If you have an infant or newborn, your number one priority is to keep them safe.
There are numerous items, situations and places in your home that pose a risk to your child’s safety, and not all of them are obvious. As a parent, you’ll want to ensure your home is as baby-friendly as possible to put your mind at ease.
To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of the home safety practices that any new parent can easily implement in their household.
Ensure They Sleep Safe
In the first part of their life, your little one will spend most of their time sleeping.
That’s why it is incredibly important that they are sleeping in a safe environment, with all the necessary precautions taken. This includes:
- Sharing a room with your child;
- Placing them on their backs;
- Not giving them a blanket or pillow;
- Dressing them according to the temperature;
- Avoiding crib bumpers due to suffocation and entanglement risks; and
- Investing in a good baby monitor with both sound and video.
By taking these steps, you can rest assured that you have done everything you can to ensure your baby is completely safe while they are asleep.
Avoid Choking Hazards
One of the most obvious risks are small toys, items or foods that are able to cause your baby to choke should they try and swallow it.
Children are naturally curious and will put things in their mouths. Ensure that any small objects are not in reach of your child and you supervise them while they are eating.
Preventative Safety Measures For Falls
Falls are the most common cause of injury in children, which is why this stage of baby proofing is particularly important.
While your baby won’t start moving around the house too much for about 6 months after they are born, there are scenarios where they are prone to falling.
Here are some things you can do to prevent this:
- Use the provided harness on your baby chairs
- Keep one hand on your baby while you are changing them so they don’t roll
- Avoid baby walkers, particularly around stairs
- Use gates or barriers at the top and bottom of stairs to prevent falling
- Ensure balcony railings are an appropriate height (ideally 1.3m)
- Keep furniture away from windows and other high places to avoid your children climbing them when they get older
Safety During Bathtime
It is imperative that you always supervise your child near water and NEVER leave them alone in a bath.
Babies can drown quickly and in as little as 2 inches of water. Have everything you need for bathtime near you or get someone else to fetch anything you need if your baby is in the bath.
Being Safe With Your Electrics
Electricity may make our lives easier, but it is also extremely dangerous, especially when children are around.
To avoid electrocution, it’s important that you use electrical safety switches around your home, unplug electric appliances when they aren’t being used and put plug-in covers on your power points to stop children from putting things in them.
At Haven Early Learning, we always ensure our centres are 100% baby and child proofed. Our educators are all aware of and trained for every safety situation to ensure your children are safe when they’re in our care.
To see for yourself, book a tour at one of our centres today!
