Children are curious by nature. They love to explore, which also means they put their fingers in places they shouldn’t. Proper safety measures and childproofing steps keep your family safe at home. While there are countless products out there specifically designed to child-proof a home, here are some easy ways of fashioning some yourself.
Pool noodle
Other than being a fun pool toy and a swimming aid, the pool noodle can be used in many ways. If you cut one length wise, it can work as a door pinch protector to prevent fingers from being crushed by the door swinging closed. Alternatively, you can force it around a door knob as a cover to protect your child’s head against bumps.
Brightly coloured noodles, taped around sharp furniture corners also acts as a corner protector. Pool noodles are also a great way to conceal wires for all your devices, away from the child’s eyes.
Carabiner
Lock cabinet handles with a string of carabiners, it’s a quick and easy way to keep out children, yet gain quick access to all the contents inside at a whim.
Twist Lid Container
A plastic twist lid container can be used to cover the door knob to prevent children from accidentally locking themselves in a room, yet easy enough for an adult to twist the container off and lock the door when needed.
All you need is to drill a hole that is big enough to fit the stem of the knob through, slip it on and reinstall the knob. This hack can also be used to cover up twist dials of microwaves and gas cooker hobs if you’re worried that kids can get to them too easily – remember to unplug the power and turn off the gas supply for additional peace of mind.
Door Latches
Of utmost importance is to secure heavy furniture to the wall just in case your child decides to climb them. While most solutions permanently fix the furniture’s position to the wall, a door chain can be mounted to the back of the furniture which allows you to easily move it for cleaning, yet remains strong enough to prevent it from completely tipping over.
You can also use a hook-style door latch, mounted out of reach from the kids, as a way to keep a door slightly open for ventilation (such as the bathroom door), but stop kids from fully opening the door.
Old Belts
You may use an old belt to secure your TV to the furniture, just install a hook to the television’s VESA mounts and latch your belt buckle on it. Screw the other end of the belt into the back of the furniture that the TV is standing on.
Used Bicycle Tubes
If you have a library in your home, here’s how to prevent your children from burying themselves under a pile of books. Just tie bike tyre inner tubes around the bookshelves, which prevents other books from falling out should your infant pull a book out.
Stickers and film
Glass is transparent, and kids will naturally want to reach for what’s behind the glass. Install shatter-proof frosted film over glass in glass cabinets, and consider adding stickers on glass at eye level, such as shower doors.
While these measures will help to prevent injuries, they are not meant to replace a watchful parent. As they grow older, it will be paramount to educate them about the dangers that lurk at home.
