Easy Upgrades That Will Make Your Home Safer for Young Children
As much as you love your home, you look at it completely differently when a young person is around. Whether you’ve just had a baby or your sister is bringing her kids around for the holidays, you’ll instantly see all the dangers that lurk in your bathrooms, kitchen, and living areas. While there are numerous products on the market that will make childproofing your home easy, many of them are designed more for function than visual appeal.
It is possible to make your home safer without sacrificing your décor. Here are three small things you can do to keep your smaller visitors safe and sound without creating an eyesore.
Cordless Blinds
You may not realize it, but the cords on your window blinds pose a serious choking hazard for young people. Instead of running yourself in circles, trying to prevent such an injury, consider changing out all of your old window blinds for one of the many cordless options available on the market today. You can find cordless options in almost every type of blind you’d want for your home and you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing they’re safer. There are even motorized blinds that operate using a remote control. If you’re ready to make your house a smart home, you can even purchase blinds you can operate using your smartphone.
Decorative Baby Gates
Baby gates have come a long way over the years. Manufacturers are aware that parents often set up baby gates and leave them for years. As a result, decorative baby gates have emerged that will coordinate perfectly with your existing décor. Since many of these gates have built-in doors to allow adults to easily pass through, you could put these gates in place throughout your home to keep infants and toddlers away from stairs and other areas where danger might find them. Whether you can choose from wrought iron, wood, or traditional plastic to match the area where the gate is being placed.
Outlet Caps and Covers
Outlets remain among the biggest dangers to young household members. Not only are outlets placed within easy reach of young children, they seem to hold a certain amount of interest to these family members. The problem is, if a child sticks a metal object into one of those outlets, he could be seriously injured or worse. Baby-safe outlets are largely unattractive, but a great alternative is an outlet cap. These plastic caps can be purchased in bulk and placed on your existing outlets. You’ll be able to maintain the attractiveness of your decorative outlet covers without sacrificing your family’s safety.
With so many innovators on the home design market today, there are many ways you can keep your home safe while still maintaining the look you want. If you haven’t shopped around for baby-proofing furnishings lately, you may be surprised what options are out there to help. Even if you only have young people in your house occasionally, having some of these items on hand will give you peace of mind when they come around.