Childproofing a house...
Discussion
Sorry to turn this place into Mumsnet but what's the accepted wisdom on childproofing a house? Specifically around cupboard door locks? Do I want the IKEA Patrull style, or these ones with magnetic keys? Keen to minimise damage and impact to a brand new high-gloss kitchen where possible.
I don't want to wrap the fella up in cotton wool, but I do want sensible protection. Stair gates, obviously. Fire guard. Chokey/poisonous things out of reach. Rubber bumpers on the corners of the stone hearth. Electrical cables and pull light cords out of harm's way.
Anything else? I've seen these cooker guard things, but I'm of the opinion we're more likely to bang the saucepan on them and slop boiling water around...we have a big range cooker so we can use the back rings and more importantly keep him away from the cooker during meal times.
What about those plug blanker things? Again, the fact that they have a dummy earth pin which in fact opens up the guard inside the plug seems a bit daft to me.
Anything else?
I don't want to wrap the fella up in cotton wool, but I do want sensible protection. Stair gates, obviously. Fire guard. Chokey/poisonous things out of reach. Rubber bumpers on the corners of the stone hearth. Electrical cables and pull light cords out of harm's way.
Anything else? I've seen these cooker guard things, but I'm of the opinion we're more likely to bang the saucepan on them and slop boiling water around...we have a big range cooker so we can use the back rings and more importantly keep him away from the cooker during meal times.
What about those plug blanker things? Again, the fact that they have a dummy earth pin which in fact opens up the guard inside the plug seems a bit daft to me.
Anything else?
Keep the kettle cord short, cut it and fit a new plug if necessary (kids can pull the kettle towards themselves using the flex) Only use the rear hobs for hot liquids and turn the handles away. Poisonous liquids go in a high cupboard out of sight, no bleach left in the bathroom.
There's a million things to do
There's a million things to do
We didn't really do much except the obvious stuff i.e. stair gates and a guard around the wood burner. Better to watch and interact with your children 
Our first born was quite inquisitive so often inside the kitchen cupboards despite being told otherwise but we never had locks. We do have a utility where most of the dangerous stuff is stored in a wall cupboard.
Don't get me started on the socket covers, we have one of the safest mains electricity sockets in world in this country. Shoving a bit of plastic in it actually makes it more hazardous. That and I had to replace several sockets when we moved into out place where these wondrous things had broken off. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5039454/Ele...
http://www.fatallyflawed.org.uk/
Our first born was quite inquisitive so often inside the kitchen cupboards despite being told otherwise but we never had locks. We do have a utility where most of the dangerous stuff is stored in a wall cupboard.
Don't get me started on the socket covers, we have one of the safest mains electricity sockets in world in this country. Shoving a bit of plastic in it actually makes it more hazardous. That and I had to replace several sockets when we moved into out place where these wondrous things had broken off. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5039454/Ele...
http://www.fatallyflawed.org.uk/
king pain in the arse when you cannot find the magnetic key to open the cupboards!Hard-Drive said:
What about those plug blanker things? Again, the fact that they have a dummy earth pin which in fact opens up the guard inside the plug seems a bit daft to me.
Anything else?
You have good instinct on this one.Anything else?
http://www.fatallyflawed.org.uk/
In the kitchen we had one cupboard with all the nasty stuff in which had the safety latches on and a guard for the front of the hob to prevent inquisitive fingers and a short kettle lead with the kettle always kept at the back of the counter.
The rest we left them to get into.
As for the rest of the house, left the sockets, corner protectors were a waste of time as they attracted the babies to them (who then pulled them off and chewed on them). Put a fire guard up to keep them away from the marble and from playing with the fire itself.
We had fixed stair gates for the top and bottom of the stairs as well and had one of the pressure ones to restrict them to specific rooms (or keep them out of rooms) if required.
The rest we left them to get into.
As for the rest of the house, left the sockets, corner protectors were a waste of time as they attracted the babies to them (who then pulled them off and chewed on them). Put a fire guard up to keep them away from the marble and from playing with the fire itself.
We had fixed stair gates for the top and bottom of the stairs as well and had one of the pressure ones to restrict them to specific rooms (or keep them out of rooms) if required.
btw. One thing I would do is check that all your plugs are proper british standard ones. ie they have an insulated section on the line and neutral so only the tips are bare brass. Without this a kid can get his fingers round the back and touch them while they are still live.
