
Here a few ‘things to remember’ while dealing with the safety of young children.
Babies: As babies become more mobile, keeping your home safe becomes a fulltime job for a while. Small babies can be surprisingly quick, especially once they start moving about. They are not ready to learn about the dangers yet, so you will need to keep them out of harm’s way. Eventually, you will be able to tell your baby which things are off limits and help her/ him learn a safe way around. If you decide to baby-proof your house, change the environment in such a way that your house still remains a creative place to play and explore. Remember, if babies have a creative place to play and explore, with lots of interesting things to do and look at, they are less likely to seek their own stimulation by exploring areas that you might not want them to investigate.
Toddlers: Toddlers are full of energy and curiosity and prone to experimenting with whatever they find. Making your toddler's environment safe for exploration also means not having to say “no” to everything because toddlers have a built in urge to do things for themselves. Toddlers get into places that you would least expect to find them in. Until they are five or six, most don’t understand dangers and because they are still finding their feet, they seem to be constantly bumping, tripping and falling down. Supervision is the only reliable prevention! Plus, by removing the obvious sources of danger, you can give your toddler the freedom s(he) needs to explore & grow.
A few helpful tips to remember in keeping your toddler safe:
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When your toddler is out of your sight for a couple of minutes, you may want to check whether or not she's discovered something intriguing but dangerous.
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Curtain tie-backs and window blind cords can strangle a curious toddler. Remove them or hook them well out of reach.
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Keep chairs away from windows and balconies.
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When you make a well-deserved cup of tea, keep it away from those little fingers!
Pre-Schoolers: For a young pre-schooler, a whole new world has opened up, most of it, outside the safe confines of your home. Your preschooler needs to be kept safe while she experiments with her boundless new abilities.
It is very important to remember that pre-schoolers are spring-loaded with energy. At this age, they love to run around outdoors, climb things, crawl under things, ride on things and play with water. Providing a safe environment for your child to explore and keeping a close eye on her/ him, are important at this age. The good news is that you can also teach the kid more about safety than when s(he) was younger. You can reinforce existing safety messages and teach about new areas such as road safety and what to do in an emergency. Remember that:
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Your preschooler's coordination and physical abilities are developing quickly. At this age, children continue to expand and test their abilities.
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Playing outdoors is an important part of your preschooler's development. She needs space to run, jump and climb, and she will love playgrounds that challenge different skills.
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Install safety locks across entries to balconies, and always supervise children on balconies even if you have grills or related safety measures. Lock windows or keep them netted so small children can’t fall out. Move chairs and potted plants away from the windows.
Now that we are more aware of the general characteristics of children across different age-groups, let’s look further into how we can make the “home” environment safer for them.
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Do not leave a young child alone in the house. Children under about 12 years should probably not be left alone at home, and they certainly cannot be expected to keep younger children safe.
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Low-power night-lights and an efficient torch (in case of power failure) make looking after your baby at night safer. A hall light left on at night makes it easier for older children to get to the toilet without tripping.
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Keep the ironing area at a higher place where it is out of reach for children. Never leave the hot iron on the ground (even for a very short while) as burns can take place in less than a few seconds.
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Get a basic first-aid kit for any mishaps that do occur.
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Pin up emergency numbers and other useful safety contacts near the phone. Below are some suggestions for numbers to include:
Emergency services
- Poisons / Burn injury information centre
- Ambulance
- Fire department
- Children’s hospitals within your locality
- Family doctor
- Neighbour/s
- Reliable Relatives
- All-night chemist
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