FW: Childproofing your home

Darryl here you go!!

 

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From: Jerry Szeszulski
Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007 1:00 PM
To: Sarah Sheridan
Subject: Childproofing your home

 

Many parents don’t even think about baby proofing the house until their wee one starts toddling around.  That is not the time to begin.  Because you’re in crisis mode, removing one dangerous object after another.  The time to begin baby proofing is in the second trimester of pregnancy, when you have the time to reflect on how this change in your life is going to affect your house. Preventive measures are essential according to the National Safe Kids Campaign, each year more children die from preventable injures than from all childhood diseases combined.  No one regrets that things they did to protect their children---only the things they wish they had done.

 

1. Survey your house from a crawler’s perspective.  Get down on all fours to locate potential hazards—any objects that might be put in a child’s mouth, as well as sharp corners, exposed electrical outlets, swinging lamp cords, unlatched closet and cabinet doors, wobbly tables, over loaded bookcases, poisonous plants, ect.
2. Lock all cabinets and drawers from the countertop down.  Lock oven and dishwasher doors as well.  This prevents the kids from accessing these areas, smashing their fingers, and using the drawers as steps to gain access to all the good stuff on the top of the counter.
3. Install permanent gates at the top and bottom of stairs.  Never use pressure gates, except between rooms.  The weight of even a small child can easily push through a pressure gate.
4. Cover electrical outlets with rotating style outlet covers.  For appliances you don’t want unplugged, such as your computer or stereo system, use a rectangular box that fits over the outlet, denying access.  For above countertops, look for a cover that screws into the outlet so it can’t be removed.
5. Select night lights with child-safe features.  For example, First Alert® Decorator night lights have completely enclosed light bulbs and safety tabs that help prevent children from removing the night lights from the outlets.
6. To help prevent scalding, install anti-scald faucets and set the temperature of your water heater at 120º. It takes 2 to 3 minutes to get a second-degree burn at that temperature.  Many people have their water temperature wet at 140º —a temperature at which it only takes 2 seconds to get a serious burn.
7. Lock all toilets to prevent drowning.  Toilets locks are widely available. ( it also helps your husband keep the lid down)
8. Above all, remember that nothing takes the place of close adult supervision.

 

 

 

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Jerry Szeszulski

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Jerry Szeszulski is an insurance expert heard on The Future of Real Estate  News/Talk 740 KRMG from 12:30 - 1:00 and KFAQ from 7:00-8:00 on Saturday in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Jerry offers money saving expertise for homeowners to apply to their homeowner's policies. Email your insurance questions to: Jerry@TulsaHomeAuto.com