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December 13 marks International Children's Day; a perfect day to celebrate the joy that children bring into your life. One way to observe the holiday is to make their lives better by optimizing health and safety conditions in your New Hyde Park, NY home. Here are a few tips to help you childproof your home and make it both safe and fun for your little ones.
Tips for Childproofing Your Home
Check out this quick-tip list for safety so instead of worrying what your kids can get into, you can enjoy your time with them.
- Place safety screens around your fireplaces, radiators and heaters.
- Install childproof covers on all electrical outlets.
- Make sure that all toxic chemicals, including household cleaners and painting supplies, are out of reach.
- Move couches, chairs and other furniture away from windows.
- Be sure that step stools and kitchen chairs aren't close to your stove top.
- Use corner bumpers to protect your children from sharp edges on tables and other structures.
- Keep houseplants out of reach.
- Lower the temperature of your hot water.
- Make sure your bathtub and shower floors aren't slippery.
- Never leave lighters, matches or tobacco products where children can reach them.
- Install carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms outside your children's bedrooms.
- Shorten the length of blind and curtain cords.
- Place locks on your bathroom medicine cabinets.
- Unplug small electrical appliances after using them.
- Keep all firearms and ammunition securely locked away from children.
- If your home was built before 1978, have it tested for lead paint.
- Keep kitchen knives and other sharp utensils out of reach.
- Never leave cooking food unattended, especially when children are in the kitchen.
- Install side railings when transitioning from a crib to a standard bed.
- Never leave heating pads or electric blankets unattended.
- Develop a family fire escape plan.
- Install ground-fault circuit interrupters on electrical outlets.
- Keep activated charcoal and ipecac syrup on hand in case of poisoning emergencies.
- Install cabinet latches and toilet lid locks.
- Keep gardening equipment and gas containers stored out of reach.
- Stabilize unsteady furniture.
- Keep small glass and ceramic items stored inside a locked display cabinet.
What Can I Do with Leftover Stuff?
While you're making your space child-friendly, you'll probably find a few items that aren't safe to leave in a home with small children. Don't worry, you don't have to give them up forever. Keep them safe in a Safegaurd Self Storage unit until your children are a little older. For a small monthly fee, you can store extra toys, large items, sports equipment, collections and much more. It's easy to find affordable options for home and commercial storage in New Hyde Park, NY. Contact your local storage facilities for availability and pricing details.