It is worrying how much imported stuff appears illegal and dangerous plugs. (I've seen them myself a few times)
again, for info....
http://www.fatallyflawed.org.uk/html/other_dangers...
It is worrying how much imported stuff appears illegal and dangerous plugs. (I've seen them myself a few times)
again, for info....
http://www.fatallyflawed.org.uk/html/other_dangers...
We had stairgates, until it got near to the point they could get over the top of them when it becomes more dangerous to have them. I'm not sure the bottom one was particularly necessary, the top one was only a fallback plan but you get less time to avert disaster there. Hazardous chemicals moved up high. Didn't have a fireplace.
My wife bought cupboard and drawer child lock things and insisted we use them. I insisted we didn't and because fitting them would be one of those things that would only get done if I did it it didn't happen. In the end we gave them to someone else who then decided not to fit them too.
We were given a playpen / prison bar contraption. Our first screamed when put in it so it ended up being put around the TV, amp, etc. to protect them from him.
The trick really, at least when you only have one, is to put your energies into watching them rather than everything else. However they try and injure themselves, it probably won't be the way you expect.
My wife bought cupboard and drawer child lock things and insisted we use them. I insisted we didn't and because fitting them would be one of those things that would only get done if I did it it didn't happen. In the end we gave them to someone else who then decided not to fit them too.
We were given a playpen / prison bar contraption. Our first screamed when put in it so it ended up being put around the TV, amp, etc. to protect them from him.
The trick really, at least when you only have one, is to put your energies into watching them rather than everything else. However they try and injure themselves, it probably won't be the way you expect.
768 said:
We were given a playpen / prison bar contraption. Our first screamed when put in it so it ended up being put around the TV, amp, etc. to protect them from him.
The trick really, at least when you only have one, is to put your energies into watching them rather than everything else. However they try and injure themselves, it probably won't be the way you expect.
My parents did that - apparently I would not stay in the playpen so all the valuables went in there, I had the run of the house.The trick really, at least when you only have one, is to put your energies into watching them rather than everything else. However they try and injure themselves, it probably won't be the way you expect.
Oh, and I agree. Kids are very inventive about how they will hurt themselves. Your job is not to stop them doing it (or how else would they learn) but just try and make sure the injuries are not too serious........
You don't need to spend a fortune no doubt you will have these plastic rings that after they have chewed are pointless so put them to better use.
Don't blank the plug sockets it makes them play with the sockets as something is in there. Aldi do very good stair gates keep your eye out for their events.
Don't blank the plug sockets it makes them play with the sockets as something is in there. Aldi do very good stair gates keep your eye out for their events.
brman said:
btw. One thing I would do is check that all your plugs are proper british standard ones. ie they have an insulated section on the line and neutral so only the tips are bare brass. Without this a kid can get his fingers round the back and touch them while they are still live.
It is worrying how much imported stuff appears illegal and dangerous plugs. (I've seen them myself a few times)
again, for info....
http://www.fatallyflawed.org.uk/html/other_dangers...
Good advice. My 2 year old tried to lever an old style 13A brass pin plug out with a knife and was amused by the sparks! Happily, the knike had an insulated handle and the circuit tripped...It is worrying how much imported stuff appears illegal and dangerous plugs. (I've seen them myself a few times)
again, for info....
http://www.fatallyflawed.org.uk/html/other_dangers...
If you have a garden pond, get rid of it. Might want to have a bolt high up out of reach too if there's a side gate.
Make sure your TV is strapped to the wall if is free standing. They can be pulled over pretty easily, one of my cats nearly did it to mine by climbing up the north face. TVs usually come with a strap these days.
You'll soon learn to have eyes in the back of your head. Oh and clear up all the toys etc at the end of the day, or you'll go flying on some random toy yourself.
Good luck.
Make sure your TV is strapped to the wall if is free standing. They can be pulled over pretty easily, one of my cats nearly did it to mine by climbing up the north face. TVs usually come with a strap these days.
You'll soon learn to have eyes in the back of your head. Oh and clear up all the toys etc at the end of the day, or you'll go flying on some random toy yourself.
Good luck.
sjc said:
Window blind and curtain cords, mail me through my profile if you want a heads up what to do with them to make safe .
Why not post the info so everyone can benefit?...............
OP, we didn't bother with stair gates but made sure they knew how to climb up and down as soon as they were able.
On other safety issues you'll get to we played the higher and higher game.
Everything gets moved higher and higher!
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