Want To Keep Kids Safe At Home? Stop Making These 3 Mistakes
Keeping children safe at home can be challenging, especially when they are under 5 years old. Not only do they need constant supervision, but we need to take certain precautions to ensure their safety.
The first step is getting the most updated information. Then, you need to act on it. For example, once you learn that it’s normal for babies and toddlers to want to put everything in their mouths, you need to keep any potential hazard out of their reach.
Since I started partnering up with Tide® to share home safety tips, I’ve learned that it’s very easy to overlook certain things that could be harmful to your child.
3 home safety mistakes to avoid
Here are 3 things you should stop doing right now if you want to keep children safe:
- Leaving detergents and cleaning products on top of the washer or dryer. You might think that will be enough to deter little hands from reaching out to grab them, but children are very clever and quick. The golden rule is to store cleaning products in a high shelf, locked or behind a cabinet door, away from children’s reach. According to a survey done by BabyCenter and Tide®, one in five parents say their laundry packets are within reach or sight of their child. Remember this simple rule: Keep Them Up, Keep Them Closed and Keep Them Safe.
- Taking cleaning products out of their original packaging. This is a huge mistake! Companies invest in research and development to package their products in special containers to help prevent accidental access. For example, P&G just announced new Child-Guard™ lids for its Tide® PODS™ and Gain® Flings tubs. These child-resistant closures provide a stronger layer of protection, requiring individuals to squeeze both sides of the lid and twist at the same time to open the packaging.
- Childproofing once and forgetting to check your home from time to time. Many parents baby proof their homes when their child starts crawling or walking and later forget about it. As kids grow, they can reach taller shelves or cabinets, so make sure to make the necessary adjustments. Also, your best bet is to check your home for possible safety concerns every three months (or more often!). Tip: when seasons change, it’s time to see your home from your child’s height and point of view to see what you need to keep out of her or his reach, what cords are too long and what furniture needs to be secured to the wall. Think of this as your Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring home safety checkup!
Were you making any safety mistakes? Hopefully my tips will help you make the adjustments to keep your home safe for children of all ages. Visit www.tide.com/safety to learn more about how to make safety a top priority during your laundry routine for family and loved ones.
Disclosure: this post is part of my ongoing collaboration with Tide® and Procter & Gamble to share with you safety tips, but all opinions are my own.
