Safety: Quick tips for childproofing your home

by Barbara Rybicki 03/04/2024

From electrical hazards to furniture hazards, your home has several potentially harmful areas for members of your household of all ages. From the kids of the house accidentally taking a fall to a friend tripping over a cord, the following tips are simple ways to keep your home as safe and worry-free as possible, especially if there's a wee one at home.

Block stairways and unsafe areas

Younger kids can easily get hurt trying to climb or crawl up and down stairs. Kids can also end up being in danger when they're able to access potentially unsafe areas, such as bathrooms, kitchens and fireplaces. Use baby gates to block stairways and other hazardous areas of your home.

Set up gates at the top and bottom of stairways to be safe or in doorways to block access to unsafe rooms or areas. Make sure your baby gates are securely in place, so they can't be tipped or pushed over.

Secure cabinets and drawers

Keep potentially dangerous items stored away in cabinets and drawers, but keep in mind kids might be able to access them. Place safety locks or latches on cabinets and drawers with hazardous items in them, such as medications, tools, knives and cleaning products. These locks and latches prevent kids from being able to open drawers and cabinets. Doing this helps reduce the risk of having kids accidentally ingest toxic substances or injure themselves with sharp objects.

Use outlet plugs or outlet covers

Electrical outlets can cause shocks if kids stick their fingers in the sockets. Put outlet plugs in each outlet throughout your home to reduce this risk. You can also get outlet covers to stop kids from being able to touch or play with electrical outlets at all. If you use plugs, make sure they're secure and can't easily be pulled or removed.

Anchor heavy furniture

Kids might try to climb on heavy pieces of furniture and accidentally cause them to fall over or running into them might make them tip on their own. Use fasteners or brackets to anchor these heavy pieces of furniture to prevent them from falling over and causing serious injuries.

Child Safety

Childproofing

Home Safety

About the Author

Barbara Rybicki

I am originally from Poland but have been a Grafton resident for almost thirty years.

I come from the Hospitality Business. I used to work in 5 Star Marriott Hotel Management. That experience taught me how to provide excellent customer service. That "Marriott" way of doing business instilled in me over the years helps me tremendously to succeed as a local real estate broker.

Nothing is more exciting to me than gratifying feeling I get from helping people reach their real estate needs and dreams. You can count on me to always do what is in your best interest. I will be there for you throughout the entire transaction making sure you understand each step of the buying or selling process. I will guide you with great communication skills and hard work ethic.

I have not only passion for my job but also extensive real estate expertise. Whether it is preparing and staging your home to sell for top dollar or helping you purchase a perfect home, feel free to reach out to me so we can start this process together.

I specialize in marketing and selling residential real estate in Grafton, Upton, Northborough, Westborough, Southborough, Shrewsbury, Milford, Hopkinton and Metro West area.