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Many tips to improve child safety in your home and provide accident prevention for toddlers and older kids. You'll also find tips pages for pool and automobile safety.

Child Safety At Home: Your house seems like such a nice safe place until you bring a child in.  Then you discover how unsafe it is.  Don't worry if you or we have forgotten anything important, your child will teach you what to secure.  This page contains a few things you probably don't want to learn by trial and accident. Here' are the latest best-selling Books on Child Personal Safety.

Toddler Safety Tips: Toddlers are very different from babies because they're not protected full-time by cribs, play pens and people.  Toddlers are also different from older kids because they understand and follow directions far less though they're very mobile...even the ones who haven't quite put one foot in front of the other.  That's why toddlers get their own special child safety section.  The best way to make a home safe for a toddler is to get on your hands and knees and crawl around like they do.  See what's interesting!
1.  Electric outlets should have plugs or covers in them.
2.  Try pulling over every table, plant stand chair or other item to see how easy it is.  Replace the easy ones.
3.  Don't use recliners or other mechanical furniture until children are old enough to understand not to crawl under them.
4.  Examine (feel) the underside of furniture for sharp objects...staples, splinters, etc.
5.  See what items (vases, glasses, books, pots) can be pulled off of the furniture.
6.  Install Child Safety Gates at entrances to kitchen, laundry, garage, stairways, etc. (toddlers should never be in these areas unless someone is carrying them-too many possible accidents).
7.  Eliminate the doggy door until children are old enough to understand it isn't for them (about age 23).
8.  Keep all doors closed when not in the room (so toddlers can't roam into bathrooms, bedrooms, etc.).
9.  Keep pet food and water dishes in rooms the toddler won't be in.
10. Don't use fireplace, wood stove, pellet stove or other such item if toddler will be loose in room while it's still hot.
11.  See if they can crawl behind furniture and put blockades up.
12.  Don't use table covers that can be pulled off, along with everything on the cover.  Now is the time to protect the kids, not the furniture.  You can get good furniture once they're older (about age 35).
13.  Make sure nothing given to them has parts (wheels, buttons, etc.) small enough to be pulled off and put in their mouth.  If it fits in their mouth they can choke on it.
14.  Make sure nothing is in their areas that they can wrap around their neck (like chords, strings, etc).
15.  Make sure nothing is in their area they can put their head in or cover their mouths with that is air tight (plastic bags, wrapping paper, balloons, etc.).

See below for safety items for all kids.  

Older Child Safety Tips:

1.  Teach children from an early age about the dangers of chemicals, soaps, garbage disposer, trash compactor, dishwasher, stove, oven, blender, water heater, cars, washer/dryer, toilets/sinks, lawnmower, fireplace, etc. 
2.  Do not allow children under 8 in kitchen, laundry room or garage unsupervised.
3.  Use Child Safety Latches on lower cabinets.
4.  Store all chemicals, soaps, knives, appliances, alcohol, vinegar, sweet items and all breakable items in upper cabinets, out of reach.  Locked pantry or cabinet would be best.
5.  Install locks on any appliance or dangerous rooms that small children can climb into (water heater closet, furnace closet, refrigerator, washer, dryer, electrical panel area, etc.).
6.  Make sure all items on counters, shelves and workbenches (including appliance cords) are beyond the reach of small children.
7.  Install Child Safety Alarms on cabinet doors so you know when they're being opened.  These are great after the kids have learned to open the child-proof latches (at about 18 months of age).
8.  In garage, make sure all chemicals, solvents, gasoline, oil sharp tools, power tools and breakable items are in securely locked cabinets or on high shelves out of reach of small children.
9.  Make sure all shelves are secured so they can't be tipped over.
10.  See to it all toys and safe tools for working on toys are accessible without climbing or going into dangerous areas.
11.  If you have the space, avoid trundle or bunk beds.
12.  Make sure all windows can't be climbed into or out of except for emergency.
13.  Have a fire/earthquake evacuation plan with meeting place assigned at least 50 feet from house, teach the plan and rehearse it with your smoke detectors at least once a month.  This also forces you to test your smoke detectors.
14.  Test all toys, tricycles and swing sets for smaller kids to see if it's possible to break a finger, strangle, or get other damage from the design.

Note:  It's normal to be a little anxious about your children's safety.  The fact is, no matter how careful you are, they will have accidents, get hurt and get sick.  If you're very fortunate...that's all.  Knowing this, it wouldn't hurt to ask for a little more help than these tips can offer.  The biggest child safety tip I can think of is to get help and wisdom from God.  He can protect your child, heal an injured child and help you with the child safety anxiety all parents have.  If you want God's help, click on help me God.

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